Since 2012, we have honoured more than 100 women in communities across Canada and the U.S. through the BMO Celebrating Women program. We will continue to recognize women who lead and contribute to the success of their communities because it’s time women’s accomplishments were seen.
Halifax Honourees
Jennifer Gillivan, President & CEO, IWK Health Centre Foundation – Community & Charitable Giving
Jennifer Gillivan is President and CEO of IWK Health Centre Foundation in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Foundation is the primary fundraising and outreach partner of the IWK Health Centre, which provides critical and specialized care to women, children, youth, and families throughout the Maritime Provinces. She brings passion and enthusiasm for the IWK to lead this charitable organization at a critical time of growth and change. Jennifer is also an active community volunteer. She is a Director for the Greater Halifax Partnership Board, Advisory Board member for the Sobey School of Business, and a member of the Canadian Children’s Pediatric Hospital Foundations Board.
Julia Rivard Dexter, Partner, Norex.ca & Co-Founder, Eyeread – Innovation & Global Growth
Julia Rivard Dexter is a former Canadian Olympian. She competed in the Summer Olympics in Australia for the canoe kayak team. After her years spend competing, she began her career as an entrepreneur, which has lead to several successful ventures, including sheepdoginc.ca, Canada’s first Google Apps partner, and Norex.ca, an innovative web and technology firm, whose work has been recognized by the International Webby Awards. In 2008, Julia led the development of a medal counter widget for the Summer Olymics in Beijing, which had over three million downloads and was among the most successful Apple downloads during that period. Sh has also created other innovative projects, including Puru.it, a not-for-profit crowdfunding platform for aspiring Olympic Athletes working to reach their dreams. Julia’s latest venture, Eyeread, aims to improve literacy rates for children worldwide, and has been selected as one of two hundred teams competing in the Global Learning XPrize, a four-year, $15 million challenge to bring literacy to 250 million children around the world. For her achievements in sport and business, Julia was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.
Linda Brigley, Owner, Spirit Spa Inc. – Expansion & Growth in Small Business
Linda Brigley held various senior roles before following her entrepreneurial drive to open Spirit Spa in 2002. From a small start-up with six employees, Spirit Spa has grown to be a leading spa and beauty retailer with over 50 employees. She is currently working on her second location, and a beauty e-commerce project. Linda puts culture first and foremost in the organization, and Spirit Spa has been recognized as one of Atlantic Canada’s Best Places to Work.
Kitchener-Waterloo Honourees
Debora Ritchie, Owner, Ritchie Consulting – Community & Charitable Giving
Debora Ritchie is the founder of the Small Business Centre’s Inspiring Women Conference in Kitchener-Waterloo (now known as the Greater K-W Chamber of Commerce Event). She has volunteered with many local organizations, including the Greater K-W Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Rick Hansen Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and Outstanding Women of Laurier. She is perhaps best known as being the creator of the Random Act of Kindness Day for The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation – an inspiring day that, since 2008, has encouraged people in Waterloo Region and now across the country to join hearts and hands and create more connected communities. Debora made a personal commitment to herself several years ago to raise $1 million for local charities. Over the last 14 years, she has gone on to raise more than $2 million for local non-profits and local families in need.
Jamie Burton, Vice President, Corporate Development, Dolphin Digital Technologies Inc. – Innovation & Global Growth
Jamie Burton believes in removing barriers faced by persons with disabilities. She made this vision into a reality though Dolphin Digital Technologies, which she founded with her husband in 2006. Dolphin is committed to including people who have a disability in their workplace. Using a Virtual Office model, Dolphin provides professional information and communication technology (ICT) consulting and support, which enabling barrier-free employment for people with disabilities. Dolphin has commenced a provincial Disabilities Mentoring Day where businesses host a student or adult with a disability to help educate others about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities.
Willie Martin, President, JKW Thermal Ltd. – Expansion & Growth in Small Business
Willie Martin founded JKW Thermal Ltd. in 1996 with just three employees. Her work and life experiences as a banker, homemaker, teacher, and sales manager have provided her with a unique perspective on how to run and grow her business. Today, JKW Thermal Ltd. is a thriving Tier 2 automotive supplier to global manufacturers, including Chrysler, General Motors, Ford, and Toyota. Through her hard work and dedication, the business has achieved many milestones along the way. In 2010, JKW Thermal Ltd. achieved ISO registration. In 2011, it acquired its first Tier 1 customer. In 2012, it was certified as a WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise), and in 2014, the business successfully launched its own unique brand of sound absorber/deadener. Willie has been married to her husband Rowly for 49 years and has two children and four grandchildren.
Toronto Honourees
Jennifer Corriero, Co-Founder & Executive Director, TakingITGlobal – Innovation & Global Growth
A driver of social innovation, Jennifer Corriero is Co-Founder and Executive Director of TakingITGlobal – a charitable, non-governmental organization with more than 400,000 members from over 200 countries, dedicated to creating awareness and engagement among your around the world. She also works as a youth engagement consultant, helping companies connect more effectively and meaningfully with Generation Y, and is the national director of DoSomething.org. An adjunct professor for the Faculty of Health at York University, Jennifer serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board.
Louise Russo, Founder, W.A.V.E. – Community & Charitable Giving
In 2004, Louise Russo became an innocent victim of gun violence. Fragments of bullets shattered her spine and left her paralyzed forever. Louise was determined that this senseless act of violence would have a positive outcome. She created a grassroots not-for-profit organization, Louise Russo W.A.V.E. (Working Against Violence Everyday), that received its charitable status in 2009. Louise works diligently at inspiring youth and members of the community to take action against violence, make positive choices, and initiate projects to make their schools and communities safer places to live, learn, and play. In her private life, Louise advocates on disabilities issues, offers peer support to newly injured spinal cord patients, and supports and advises victims of crime. Her contributions have been acknowledged through numerous awards, most notably, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medial in 2013. Louise has three wonderful children, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband, Sam.
Sonja Salmon, Founder & CEO, Ebby Rane – Expansion & Growth in Small Business
Sonja M. Salmon is an entrepreneur, business strategy consultant, and executive coach. She is the founder and CEO of Ebby Rane, a global brand of luxury luggage and accessories designed to enhance the experience of travel through a unique patented packing system. As a frequent business traveller, Sonja identified a gap in the market for timeless and sophisticated luggage and travel accessories for women. With a clear vision for changing the customer travel experience, she designed the collection and collaborated with an international team to launch Ebby Rane, and has received rave reviews from globetrotting women and international media. Following 15 years in a corporate setting with international work assignments, Sonja’s energy for entrepreneurialism brings accountability, strategic direction, and drive for excellence to her business. A former lawyer and banking executive, Sonja is a collaborator with a reputation for building high-performing teams. She leads with her strengths as a strategist, a relationship-builder, and a visionary.
Vancouver Honourees
Carolyn Cross, Chairman & CEO, Ondine Biomedical Inc. – Innovation & Global Growth
Carolyn Cross is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Ondine Biomedical Inc., a Vancouver-based medical company that develops non-antibiotic infection control therapies. She has 30 years of experience with public market securities and 27 years of experience working with early stage companies. Previously, she was responsible for managing mutual funds, pension funds, pooled funds, and discretionary private client portfolios as a Vice President with Royal Bank Investment Management Inc. Carolyn serves as a director on a number of corporate boards. She is a Member of the National Research Council Canada and is a Past Director of the Boards of the Canada Foundation of Innovation and its Audit and Finance Committee. She is a Founding Member of the Ernst & Young Global Women in Business Advisory Council, a member of the Advisory Council of GroYourBiz, and a Founder and Chair of the Women’s Economic Business Advisory Council. Carolyn is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, and of the 2015 BIV Influential Women in Business Award. She holds a CFA designation, an MBA (York University), and an Honours in Business Administration (University of Western Ontario).
Diane Dupuis, President, Dupuis Langen Financial Management – Community and Charitable Giving
The Dupuis Langen Group is one of British Columbia’s largest and most successful insurance consulting firms. It specializes in Group Employee Benefits and Financial Planning, and represents Canada’s largest life insurance companies. Diane’s passion for her business and the insurance industry has matured into a strong connection with her community as demonstrated through her numerous charitable accomplishments and contributions. As a Past Chair and 17-year Board Member of the Richmond Hospital Foundation, she was a key player in raising millions of dollars for local healthcare. She is a support of BC Cancer’s Night of Hope, Richmond’s Volunteers Are Starts event, the Richmond Food Bank, Union Gospel Mission, and Covenant House (to name a few). Diane furthered her acts of kindness when she founded the Act West Community Foundation, a non-profit trust to pursue her commitment to women’s education. The organization aims to help women realized their dreams of post-secondary education.
Diane Bernard, Founder & President, Seaflora Inc. – Expansion & Growth in Small Business
Known internationally as “The Seaweed Lady,” Diane Bernard has family roots deeply anchored in both Canadian coasts. Diane is the founder of Seaflora Inc., the world’s first certified organic seaweed company where wild seaweeds are hand-harvested, then designed and formulated into world-class seaweed skincare for the health, wellness, and spa industry. As a passionate environmentalist, Diane is internationally known for her coastal marine endeavours and expertise. Her hand-harvested techniques are sustainable and her wild seaweeds are 100% USDA and OCIA certified organic. Her company honours the protection of coastal environments with eco-sustainable harvesting techiniques and manufacturing practices. Diane provides local employment, consults for top destination resorts, mentors women in business, and speaks at conferences, schools, and universities about seaweed, its health benefits, and coastal protection. Seaflora products can be found in top resorts across Canada, and are exported to the U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.
