The Women in Leadership Conference brings together professional women to discuss the challenges they face, exchange perspectives, and learn from peers and industry leaders.

The event provides an invaluable opportunity to hear industry leaders share best practices and insights to help women in leadership roles become more effective and be at the top of their game.

Join us at this in-person event. Learn, connect & reconnect – and have fun!

JANALEE BELL-BOYCHUK (Keynote Speaker)
Regional Director General
Canada Border Services Agency

The human impact of leadership: Psychological safety, well-being and performance

Emerging research, including a global study featured in Forbes, shows that leaders are one of the most significant influences on employee mental health—comparable to a spouse or partner. This session explores how leadership presence, emotional intelligence, and everyday behaviour directly shape psychological safety, stress levels, trust, and performance within teams. Participants will examine the responsibility leaders carry in how they show up for others and why caring for their own mental health is now a core leadership competency.

• • Understanding how leadership presence and behaviour directly influence employee mental health and psychological safety
• • Exploring how emotional intelligence, consistency, and self-regulation in leaders affect trust, engagement, and team performance
• • Learning why leader well-being is not a personal issue, but a leadership responsibility essential for sustainable performance

MYRNA WIEBE
President & CEO
Access Credit Union

Earning trust by leading with openness

As leaders, we know that trust is the foundation of every successful relationship, team, and organization. Earning trust begins with openness and, dare we say, vulnerability—being transparent about our decisions, sharing our challenges, and inviting authentic dialogue. When we lead with openness, we foster environments where collaboration, innovation, and resilience thrive, empowering our teams to bring their full selves to the table and drive meaningful change.

• • Transparency builds connection
• • Authenticity inspires loyalty
• • Engage teams through openness

DAMA SLUTCHUK
Consultant
IG Wealth Management

Leading in a hybrid world

Modern organizations operate across a mix of remote and in-person environments that reshape how people collaborate and make decisions. Effective leadership in this context requires balancing flexibility with accountability while sustaining trust and performance. Achieving success requires the use of technology and integrity to keep people aligned around shared goals, regardless of where they work.

• • Building trust across remote and in-person teams
• • Focusing on outcomes rather than physical presence
• • Leveraging digital tools while maintaining human connection

AUDREY WIEBE
COO
Maverick Industries

Diversity in leadership

By integrating diverse perspectives into traditionally uniform industries, organizations achieve more robust and informed decision-making. Supporting women in leadership today establishes the foundation for future talent and ensures long-term operational resilience. When the workforce is reflected in senior leadership, increased trust and innovation drive a high-performing, scalable organization.

• • Engineering robust decision-making
• • Driving high velocity trust
• • Unlocking scalable performance

KERILEE FALLOON
Director, Communications and Marketing
Winnipeg Airport Authority

Engaging cross-functional teams

Strong collaboration across functions brings together people from different disciplines to work toward a shared goal. When collaboration is effective, organizational silos fade, and information moves more freely. The result is faster execution and teams that feel genuinely invested in shared success.

• • Building alignment around shared goals 
• • Increasing ownership and accountability through shared decision-making
• • Driving more effective solutions by leveraging complementary skills

JANE CURTIS
Interim President and CEO
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

Practicing reflective decision-making

This will focus on the importance and value of practicing reflective decision-making as it can lead to more thoughtful, informed and value-aligned choices. Over time, it can strengthen judgement, accountability and continuous learning. It can also be very challenging because it requires time and mental space, which are often limited in fast-paced or high-pressure environments such as the healthcare system.

• • The challenges of practicing reflective decision making
• • The benefits it brings to individuals and organizations
• • How it is grounded in strong relationships and trust

MEGAN GRAN
Space Systems Engineering
Magellan Aerospace

 
Keeping modern-day innovation alive

In a world where everything we ever need is compiled nicely for us in an algorithm through the internet, social media, and AI, how can we continue to inspire the world to think outside of the box? Just like a muscle, our innovation and creativity can be practiced and improved.

• • Supporting your curiosity
• • Working out problems in a new way
• • Removing your safety net and breaking your routine

YELENA KROPIVNITSKAYA
Vice President, Advanced Analytics
Wawanesa Insurance

 
Translating strategy into executable plans

Effective strategy execution requires shared frameworks that help teams translate vision into action. Leveraging proven tools such as OKRs and SMART goals enables organizations to create focus, measure progress, and adapt with intention. This session will explore how these models complement each other, when to use each, and how to embed them into ongoing planning and execution rhythms.

• • Connecting strategic intent to actionable frameworks such as OKRs and SMART goals
• • Understanding the differences, strengths, and ideal uses of each approach
• • Applying these frameworks to drive alignment, accountability, and continuous refinement across teams

CLAIRE ALFORD
General Manager
Teranet Manitoba

Championing ethical leadership in a complex world

Championing ethical leadership in a complex world requires a steadfast commitment to core principles such as integrity, transparency, and accountability. Effective leaders must not only model these values but also proactively navigate challenges arising from rapid technological change and competing stakeholder pressures. By fostering trust, encouraging open dialogue, and making principled decisions even under uncertainty, ethical leaders create resilient organizations and contribute to sustainable, long-term success. The core ethical leadership reflection questions are:

• • Do my actions reinforce the values I expect from others?
• • Am I providing enough information for others to understand and trust my decisions?
• • How do I respond when things go wrong—do I take ownership or shift blame?

KATHRYN HORDIENKO (Morning Chair)
Associate General Counsel
NFI Group Inc.

AIMEE PALMER (Afternoon Chair)
Regional VP, Winnipeg SW & Western Manitoba
IG Wealth Management