(En français)

Beth Horowitz is an authentic and visionary leader who has been an unwavering advocate for the advancement of women in the workplace. Over the course of her career, she has brought courage, authenticity, and compassion to her work—collaborating with her colleagues to build diverse, inclusive, and high-performing teams and demonstrating that successful leaders nurture and develop emerging talent.

How She Made Change

Developing Talent

Beth worked her way up through the ranks at American Express, working in New York and London and ultimately becoming the President & CEO of AmEx Bank of Canada. Beth has sat on many corporate, advisory, and nonprofit boards, bringing her wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute to their success. Along the way, she has mentored many individuals—knowing the importance of investing time in the development of talent and the rewards of doing so—a practice she continues. From providing advice and guidance to celebrating successes, Beth has helped to pave the way for others to follow. And she hasn’t stopped. Advocating for gender equity is still a focus for her.

Focusing on Boards

Beth has seen first-hand that when women participate on corporate boards, they can help broaden the perspectives of the board and better represent their customer base. Having more gender diversity on boards can help bring to light biases that have persisted and push boards to focus on talent development, compensation review, and succession planning with a gender equity lens. Beth believes that board members also serve as role models to senior leaders within the organization.

Actions You Can Take

• Take risks to push yourself outside your comfort zone. These risks can be the most rewarding and biggest learning opportunities.
• Build your personal network and surround yourself with positive people.

About Beth Horowitz

Beth is former President & CEO, Amex Bank of Canada, and former President & General Manager, Amex Canada, Inc. In 2009, Beth was appointed to the HSBC Bank Canada Board and completed her term at the end of June 2022. Beth also served on the Aimia board from 2012 to 2017, and on the People Corporation board from 2019 until their acquisition by Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking in 2021. In late June of 2021, Beth was appointed to the board of Canada Jetlines, which has been reborn under new management. In January 2022, Beth was appointed to the Advisory Board of Northland Properties. Beth has 20 years of nonprofit and corporate board experience, including sitting on the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board since 2003.

Also among Beth’s current boards are the Art Gallery of Ontario, Coralus (formerly SheEO), which is creating a new ecosystem for women and nonbinary entrepreneurs, Unity Charity, which uses Hip Hop art forms to promote resilience and well-being among underserved youth, and the Women’s Venture Capital Fund in the United States.

Beth is also a member of the International Women’s Forum and serves on the Cornell President’s Council of Cornell Women. From 2015 to 2018, she served on the Harvard Business School Global Alumni Board. In 2013, Beth was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, in the Corporate Board category. Beth received a BA in Medieval and Renaissance European History from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Beth and her husband Pat Munson enjoy traveling, hiking, art, and their lovely dog Picasso.