THE REAL DEAL
 As writers of this newsletter and speakers on networking, we can tell you that we know what women really want: an opportunity to network with other women. Too often the networking opportunities are just the ‘bookends’ of events – a little networking before the event and then a little more at the end. The WLC’s ALL ACCESS Networking event on September 12 is going to be different. We’re going to make it easy and fun to meet and get to know a lot of new women. There is no luncheon speaker. Instead, YOU get to network with your tablemates and members of the WLC Advisory Board. If you haven’t been to a WLC event yet, we suggest you come to this one. Bring a friend and introduce her to the WLC.
— Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac
Do you remember when women couldn’t be members of Vancouver’s private business clubs and when invited as guests, they had to come in a separate entrance? If you are too young, trust us, it did happen! Well, the WLC has its own official clubhouse – the Terminal City Club. David Long is the Club’s CEO and is welcoming the WLC with open arms. TCC is a founding gold sponsor of WLC. Come for a sneak preview of the newly renovated TCC at the September 12 event. There are other benefits as well, and they’ll be shared on the 12th.
ORGANIC GROWTH OF WOMEN LEADERS
 We are pleased to announce that Coast Capital Savings is a founding gold sponsor of the Women’s Leadership Circle. It’s a terrific partnership for WLC, not only because of the organization’s engaged leadership in the community but also because of the very interesting story of women in leadership roles. On Coast Capital’s senior executive team, four of the nine leaders are women. You don’t see those numbers very often!
We recently asked Lynn Roberts, Coast Capital’s vice-president of human resources, to share her thoughts on the high percentage of women in their top executive layer. Lynn describes it as an organic outcome that has occurred over time rather than the result of a formalized process—an outcome that emerged out of a challenging time in the credit union’s recent history. Coast Capital Savings is a product of the largest credit union merger in Canadian history. Between 2000 and 2002, three of B.C.’s largest credit unions joined together to form Canada’s second largest credit union. And, as we all know, mergers are a test. They are often a time of career uncertainty, jockeying for a role in the new entity and working with a blank sheet of paper.
So where were the women leaders during this process of creating the new Coast Capital Savings? They were at the table; they survived and flourished – through participation in the development of a new business model and vision. Out of that process, Coast Capital Savings emerged with a highly respected leader, CEO Lloyd Craig, and with a business model that is highly collaborative, leverages teams and is based on individuals’ competencies.
An example of that collaboration was the launch of Coast Capital’s recent Leadership Development program which exposed management to the many nuances of businesses across the company. The program was a huge success, and reflects Coast Capital’s highly collaborative style, which Roberts says “kind of speaks to a woman’s way of doing things.” It’s this combination of a team-based business model and a set of business principles that are collaborative in nature which have created a working environment that is complementary to the attributes of many successful women leaders. This is a key factor that has contributed to Coast Capital’s success in bringing women into top leadership roles.
Roberts poses some questions that are part of Coast Capital’s ethos: “Women will be successful in leadership pursuits because of their critical thinking ability and overall business acumen. How can that be fostered? How can that be showcased? What mindsets need to change in order to see and hear the contributions that women can and do make?”
WLC is grateful to have sponsors like Coast Capital Savings who ask these questions, and who want to be part of the dialogue.
THE DIALOGUE CONTINUES
On September 19, reconnect with people you met at the ALL ACCESS event and continue the dialogue. Join Deborah Gillis, Catalyst’s vice-president North America, WLC chair, Sue Paish and Chief Kim Baird of the Tsawwassen First Nation, for a unique luncheon on board Holland America Line’s ms Veendam.
Gillis will share Catalyst’s research based on the insights of women board directors from FP500 companies. Now, it’s probably what we always suspected, but Gillis will present a compelling business case showing, on average, companies with more women on corporate boards financially outperform those with the fewest. Bring your CEO to this event, or if you sit on a board, invite other board members. Remember, WLC is open to men and women. We are inclusive!
DISTINGUISHED WOMEN SPEAKERS
On September 23, Mary Simon, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, will speak on the Renaissance in the Arctic. We have amazing things happening in Canada's north. If you are looking for new business opportunities, Simon has her hand on the wheel and will offer timely information on investing in the Arctic. This is also a great event to bring that young woman who you are mentoring. Watch Mary Simon on YouTube to see what a great role model she is.
SO MANY EVENTS, SO LITTLE TIME
 So many events, what do you decide to go to? A March 2007 Accenture report, Expectations and Achievement: Empowering Women from Within, shows that men and women rank networking, a leadership skill, differently.
For men, effectively networking within the organization—what we call BONDING—is the #4 driver to career advancement. Women rank it as #7. Men believe that networking ineffectively outside the company—what we call BRIDGING—is the #3 inhibitor of career advancement. For women, it was rated #10, at the very bottom of the list! If that’s you, maybe this is the month you make networking a priority.
HOUSEHOLD NAMES?
 In our March 2007 newsletter, we talked about raising awareness of women leaders, and listed the names of some key global women leaders from the Forbes 2007 ranking of the 100 most powerful women: Angela Merkel, Wu Yi, Ho Ching, Condoleezza Rice, Indra K. Nooyi, Sonia Gandhi, Cynthia Carroll. We asked: Do we know who these women leaders are and do we share their stories with young women?
This year’s list is out and once again Forbes ranks Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany first. Second on the list is Sheila C. Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Third is Indra K. Nooyi, the amazing woman who is chair and chief executive of PepsiCo.
ANGELA MERKEL, SHEILA C. BAIR
 While Angela Merkel has topped the Forbes list for the past two years as Chancellor of Europe’s biggest economy, she is also known for the fearless way she ‘bulldozes through controversy’ and her championing of the euro over the dollar. Number two on the list of global women leaders is American Sheila C. Bair. We’ve all heard about the Fed’s Ben Bernanke, but Sheila? Actually, Bair is in the eye of the financial storm as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the U.S. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has 117 banks on its list of financial institutions at risk of failure, up from 90 earlier in the year, and according to The Wall Street Journal, chairman Bair doesn’t think this credit cycle has bottomed out yet. We all know the saying, when the elephant sneezes… So keep an eye on Sheila Bair. The New York Times says, “How Ms. Bair navigates the financial and political landmines ahead will help determine the course of the banking industry and, by extension, the broader economy. It will also determine her legacy.”
40 UNDER 40 WOMEN LEADERS?
 Do you know a woman leader who would fit Business in Vancouver’s prestigious Forty Under 40 Award? Nominations are being accepted until September 19, 2008. Call Richard Chu at BIV for more information: 604-608-5114. This award is a significant milestone in the careers of the winners. Who do you know who you can help along?
YOUR FEEDBACK
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments, ideas for this newsletter, for speakers, for content to: info@wlcircle.com
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Sept 12, 2008
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