Nine Western alumnae have been named recipients of the 2018 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award, the Women’s Executive Network recently announced.
The list, launched in 2003, is intended to shine a spotlight on the accomplishments of professional women across Canada, recognize talented leaders and inspire others to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Since then, the Women’s Executive Network has celebrated the accomplishments of more than 1,000 women through the awards. Each year, four Top 100 Celebrations take place across the country in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
Western alumnae winners this year include:
Linda Blair, BScN’91
Blair is the Managing Partner for Deloitte in Ontario and has more than 20 years of consulting leadership experience, particularly in large-scale health care projects and IT integration. She is known as a leader in transforming Canada’s health-care system.
Anita Gaffney-Misener, BA’90 (English), MBA’02
Gaffney, Executive Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, works alongside the Artistic Director in setting its strategic and operational direction. Her positions since joining the festival in 1991 have included marketing director and administrative director. She designed the festival’s customer relationship marketing system, still in use and now emulated by arts organizations around the world.
Selena Ng, HBA’12
Ng is the Director, HR Business Partner at Sun Life Financial. Ng has proven experience driving strategic programs. A participant of Sun Life Financial’s Rotational Leadership Development Program, she gained experience by participating in a different role, every year, for the duration of the three-year program.
Dagmara Fijalkowski, MBA’94
Fijalkowski is the head of Global Fixed Income & Currencies at RBC Global Asset Management and Senior Portfolio Manager. She leads a global team of fixed income portfolio managers, research analysts and traders and manages fixed income portfolios.
Sevaun Palvetzian, BA’98, MA’99 (History)
An expert on civic engagement and a champion of young leaders, Palvetzian is CEO of CivicAction, which focuses on building inclusive cities and changing the face of youth leadership. During a decade of senior executive leadership within the Ontario government, her strategy to attract and retain future generations of leaders included the award-winning Learn and Work Program for at-risk youth.
Carolyn Wilkins, MA’88 (Economics)
Wilkins is Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada and a member of its governing council. She oversees the bank’s strategic planning and economic and financial research; shares responsibility for decisions about monetary policy and financial system stability; and oversees the bank’s analysis of international economic developments.
Jill Earthy, BA’95 (Psychology)
Head of Growth at Female Funders & Founders, Earthy connects entrepreneurs to the resources they need to grow a thriving business. She has built two small businesses into national enterprises and then sold them. Her strengths include strategic planning and partnerships, business development and community engagement.
Jacqueline Moss, LLB’88
Moss has held a variety of senior corporate and legal positions including human resources, strategy, corporate development and general partner at CIBC. In 2016, she started Giftgowns, a stylish and functional hospital gown meant to boost morale of patients in hospital.
Jennifer Couldrey, HBA’10
Couldrey is the Executive Director of the Upside Foundation of Canada. Recognized as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leader by Corporate Knights and one of Ryerson DMZ’s 30 inspirational women making a difference in tech, she helps companies and leaders figure out how to make a strategic social impact in their communities.