The Catalyst Canada Honours 2011
The Catalyst Canada Honours celebrates champions of women in Canadian business.
Recognizing that what’s good for women is good for business, these exceptional individuals were honoured at The Catalyst Canada Honours dinner on October 18, 2011, at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, for their personal and visible commitment to the advancement of women.
A Great Celebration!
Catalyst Canada started the day by opening the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange. Later that evening, Catalyst welcomed 60 CEOs as well as 600 other supporters of Catalyst’s mission to the gala. The energy in the room was electric, and the night's speakers inspired the audience with personal anecdotes and passion, capturing the evening’s theme of sponsorship and the power each of us has to make an impact on the world around us.
Speakers, from left to right: James S. Turley, Chair of Catalyst’s Board of Directors and Chairman & CEO of Ernst & Young LLP; Ilene H. Lang, President & CEO, Catalyst; Michael Bach; Jennifer Tory; Rick Waugh, Chair of Catalyst Canada Advisory Board and President & CEO of Scotiabank; Monique F. Leroux; Deborah Gillis; and Bill Downe, President and CEO of BMO Financial Group and The Catalyst Canada Honours 2011 Chair
Notable Quotations
Let’s put our energy into making real plans, and taking action, and becoming catalysts for change. And let’s challenge our colleagues and peers to do the same.
—2011 Company/Firm Leader Champion, Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO, Desjardins Group
We need to be prepared to take risks. With the appropriate support, and given the right opportunities, women and others rise to the occasion, justify the confidence placed in them, and grow even beyond the potential we originally thought they had.
—2011 Business Leader Champion, Jennifer Tory, Regional President, Greater Toronto Region, RBC
You have in you the power to change this world for the better. Be it a small change, or a large one, I challenge you to do something to effect that change.
—2011 Human Resources/Diversity Leader Champion, Michael Bach, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG LLP
Somewhere, at some point, someone was your champion. They were prepared to do more than just talk to you. They were prepared to talk about you. And now it’s your turn.
—Deborah Gillis, Senior Vice President, Membership & Global Operations, Catalyst