The Women in Leadership Conference brings together professional women to talk about the challenges that they face, exchange views, and learn from peers and leaders.

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

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

LEANNA BEASANT (Keynote Speaker)
Chief Financial & People Officer
Access Credit Union

Advancing women leaders in organizations

Leanna Beasant is a strong advocate for women in the workplace. Her dedication to championing the rights and opportunities for all employees is well-recognized in the Canadian Credit Union system. In this presentation, Leanna will share her personal journey of progression in the financial services industry, along with practical tips and advice for individuals and their colleagues, peers, and loved ones. In particular, she will share advice on:

• • Workplace advancement
• • Personal development through all phases of life
• • Building relationships, self-advocacy, mentorship

ESTHER FINDLAY
Senior Vice President, Financial Services
IG Wealth

Incorporating ‘leader’ in your brand

As women, there are key principles we need to embody in leadership to succeed. Esther Findlay has learned that success isn’t a straight line, for her, it has felt more like the fluctuations of a stock market index. Here are her thoughts on how we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves and our teams, focusing on:

• • Empowerment
• • Resiliency
• • Vision

GLENDA GARTNER
Vice President, Program Planning, Design & Construction
True North Real Estate Development Limited

Embracing change: Take risks!

Embracing change often means embracing discomfort, stepping outside a comfort zone towards something that has the potential to transform you. Embracing change may also mean facing change, as life has the ability to change our circumstances, whether professionally or personally. Change has shaped and enriched Glenda Gartner’s career and life beyond work, and she will share with you a few guiding principles that have served her along the way.

• • By embracing – or facing – change, you embrace the opportunity to learn.
• • To embody a growth mindset, you must be willing to take risks.
• • Taking calculated risks combines asking questions with experience and intuition.

CHRISTIEN JUNG-ESSEX
Principal, Professional Interior Designer
Stantec Architecture Ltd.

Redefining workspace for well-being: Adapting to a rapidly changing world

The modern workspace requires a new mindset of planning and strategy. Through this presentation, we will review progressive design strategies and completed Interior Design projects that have redefined workspace and promoted mental health and well-being.

• • Workspaces should inspire and engage.
• • Workspaces should create efficiency and flexibility for a rapidly changing world.
• • Workspaces should promote wellness.

KATHLEEN KLAASEN
Chief Executive Officer
Riverview Health Centre Inc.

Empowering and honouring voice: Creating a culture of safety in healthcare

Similar to other industries and sectors, health care is seeing increased staff physical injuries and psychological harm. Listening to and honouring the voices of staff when they share their lived experiences at work and their concerns is essential to creating a culture of safety. Leaders must empower teams to identify and embrace safety solutions. Based on her experiences in health care leadership, Kathleen Klassen will share strategies and lessons learned about:

• • Trends related to physical injuries and psychological harm
• • How leaders can create a culture that provides a safe space to hear the voices of staff

• • How leaders can empower staff to participate in changes required to promote a safe workplace

FRED MEIER
President and CEO
RRC Polytech

Fostering an inclusive work environment

Fostering an inclusive work environment is about creating a workplace culture that values, respects, and embraces diverse backgrounds and experiences. Inclusivity is a mindset and continuous journey that requires intentionality, collaboration, and a strong commitment to lasting change. The long-term benefits demonstrate that inclusivity is not just a moral imperative but a strategic business advantage.

• • Encouraging open communication 
• • Providing support 
• • Celebrating differences 

GINA TRINIDAD
Chief Executive Officer
MD Practice Solutions of Manitoba

Intersectional leadership

Intersectionality provides an opportunity for organizations to make sense of the complex experiences that occur at intersections of social identities within organizational contexts and invoke action to disrupt the status quo. Intersectional leadership explores the interplay of power, privilege, oppression, and identity to better understand the influence this has on leader capacity and development. The World Health Organization (2015) asserts that there is a global leadership health crisis, rendering the nursing profession as the largest workforce, unprepared to meet the challenges and complexities of modern-day health systems.

• • Exploring intersecting social identities, aspects of power, privilege and oppression inherent in organizations – impact on the care experience
• • How to use an intersectional lens and understand how this influences leadership development to improve approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates
• • The value of intersectional leadership – can organizations survive given a global workforce shortage?

CAROL RYAN
Chief Executive Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister
Manitoba Housing

The art of execution in the public service

While delivering results in the public sector has many similarities to effective performance in the private sector, there are a number of other factors that must be taken into account. Going beyond the immediate and obvious considerations around electoral mandates and the accountability to manage public resources, this presentation will examine the deeper considerations that lead to successful results.

• • Persistence: an unwavering commitment to making progress
• • Political acumen: seizing opportunities through awareness, anticipation and adaptation
• • Partnership: leveraging relationships to achieve shared goals

LARYSA MOTRUK
Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Behavior
Canadian Canola Growers Association

Practicing reflection in leadership

Reflection is a great way to grow, adjust, and lead with authenticity. By making reflection a regular practice, we can sharpen our leadership skills and approach challenges with greater clarity and insight. It allows us to develop more thoughtful strategies, make better decisions, and foster emotional intelligence.

• • Through regular reflection, we become more adaptable and resilient leaders, creating an environment where everyone feels included and empowered to grow. 
• • Integrating reflection into our leadership journey allows us to develop more intentional and impactful strategies for success.
• • Reflection helps us become more self-aware, which enables us to connect with each other, our teams on a deeper level and inspire their growth.

JENNIFER EWANKIW (Morning Chair)
VP Strategy and Business Development
Red River Mutual

RAMNEET MAVI (Afternoon Chair)
Director, Application Delivery – Enterprise Solutions
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company