2021 Women in Leadership
Virtual Mentorship Program
Apply Today!
FEATURED CAREERS
DIVISION DIRECTOR
Several Regions
Lead, coach and grow your practice in an entrepreneurial environment where you define your success.
PROGRAM MANAGER
Pan-Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Demonstration & Integration Trial with leading transit agencies across Canada.
CAREER POSTING
SR MANAGER USEP Alliance
This position leads and provides overall management and oversight to the specified corridor capital infrastructure projects from concept to completion, ensuring ...
At IBM, work is more than a job—it's a calling. To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate.
Consultant - Incidence
Response & Proactive Services
The candidate will provide consulting services in an exciting and growing security delivery organization within IBM across several security domains.
EMPLOYER
Nature’s Path is a family-run, independent, privately owned company.
We believe in the idea that you can come to work, and help make the world a better place in the same day.
Ottawa Chapter - Networking at the Savoy
Over 50,000+ Women participants in our Programs
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEADERSHIP
Founded in 2001, Women In Leadership Foundation (WIL) delivers inspirational programs that bring women together to collaborate in the development of their leadership skills & creates positive change in the future of women’s leadership.
VALUES
Celebration - We are a dynamic group of people passionate about inspiring women to be their best and celebrating their unique talents and successes.
Relevant - We are dedicated to showcasing authentic female role models in a wide variety of sectors.
Collaborative - We bring individuals, companies and organizations together to create positive change.
Mentorship - We believe that we all can learn from, inspire and encourage each other through all stages of our lives.
WIL TEAM
MAYA KANIGAN
Founder & President
Maya Kanigan, a UVIC commerce grad following her life’s passion she founded WIL at the age of 28. For Maya, WIL was created because she saw more potential in the women around her then they saw in themselves. She believed that featuring female role models and women’s success stories would inspire others and make a difference in the lives of the next generation. Email
JANICE DETTA COTTI
Vice Chair
Board of Directors
Janice has been a key leader at WIL and on the Board of Directors since 2013. Janice provides valuable insight into managing the organization and a great sense of humour. Janice's company "Board Flight Paths" helps Executives and companies with board of director development. Email
DIMAH KHALILI
Advisory Board
National Strategy
An MBA Strategic Planning and Integrated Communications leader with over 15 years of experience helping organizations to bring their brands and missions to life, through compelling stories and well-developed strategies using creativity, innovation, design thinking and project management skills. Profile
DAVID MOSSMAN
Program Director
David has volunteered and worked for WIL from the beginning. He is dedicated to the advancement of women and has run many of WIL's labor market projects. He has an extensive tech and philanthropic background. Email
BINA KAMATH
Calgary Chapter
Executive Director
Bina is the Calgary Executive Director for Women in Leadership Foundation and a member of the Diversity Board for KNOW Tribe Corporate (a US based for-profit organization). She is passionate about empowering women to achieve personal and professional growth and is currently working on developing a mentorship program in an effort to reach remote rural communities. Email
FARHANA MAHBUB
Toronto Chapter
Chapter Chair
Farhana Mahbub, Toronto Chapter Board Chair is a Director at RBC Capital Markets, is a delivery-oriented professional who is passionate about transformational change and developing world-class implementation capabilities. Email
SUSIE HO
Ottawa Chapter
Chair
Susie has been instrumental in creating a sustainable Chapter that continues to surprise us with their achievements. Susie works as a Technical Advisor at Bruce Power. Email
TBA
Montreal Chapter Co-Chair
MAUREEN MCKINNON
Vancouver Chapter
Co-Chair
Maureen is delightful to work with and brings a great leadership background to the Vancouver Chapter. As a Career Strategist she helps people solve challenges at work to assist and empower talented executives and professionals to take charge of and successfully advance their careers. Email
KELLY WOIDA
Vancouver Chapter
Co-Chair
Kelly brings her positive leadership style to the Vancouver Chapter and as Co-Chair she has helped the team have success in all its programming. Kelly is a Project Manager at Sonepar Canada managing major projects. Email
HEATHER van MUNSTER
Victoria Chapter
Co-Chair
Heather is a compassionate and empathetic leader with a passion for people, projects, and change.
She is a certified PMP with a proven track record for seamlessly orchestrating complex projects with a natural ability to facilitate, coordinate and synergize teams.. Email
JULIE POTTER
Victoria Chapter
Co-Chair
Julie specializes in public engagement and strategic communications. She has a passion for creating community and transformative change. Email
DENISE YOUNG
Kelowna Chapter Co-Chair
Denise brings her strong leadership, marketing and facilitating background to help establish the first Kelowna Chapter. Her warm and inclusive personality makes her shine. Email
ROEN JANYK
Kelowna Chapter Co-Chair
Roën Janyk is the Chair of the Library Department and an Academic Librarian at Okanagan College. She believes strongly in women leading from every level, and trusts that the success of an organization depends on leaders in a variety of positions and not only those at the top. Email
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
Kelowna Chapter
Vice Chair
Liz is a long supporter of WIL and is a Senior Leader in Talent Acquisition. Champion of change, passionate in creating effective talent acquisition teams and dedicated to ensuring full utilization of human resources in a cost-effective manner. Profile
LORNA HOWIESON
Advisory Board
Ambassador
Lorna is the Senior Director, Global Facilities and Administration at IMAX. She has a MBA with progressive experience in project management, administration, human resources, facilities, and finance. Email
HISTORY
WIL was formed in 2001, by Maya Kanigan in Victoria, BC. Maya was a recent UVIC Commerce Grad and was working on a BC Govt. Labor Market Project in Tech and noticed there were very few women speaking at major industry conferences. Doing some research she realizes the lack of women in leadership roles across most sectors.
Maya started the Foundation with a mandate to showcase role models and help more women become leaders. The first program was a University Train Tour sponsored by VIA Rail that visited 22 Universities from coast to coast. The program featured a career forum with women leaders speaking and employers recruiting women.
The next few years WIL ran Women Career Forums across Canada and started doing Labour Market Projects (LMP's) for all 3 levels of Govt. with emphasis on attraction/ retention of women in non-traditional sectors.
In the late 2000's WIL piloted a Mentorship program, ran several large Indigenous Women Leaders Forums, fund raising Galas (always great fun) and more LMP's.
In 2013 WIL created Chapters to help support programs in those major centres. Calgary was one of the first Chapters and they introduced the North American Women in Energy Forum. In 2016 we started holding Tech Forums at all the Chapters. Currently there are 6 Chapter cities and our mentorship program has seen nearly 2000 women graduates!
