Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor Lisa Saksida and nine Western alumnae have been named recipients of the 2020 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award.
The awards are presented annually by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN), a national member-based organization propelling and celebrating the advancement of women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages.
“In a difficult year, we’ve been inspired by Canada’s highest achieving women who unite those around them and help us all rise above our challenges,” said Sherri Stevens, owner and CEO of WXN. “These powerful women continue to lead the way, which is why it’s important to celebrate their achievements.”
Saksida, a co-director at BrainsCAN and a scientist at Robarts Research Institute, was recognized in the science and technology category. Her achievements include co-inventing a touchscreen-based system for testing learning, memory and attention in mouse models of brain disease. The innovation aids her team’s work to develop and deliver evidence-based assessments and interventions for the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.
She holds a Canada Research Chair in translational cognitive neuroscience and was recently elected to the Royal Society of Canada and named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
As a recipient of the WXN award, Saksida was also celebrated for being deeply committed to creating a level playing field for women and other underrepresented groups in science and technology.
“This award is a tremendous honour for me,” she said in a recent Q and A with Western News, adding that teamwork has been essential to her success. “All of my work is not my sole accomplishment; it has only been possible because I have always worked with a very talented team of trainees and collaborators.”
This year’s virtual celebration of the Top 100 honorees included a two-day leadership summit, with a session moderated by Western alumna, Gillian Mandich, BHSc’07, MSc’12, PhD’19.
Western alumnae recipients include:
Sandra Bosela, HBA’97
Co-Head Private Markets Group, Global Head of Private Equity,OPTrust
Category: Professionals, recognizing women who are professionals in practice and play a leadership role within their organizations.
Sandra Bosela has been recognized as a pioneering woman in the private equity industry, with over two decades of direct investing experience. Bosela leverages her expertise in many board roles, including the Business Development Bank of Canada, where she serves as a board member and chairs the Investment Committee. A two-time Top 100 winner, she is an advocate for the sponsorship, promotion and advancement of women in the industry.
Patricia Callon, BA’84, LLB’87
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Sun Life
Category: Executive Leaders, recognizing women, aged 46 plus, who not only exemplify what it means to be a great leader, but also build confidence and champion others.
A previous Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner, Trish Callon is a thought leader, business growth strategist and champion of change within Sun Life and Canada’s legal community. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, she is chair of Sun Life’s Canadian Allies Acting for Change. Callon is dedicated to supporting women lawyers in leadership roles and is an expert in capital markets with extensive board experience.
Roopa Davé, HBA’04
Partner, Sustainability and Impact Services at KPMG Canada
Category: Emerging Leaders, recognizing women between the ages of 30 and 45 who have been targeted for successive leadership positions within their organizations for their proven passion for learning and innovation.
Roopa Davé works with organizations to address significant societal challenges such as inequality and climate change. A trained CPA, she identified early the challenges for traditional financial reporting to demonstrate value created, or diminished, through environmental and social performance and consequently pivoted her career to be at the forefront of these discussions. Davé passionately supports her clients on their sustainability journeys, whether they are just beginning or well down the path of embedding sustainability principles in their business models.
Suzanne Lewis, BSc’82, MD’86
Chief Medical Officer and VP Research, Pacific Autism Family Network; Clinical Professor and Senior Clinician Investigator, Department of Medical Genetics, The University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute; Vice-Chair, Autism Canada
Category: Science and Technology, recognizing women in STEM roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment.
Dr. Suzanne Lewis is a visionary geneticist and clinician-investigator, discovering autism subtypes and gene-environment causes. She leads an interdisciplinary team of provincial, national and international investigators, raising more than $8.1M for iTARGET (individual Treatments for Autism Research using Gene-Environment Targets). As a clinical professor at UBC, Lewis has thus far supervised and mentored 67 students; 56 being women. She has volunteered thousands of hours to many charities, including PAFN and Autism Canada.
Eternity Martis, BA’14
Journalist/Author
Category: Future Leaders, recognizing five exceptional young women, between 15 and 29 years old, who are transforming their communities through innovation,collaboration and courage.
Eternity Martis’ award-winning writing on race and gender has been featured in numerous publications. She authored the bestselling memoir They Said This Would Be Fun, about her experience as a Black woman studying at Western. Martis helped influence Canadian media style guides to capitalize Black and Indigenous and created Reporting on Race: Black Communities in the Media, a course she is currently teaching at Ryerson University.
Tracy Moore, MAJ’00
Television Host, Citytv, Rogers Sports & Media
Category: Arts, Sports & Entertainment, recognizing women who have shaped Canadian thinking, communications and culture.
Tracy Moore is the host of Cityline, the longest-running lifestyle television program in Canada. Her previous awards include: Women Who Work Award, Brilliant Minded Woman Award for Community Service, Canadian Screen Award Best Host nominee, Gemini Best Host nominee, and the BBPA Media Award. Moore is involved with several charities and serves as Ambassador for the Children’s Aid Foundation Canada.
Vasie Papadopoulos, EMBA’18
Communications and Outreach Manager,Philip Morris International Canada
Category: Emerging Leaders, recognizing women between the ages of 30 and 45 who have been targeted for successive leadership positions within their organizations for their proven passion for learning and innovation.
Vasie Papadopoulos has experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. She is committed to girls’ education and literacy with a goal to build five schools in deserving communities globally. Papadopoulos is currently a podcast host, shoe designer, and an accomplished travel photographer.
Melissa Sariffodeen, HBA’10
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer,Canada Learning Code
Category: Science and Technology, recognizing women in STEM roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment.
Melissa Sariffodeen is a celebrated digital literacy advocate dedicated to ensuring women and youth have the critical skills, confidence and opportunities they need to thrive in our increasingly digital world. At age 11, she taught herself how to build websites using HTML and has been coding ever since.
Krista Scaldwell, EMBA’08
Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs,Canada Life
Category:Executive Leaders, recognizing women, aged 46 plus, who not only exemplify what it means to be a great leader, but also build confidence and champion others.
Krista Scaldwell has more than two decades of public affairs and communications experience in Canada, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the U.S. She has spent more than 20 years in the non-profit sector in management and at the board level, including Trustee of the 4-H Foundation Board of Directors and chairing an annual fundraising event for the Abilities Centre.
