Lara Zink (she / her)
WCM
Management Team
Lara Zink (she / her)
President & CEOWCM
View LinkedIn ProfileLara Zink is currently President & CEO of Women in Capital Markets. WCM is the largest network of female professionals in Canadian finance, with initiatives that impact the careers of countless female students and professionals across the country.
Prior to joining WCM, Lara spent 18 months in venture capital. She is an angel investor and a mentor at a startup accelerator called NEXT Canada. NEXT accelerates the growth trajectory of aspiring and scaling entrepreneurs with education, mentorship, funding, and access to Canada’s strongest entrepreneurial network.
From 1995 to 2019 Lara worked at RBC Capital Markets. She sold North American and European equity research and investment banking products to many of Canada’s largest institutional investors, including pension funds, bank owned mutual funds, and independent fund managers. A lead partner in RBC Women’s Leadership ETF, she has been a strong advocate for ED&I throughout her career and has extensive volunteer experience for social impact.
Lara holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from UWO, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. Lara is a Governor on the University of Toronto Governing Council, she sits on two Foundation boards, the CAMH Campaign Cabinet, and is volunteer and newly appointed board member for the Special Olympics.
Lara has been an active mentor to junior women and men throughout her career.
Message from our CEO
It is an honour to lead Women in Capital Markets (WCM) at this critical time, when the urgency to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion is firmly seen as an imperative in Canada and around the world.
Our mission to accelerate ED&I in capital markets is more important than ever. Together with our sponsors, members, volunteers, and partners, we will continue to pursue initiatives that advance the careers of diverse talent, build the industry’s equity literacy, and unite firms and professionals in driving change. We will collaborate with our stakeholders to seek opportunities in the post-pandemic recovery process by focusing on systemic solutions to persistent barriers and inequities.
I believe research, advocacy and education are paramount to our success and I remain committed to furthering WCM’s participation in these areas to deliver value to our stakeholders. I also believe that meaningful change requires strong collaboration, and plan to build and grow thriving partnerships with ED&I organizations. I look forward to working with all the incredible people in WCM’s community to secure an equitable and diverse future for our industry.
Odette Hutchings (she / her)
Chief Operating OfficerWCM
Odette Hutchings (she / her)
Chief Operating OfficerWCM
View LinkedIn ProfilePrior to joining WCM, Odette served as the Executive Director of Sustainival, the World's First Green Carnival. She led the organization through the 2018 and 2019 event seasons, producing large-scale events across Alberta in Lethbridge, Edmonton and Fort McMurray, which engaged over 75,000 people annually and thousands more through communications and media campaigns.
Previously, Odette Hutchings served as the Senior Manager at Global Citizen’s Canada office. Odette’s work with Global Citizen contributed to a long list of victories both in advocacy and public engagement with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Securing $100M in funding from the Canadian government for polio eradication in 2017 was a major milestone during her tenure.
Outside of her work with WCM, Odette serves on the Board of Trustees for The Linden School, a school focusing on the empowerment of girls through a girl-centered pedagogy.
Odette holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Development from the University of Guelph.
Tarah McMaster (she / her)
Senior Director, Events, Program Strategy & StakeholdersWCM
Tarah McMaster (she / her)
Senior Director, Events, Program Strategy & StakeholdersWCM
she/her/hers
Tarah brings a decade of experience managing events and programming in both non-profit organizations and 3rd party event management companies. She is passionate about creating memorable and innovative experiences for the WCM membership community.
Outside of work she spends time with her English bulldog named Jake and cooking new meals for her family and friends. She sits on the board of directors for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Clarington, and is passionate about giving back to her community.
Dr. Natasha Stecy-Hildebrandt, PhD. (she / her)
Senior Research DirectorWCM
Dr. Natasha Stecy-Hildebrandt, PhD. (she / her)
Senior Research DirectorWCM
Sabrina Trani
Senior Associate, Finance & OperationsWCM
Sabrina Trani
Senior Associate, Finance & OperationsWCM
View LinkedIn ProfileTiffany Holtz (she / her)
Manager, Student Programming & EventsWCM
Tiffany Holtz (she / her)
Manager, Student Programming & EventsWCM
Kristie Jones (they / them)
Graphic DesignerWCM
Kristie Jones (they / them)
Graphic DesignerWCM
View LinkedIn Profilethey/them/she/her
Chloe Jensen
Marketing & Communications AssociateWCM
Chloe Jensen
Marketing & Communications AssociateWCM
Cathy Morra (she / her)
Executive Assistant / Office ManagerWCM
Cathy Morra (she / her)
Executive Assistant / Office ManagerWCM
Chantelle Soares (she /her /hers)
Manager, Professional Programming & EventsChantelle Soares (she /her /hers)
Manager, Professional Programming & Events View LinkedIn ProfileJanet Gibson Eichner
Director, Marketing and CommunicationsJanet Gibson Eichner
Director, Marketing and Communications View LinkedIn ProfileJanet Gibson Eichner brings more than 20 years of experience, gained working in corporate, agency and member-driven, not-for-profit organizations.
She has a Combined Honours BA from the University of Western Ontario and a post-graduate diploma in Corporate Communications from Centennial College; and is an active, long-term member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Julie Stinson (she / her)
Manager, Research and AdvocacyJulie Stinson (she / her)
Manager, Research and Advocacy View LinkedIn ProfilePrior to working at WCM, Julie has worked on a range of equity-related research topics in healthcare and education, including preventing violence against women, substance use and addiction, mental health, and gender equity policy in education.
Julie also has led knowledge translation efforts, to ensure research is adapted to practical settings in policy and practice. Julie holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from Carleton University and a Masters of Arts in Development Studies from York University where she conducted her thesis research in Cambodia focused on gender equity in education.
