WCM's 2018 Transformational Leadership Awards Ceremony

RECOGNIZING EXEMPLARY EFFORTS TOWARDS GENDER DIVERSITY IN FINANCE

On November 27th, 150 members of our industry convened at WCM’s Awards Ceremony to recognize and celebrate the exemplary leadership and contributions of individuals and firms in the Canadian capital markets working towards gender equality in our industry.

The WCM Awards

Provide an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and thank individuals and firms who are taking significant steps to improve gender diversity;
Offer firms and our industry the opportunity to publicly demonstrate and showcase our commitment to gender equality;
Aim to empower and inspire others to take action and contribute to the movement in building gender diverse and inclusive workplaces.

WCM, our award recipients, and our partners share an inspiring vision for the future: a future of better ideas, stronger teams, improved businesses and new levels of prosperity. WCM was honoured to recognize those working towards a future that can harness the full potential of our talent pool.

This year, WCM recognized 12 award recipients across four different categories:

The WCM Award for Transformational Leadership recognizes senior executives, male and female, who have made a lasting contribution to gender diversity and inclusion at their firm:

Pat Cronin, CEO & Group Head, BMO Capital Markets
Tamara Finch, Managing Director & Head of Portfolio Management Team, Private Capital, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

The WCM Rising Star Award honours high-performing female professionals whose entrepreneurial spirit, leadership and social responsibility have made a unique contribution to the capital markets industry:

Carla Deeks, Director, Corporate Banking – Global Power, Infrastructure & Mining, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets
Mélanie Dussarrat, Director, FX e-Trading, e-Solutions Group, CIBC Capital Markets
Jennifer Diana Lee, Principal, Strategy & Risk, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Aliyah Mohamed, Director, Investment Banking, TD Securities
Jackie Nixon, Director, Equity Capital Markets, RBC Capital Markets
Maria Tihotchi, Director, Global Structured Products, Trading Products, BMO Capital Markets

The WCM Award for Excellence in Innovation recognizes those who have taken bold steps to improve diversity and inclusion through an innovative approach:

RBC Vision Women’s Leadership MSCI Canada Index ETF (RLDR), Canada’s first ETF that focuses on driving board diversity in Canada. The award is recognition of the collaborative approach between RBC Global Asset Management, RBC Capital Markets and OMERS for the launch, distribution and funding of the ETF.
Scotiabank’s Global Banking and Markets Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Office, led by Wendy Smith, Managing Director. Following a successful career in Capital Markets Sales and Trading, Wendy formed the new office in 2015, which reports directly into the business line and is located on the trade floor. The D&I Office has made a measurable impact, advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace for the benefit of all employees.

The WCM Outstanding Volunteer Award recognizes two volunteers who have surpassed all expectations and demonstrated impressive leadership, initiative and a strong work ethic as they champion the WCM mission of greater gender diversity:

Leanne Herbst, Director, Trading Business Management, TD Securities
Farialle Pacha, Associate Investment Advisor, The Kaufman Wealth Group, Richardson GMP

A very appreciative thank you to WCM's Awards title sponsor, Ernst & Young LLP (EY) for their continued support of WCM's Awards Ceremony.