British Columbia Steering Committee

Why I'm involved with WCM

I am passionate about promoting gender equality in executive positions, beginning by educating young women about careers in finance and encouraging them to pursue a path that excites them.

Why I'm involved with WCM:

To foster an environment where women can be surrounded by like minded individuals who are actively working towards providing greater opportunities for the next generation of women in finance.

Why I'm involved in WCM

My goal in joining WCM is to help foster a robust and candid network of women leaders in British Columbia.  

Laura Baker works on the Institutional Equity Sales desk in Vancouver, managing relationships with institutional portfolio managers, providing market commentary and generating trade ideas. Laura began her career at Macquarie Commodities and Global Markets in their Equity Rotational Program. Before joining CIBC, she worked as an equity research associate at TD Securities, covering the Metals and Mining space.

Laura graduated from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Commerce. 

Lina Ben-Harhara is a Commercial Banker at J.P. Morgan based in Vancouver, BC, with 4 years of experience working with Middle Market clients across Western Canada. Lina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Mount Royal University and is a Board Member on the University’s Student Investment Fund “SIF”. Passionate about workplace equity and creating safe spaces for all individuals. Outside of work, you’ll find Lina painting, reading, spending time with her puppy, or beating her partner in chess.

Why I Am Involved with WCM:

There is a familiar feeling amongst women; a feeling that unites us, yet we all deeply hope it will go away all together. Although it might come in different forms for each of us, we all have felt like the odd one out in a room. It could be comments about our outfit, not being invited to afterwork drinks, or getting a football thrown at our faces in an effort to bond, we all know the feeling.
At times it feels impossible to fight the feeling alone, which is why it’s so important to have groups like WCM. I am excited to get involved with the BC Committee and help create safe spaces for like-minded women, allies, and everything in between, to discuss how we can encourage more women to join spaces that have traditionally made us feel like the odd one out.

Why I'm involved in WCM:

To network and grow relationships with individuals in the British Columbia financial community.

Emily Davies is President of Linde Equity and co-manager of the Linde Equity Fund. Emily also invests in early stage B2B SaaS businesses and she serves on the board of Cortico Health Technologies as an Independent Director. Emily is also a board member of Cause We Care Foundation and the Young Association for Corporate Growth BC and a member of the Vancouver Steering Committee for Women in Capital Markets. She is also an advisory board member of SFU’s Beedie Endowment Asset Management Fund and the Beedie School of Business. Emily previously worked in equity research and investment banking at RBC Capital Markets. Emily is a BC Business 30 Under 30 Award Winner and received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business.

Why I'm involved in WCM

I am passionate about helping the organization realize its mission of promoting gender equality in leadership. Careers in finance open this door and in sharing my experience, I hope to inspire others to give it a try.

Why I'm involved in WCM:

I am passionate about women in capital markets being aware of what they want, able to advance and realise their potential and ambitions. WCM supports this.

Brianne is the Senior Wealth Manager and the Managing Partner of Velocity Investment Partners at Raymond James, where she utilizes her extensive knowledge and expertise to serve high net worth families with complex financial needs. Her ability to comprehend the unique financial challenges of multi-generational families distinguishes her in the industry and offers clients the confidence and assurance they need. She heads a team that caters to an exclusive clientele of individuals and wealthy families across Canada and the US who are seeking a personal trusted partner and CFO to manage their financial affairs with expert guidance.

Why I'm involved with WCM

I am a strong believer that with collaboration and support among women in finance who have shared goals, will not only benefit personal career development, but also improve self-confidence which in turn will encourage us to reach our highest potential.

Pooja has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and over 10 years of experience in Wealth Management. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree along with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Pooja is a Private Client Investment Counsellor at Dixon Mitchell, where she looks after individual clients and families by helping them identify, assess, and fulfill their investment objectives. She is passionate about developing enduring, collaborative relationships with clients where she seeks to understand their essential needs and financial goals.

Pooja is also the proud recipient of the 2022 WCM Emerging Leaders award and the 2022 Wealth Professional Rising Star award.


Why I'm Involved with WCM:

Throughout my career, I was fortunate to have female leaders and mentors in my network whom I could look up to. However, there's still a considerable gap (especially in leadership) in this male-dominated industry. My goal now is to switch gears from being a mentee to a mentor and to encourage and motivate young women to not only consider a career in finance but thrive in it!

Sabrina Haloulakos has over 15 years of experience in the banking industry where she's been responsible for business development, planning, directing, coordinating, and overseeing all operational activities of the organizations she's worked for.

Why I'm involved with WCM
I consider myself very fortunate to work in such a fast-paced, interesting field as capital markets. I'm always surprised at how few young women are entering the industry. My goal is to get out and encourage young women to enter this exciting industry through university and high school outreach programs, and by providing mentorship and networking opportunities. In addition, I believe that it is important to have a venue for women currently working in the industry in British Columbia to get together, exchange ideas and support one another.

Why I'm Involved with WCM:
To foster and promote an environment that allows WCM to realize its mission accelerating equity, diversity and inclusion in finance

Wai-Ke Kim is the Regional Director for Manulife Securities Advisory Services in British Columbia. She thrives on solving unusual puzzles and takes a consultative approach to supporting Financial Advisors with their practice management, recruiting and business development. Prior to joining Manulife, she was with BMO Life Assurance Company specializing in corporate life insurance analysis and solutions. She began her financial services career over 18 years ago as an entrepreneur building a vibrant financial planning practice in Toronto. She is a passionate advocate for Women in Wealth and takes a keen interest in mentoring and networking with young women starting a career in finance. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University, and holds a CFP, CLU, CPCA and CEA designations. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University. She is also a classically trained pianist, loves to bake cookies and is a proud mother to two boys.


Why I am involved with WCM:

Research shows that women make up between 15-20% of the financial advisors in Canada - I used to be one of them. I was raised by a single mother who felt vulnerable to aggressive service providers and often felt taken advantage of. I got into the industry in 2005 to try to give women a better experience with financial advice. After almost a decade as a financial advisor, I moved into corporate roles to have an even greater impact on more people by supporting advisors in their practices.

A common misconception is that the money industry is a hostile and unwelcoming environment to women. This could not be further from the truth! Financial companies are very open and keen to recruit qualified women, but few women are considering it as a career choice. There is a lot of work that we still need to do to bring more women into the industry and to support them so they can move up into more senior roles. I am excited to be a part of the movement in showing how women often have unique qualities that may make them especially suited for this very rewarding industry.

In my current role, I am challenged to find qualified women who will take interest when they don't see many other women in the industry. I also sometimes feel that management may not fully appreciate the value of investing in this initiative. How do we tackle these long-standing issues? Where do we begin?

It is for these reasons that I believe Women in Capital Markets is an extremely important organization for me to be involved in. Not only is this my network with other women in the industry, but I have also loved the educational and leadership growth opportunities that WCM provides. These are the people that I can approach to learn their best practices, ask personal questions on my career development and gain inspiration and motivation from.

This is time well spent, and it is a great privilege to be a part of this organization.

Vika Zhou is a quantitative finance professional with 3 years of experience in investment management. She holds a Master of Financial Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Vika is a highly skilled leader with a solid quantitative background and technical expertise in equities trading and investments. She is deeply committed to promoting gender equality in high finance.

Why I'm Involved with WCM

I aim to support gender diversity and equality in finance by being involved with Women in Capital Markets (WCM). Through WCM, I hope to facilitate networking and mentoring opportunities, empower women to become effective leaders, support women’s progress in finance industry and further contribute to our community.

Based in Vancouver, Gabby is a finance professional with over 4 years of experience. She works at Orbis Investments, a global investment management firm, and is currently a member of the Orbis Institutional Client Group. Gabby obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance at Simon Fraser University and is a CFA charterholder. Outside of work, Gabby enjoys being active – you can often find her road biking, skiing, and playing soccer!

Why I'm Involved with WCM:

I am passionate about women progressing further in careers in finance. Through my involvement with WCM, I hope to help build a community that can create opportunities for learning, development, connection, and ultimately, career progression for women in the industry.

Jacquelyn has worked in the wealth management and real estate industries at RBC Dominion Securities, Colliers Consulting Group, and BMO Real Estate Corporate Finance.

Why I'm Involved with WCM

I have always wanted to pay forward the helping hands I was afforded as I progressed through my career. There is so much to learn whether it be specific to your field or about the corporate world in general and this community is a great forum to exchange ideas. I am hoping to uplift women in finance, but would also like to involve those that might not identify as such because it will take all stakeholders in our community to effect change.

Yin is a Director of Credit Union Wealth Distribution with Aviso Wealth, focusing on being a trusted partner to hundreds of financial institutions from coast to coast. She is also a venture capitalist in various sectors, with keen interests in technology, health and ESG.Yin started her passion with health from St. John Ambulance as a volunteer first aid attendant and in wealth management with MD Private Investment Counsel. She serves as an independent advisor with Emobility Energy Inc. and is a member of the Vancouver Steering Committee for Women in Capital Markets and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA).

Yin previously worked in BMO Wealth Management as a financial planner for high-net-worth clients and a regional manager in digital wealth for greater Vancouver. She also has experience with loan origination, finance, private equity, and real estate development. Yin has her Certified Financial Planner designation and received her Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.In her spare time, Yin is an avid cyclist and has a passion for fun and play.

Why I'm Involved with WCM:
I have a passion to empower, inspire and support women who are, or are on their way to becoming, confident and passionate leaders of our businesses, organizations, and most of all, to create inclusive communities across different sections in work and play. Together, we work towards one united goal in closing the gender gaps.

Over my 10 years in the capital markets I’ve gained experience in a variety of roles; from institutional sales to small-cap investor relations. I started my career in Toronto at Beacon Securities on the sales and trading desk with a focus on small to mid-cap names. In 2017 I moved to Los Angeles to work for a public issuer in investor relations, where I learned the operational side of a public company while maintaining and strengthening my relationships with the buy-side and retail investors. Since then I’ve worked as a contractor for a variety of small-cap companies who are in the early stages of going public, with a focus on early-stage capital raising, investor messaging and communications, and introductions to the buy-side and sell-side as necessary.

Why I'm Involved with WCM:

I’m involved with WCM to connect with women and ideas that positively impact my perspective, and I hope to offer the same to the others involved. I believe in women supporting women, and view this as on opportunity to share common challenges and ideas and to use each other as sources of mutual support.