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WCM Victoria Kick Off Social

Thursday, September 21st 2017
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Victoria, BC

WCM Victoria Kickoff Social

Thank you for registering and attending Women in Capital Markets (WCM) Victoria's launch event on Sept. 21. The event drew a 100-strong crowd of local finance and other professionals who networked over refreshments and hors d'oeuvres to kickoff the Victoria chapter of the largest network of professional women in the Canadian capital markets.

What we heard? Professionals here want a network that brings together like-minded people so together we will advance women into leadership roles in the capital markets and related industries.

WCM Victoria Chapter Co-Chairs, Carmen Firmani (bcIMC) and Tamara Bonn (TD Wealth Private Investment Counsel), along with Jeannie Collins-Ardern, WCM Interim President & CEO from Toronto, led the evening's activities.

Community leader speakers included:
Daniel Garant, SVP, Public Markets, bcIMC, who spoke about the critical role men play as advocates and mentors for young female professionals so they can advance to successful career outcomes. He encouraged participants to address topics like unconscious bias in the workplace.

Jill Sing, Family Office Director & Wealth Counsel, shared her story of moving to Victoria as a single mother of three pursuing a career in capital markets at a time when WCM did not exist. She emphasized how vital networks like WCM Victoria can be in providing mentorship and career opportunities for women in local communities.

Amy Chang, Sr. Associate Portfolio Manager, Public Equities, bcIMC, provided an overview of WCM Victoria's programming including UniConnect and SheBiz, targeted at females at the post-secondary and high school levels, respectively. She spoke about the need to engage with young females at an early stage to inform and educate them about career options in capital markets.

Pat Elemans, Assistant Dean, Gustavson School of Business at UVic, spoke about diverse networks collaborating toward results and programming that adds value. She noted WCM Victoria is unique because it is a local group linked to a broad, national platform, and supporting chapter initiatives can result in a ripple effect that benefits young women and Victoria—now and into the future.

There are a number of ways to get involved with WCM Victoria. The first step is joining. As a kickoff promotion, you can join WCM Victoria and receive a 50 per cent discount, using the code WCM_Victoria_17. The offer ends on Sept. 30, 2017. You can become a WCM member by clicking the 'Join Now' button in the header of wcm.ca.

What is your reaction to the fact that the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be chaired by a man?