Three Manitobans named to Canada’s Most Powerful Women list

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This article was published 01/11/2023 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three Manitobans have been named to the prestigious WXN (Women’s Executive Network) 2023 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners — a senior executive at Canada Life, a chemical research scientist at the University of Manitoba and a senior vice-president at SkipTheDishes.

As befitting such a program that seeks to celebrate the advancement of professional women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages, each of the three Manitobans expressed humility and gratitude about being so honoured and for the organizations they work for and for the community in which they work.

Teri Campbell, the program manager for WXN said the program is committed to being as inclusive as possible.

There are 11 categories, many that do not have a business focus, such as Community Impact and Women of Courage. There are categories for all ages including a Hall of Fame for those who make the list three times or more.

The organization has a stringent nomination and judging process. Individuals can nominate themselves but the three Manitoba winners, Monique Maynard, Rebecca Davis and Grace Lovano did not.

Monique Maynard — executive vice-president, chief actuary Canada and president, Quebec affairs at Canada Life. Maynard won in the Executive Leaders category, which recognizes women, aged 40 plus, who know what it means to be a great leader, but also build confidence and champion others.

Maynard joined what was then called Great-West Life right out of school (the University of Manitoba) and she said she recognized right away that the organization’s values aligned with her own. She said she knew she’d want to spend her career there.

“I am very, very honoured to be included on this list,” she said.

While for many such an honour might be the ticket to career advancement, Maynard said she was super happy because she’s able to become a lifetime member of the WXN and has already indicated to them her willingness to serve as a mentor.

“It is truly humbling,” she said. “I look forward to being able to inspire others to fulfil their lifetime dreams and aspirations.”

Rebecca Davis — associate professor, department of chemistry, University of Manitoba. Davis won in the Emerging Leaders category which recognizes women between the ages of 30 to 40 years, who have been targeted for successive leadership positions within their organizations and have a proven passion for learning and innovation.

Davis, a native Californian who earned her PhD at the University of California-Davis, is passionate about the research process and working with students.

“I can’t think of a better job than getting paid to think about ways to solve problems that face the world,” she said.

While her first love is the research, Davis has a keen sense of the importance of working with students.

“As a research adviser and mentor my job is not just training students in scientific skills but also in how to communicate,” she said. “They are learning things that most people in the world outside a small group don’t know a lot about.”

As is the case with great leaders, Davis was never inspired to win such recognition. She did not know anything about the program until her colleague, Sabine Kuss, was included on the list last year.

“I thought this was for philanthropists and CEOs, not research scientists,” she said.

Grace Lozano — senior vice-president strategic development for North America with SkipTheDishes and Grubhub. Lozano also won in the Emerging Leaders category.

As one of the early staffers of what was then a Winnipeg startup in 2017, Lozano said her career and leadership skills grew alongside the organization and built the strategic development team from the ground up.

“It’s truly an honour to share this award with such an incredible group of powerful female leaders and to have the opportunity to represent SkipTheDishes — which has grown from a small, innovative tech startup built right here in the Prairies to a leading Canadian food delivery network,” said Lozano.

Under her guidance, the strategic development team shapes corporate strategy, provides market insights and evaluates critical operational decisions in a highly competitive and rapidly growing industry.

“I look forward to continuing to lead my team into our next decade of growth and innovation,” she said. “I’m also committed to actively seeking opportunities to empower and uplift other female team members and aspiring leaders so that they can reach their full potential.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca