CEOs champion inclusion in Canada at Catalyst Honours 2025

Également disponible en français canadien. Also available in Frnech Canadian.

Toronto, ON, Sept. 25, 2025 — Catalyst, the global nonprofit accelerating organizational performance and women's progress, will host the Catalyst Honours Conference & Dinner, its flagship Canadian event, on October 9, 2025, in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York and online. Catalyst will be celebrating its 25^th anniversary in Canada.

As organizations navigate a pressurized external environment, evolving employee expectations, and concerns about well-being, inclusion can no longer be an afterthought. Through bold conversations, research-driven insights, and peer-to-peer learning, Catalyst Honours, a hybrid one-day experience, convenes Canada’s most influential business leaders, award-winning inclusion champions, and rising changemakers to address today’s most pressing workplace challenges and co-create the future of inclusion.

In a keynote fireside chat, Karlyn Percil-Mercieca, Chief Equity Officer, KDPM Equity Institute, will examine what it means for leaders to build inclusion into the fabric of their workplace culture. Additionally, a CEO session, Creating a Bold Future for Inclusion in a Rapidly Changing World will explore how leaders can navigate rising polarization, shifting public sentiment, and evolving market pressures, while staying anchored in purpose and inclusion. This candid conversation will feature top Canadian CEOs Michèle Boudria, Former President & CEO, McDonald’s Canada, Zahid Salman, President & CEO, GreenShield, and Sonja Volpe, CEO, BNP Paribas in Canada.

Julie Cafley, PhD, Executive Director of Catalyst Canada, will open the day, marking Catalyst Canada’s 25^th Anniversary. Directly following, Catalyst President and CEO Jennifer McCollum will join Cafley for a fireside chat to share insights into leading a global organization, with presence in the U.S. and Canada, during today’s challenging external environment, and discuss the upcoming Catalyst book “Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership.”

Standout sessions are designed to equip attendees with actionable insights, including:

• The Assist: Leadership and Allyship in Competitive Environments, a mainstage conversation with Monica Wright Rogers, two-time WNBA Champion and General Manager of the Toronto Tempo, and Vanessa Lewerentz, Chief Inclusion Officer at BMO Financial Group, on driving inclusive leadership in the sports industry.
• Move Fast, Break Things, a hands-on AI learning breakout session led by internationally recognized AI educator Shingai Manjengwa, Senior Director, Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem at Mila Québec, will help participants build AI literacy, safely test tools, explore innovation, and gain practical skills to integrate AI into their work today.

Catalyst will also celebrate eight 2025 Catalyst Honours Champions, trailblazers who are redefining leadership and workplace culture across Canada. Each individual has made an immense impact accelerating organizational progress and advancing women and inclusion.

“As Catalyst marks 25 years in Canada and workplace inclusion faces unprecedented challenges, Catalyst Honours celebrates inclusion champions and convenes business leaders for a day of bold conversations, learning, and reflection,” said Julie Cafley, PhD, Executive Director of Catalyst Canada.

“Inclusion is a leadership imperative, requiring bold, measurable action. The future of work calls for courage, clarity, and a deep commitment to building workplaces where everyone can thrive,” said Jennifer McCollum, Catalyst’s President & CEO. “Catalyst Honours is where that commitment becomes action in Canada.” 

The 2025 Catalyst Honours Conference & Dinner is sponsored by leading Canadian companies. Ticket packages and individual tickets are on sale now for both the Conference and Dinner. A limited number of media seats are available at the Catalyst Honours Conference & Dinner, please RSVP to the contact listed below to secure your spot. 

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About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit that has been the recognized expert at the forefront of women’s advancement and inclusion since the 1960s. Today, Catalyst accelerates organizational performance and women's progress through research-backed insights, high-impact convenings, proven solutions, and unparalleled support that fuel organizations to make inclusion a business practice at scale. 

Media contact:

Julie Vaux
Canada Communications Consultant to Catalyst
[email protected]
+1 613-422-4999