Media Release

Four Canadian Business Leaders Named 2022 Catalyst Honours Champions—Role Models for Inclusive Leadership, Workplace Progress for Women (Media Release)

June 15, 2022

Toronto, ON, June 15, 2022 — Four Canadian corporate leaders have been named Catalyst Honours Champions for 2022 by Catalyst. All have made transformational contributions to accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion and represent the gold standard for inclusive leadership in corporate Canada.

Catalyst will recognize its new Champions at 2022 Catalyst Honours, a hybrid convening on November 9 with an in-person conference and dinner at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The conference theme, “The Great Reimagining,” will feature speakers, research, and networking opportunities focused on how to reimagine the workplace to drive equity and inclusion. Hundreds are expected to attend, including executives from top global corporations, professional firms, governments, NGOs, and educational institutions.

“Workplace inclusion and equity are only possible with commitment from employees at every level,” said Catalyst President & CEO Lorraine Hariton. “As Catalyst reimagines the workplace for women—and everyone—in this pivotal moment, we are thrilled to recognize Catalyst Champions in Canada who are leading the way in their companies and communities.”

The 2022 Catalyst Champions are:

Business Leaders:

Emerging Leaders:

“Catalyst Champions are leaders, mentors, and change makers,” said Janet Piper, Interim Executive Director, Canada, Catalyst. “Our 2022 Champions have helped to accelerate the careers of women across Canada and inspired others to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Manulife is the Presenting Sponsor for the event. “At Manulife, we’re delighted to be the Presenting Sponsor of 2022 Catalyst Honours. As a global franchise, we wholeheartedly support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) because not only does everyone deserve the right to be their authentic selves; DEI is a key ingredient in driving innovation, collaboration, and high performance. Thank you to Catalyst for helping create equitable workplaces for women, and congratulations to the 2022 Champions!” — Roy Gori President & CEO, Manulife.

Since 2010, Catalyst has annually celebrated individuals who advance women and advocate for inclusive workplaces in Canadian business. Nominees are evaluated in a rigorous process. The 2022 Champions exemplify Catalyst research findings linking diverse, inclusive workplaces to innovation, team citizenship, productivity, and stronger business results.

About the Catalyst Honours Champions for 2022:

  • Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak (Executive Vice President, Regional Banking, Personal & Commercial Banking, RBC) — Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak is a deeply experienced and respected business leader at RBC. Inside and outside of RBC, she is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her role as EVP, Regional Banking, she leads more than 20,000 advisors in branches and business centres, as well as expert advisors. She proactively champions initiatives, from ground-breaking learning to culture change to senior leadership development, that foster greater inclusion and belonging among the thousands of employees she leads across Canada. Katie is a sought-after speaker, coach and mentor and is a highly credible sponsor of emerging talent. As a testament to her impact and influence, under Katie’s leadership, RBC’s Regional Banking group achieved significant progress on Diversity from 2016 to 2021, increasing the percentage of women executives, women in senior management roles, BIPOC executives and employees, as well as LGBTQ+ employees. This includes Katie’s senior leadership team where 50% are women. In 2020, Katie began dedicating a portion of her senior leader meetings to hosting “Inclusion Dialogues”, creating a platform for profiling the voices and experiences of marginalized groups and inspiring many other leaders to do the same. It’s one example of the many positive ways Katie has helped to build a strong and inclusive culture at RBC.
  • Édith Cloutier (Regional President for Quebec, VP of Sales for Ottawa, Quebec, and Federal, Rogers Communications) — Édith Cloutier is a woman of action who leads with compassion supporting employees and her community. Known for fostering open discussions about diversity and inclusion, she is a tireless supporter of people. She is acutely aware of the power of representation and the role mentorship and sponsorship has on ensuring all individuals have access to growth opportunities. Édith created a mentoring program exclusively for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour employees of all levels to support their career development while providing a platform to build relationships with senior leaders. She personally met with all registrants of the program and participated as a mentor. Édith also fostered a strong focus on diversity and inclusion into the guiding principles of the Québec regional committee by supporting initiatives helping to create a diverse and inclusive team culture.
  • Nicole McCormick (Senior Manager of Newsgathering, CityNews, Rogers Sports & Media) — Nicole McCormick is a proud Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk) woman from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, and a passionate advocate and ally. As the Senior Manager of Newsgathering at CityNews Toronto, she is responsible for all daily editorial decisions on these programs. Nicole plays a lead role in helping Rogers Sports & Media execute the All In for Equity plan with an emphasis on increasing diversity in the News & Entertainment organizational culture and content and increasing team and individual communications to drive engagement. She is the self-identified Chair of the Indigenous Peoples Network at Rogers and has been an advocate and champion for educating, elevating, and uniting Indigenous and non-Indigenous team members. Nicole’s contributions extend into the community, including as a volunteer mentor for Indspire and raising more than $100,000 for survivors of Residential Schools.
  • Swanzy Quarshie, CFA (Director, Energy Sales Specialist, Global Banking and Markets, Scotiabank) — Swanzy Quarshie is an advocate for diversity and a member of Scotiabank’s Black Employee Network and Women in Capital Markets. Since joining Scotiabank, she has worked to promote and support the Bank’s culture of diversity and inclusion by being a strong advocate for and role model to women and people of colour across the Bank and with clients. Knowing firsthand the important role sponsors and mentors play in opening doors for career development, Swanzy pays it forward by connecting talented individuals with hiring managers and through her work with Scotiabank’s Global Banking and Markets Co-op Internship program. As a mentor, she encourages women to pursue opportunities in areas of the Bank traditionally dominated by men. Swanzy has been profiled by Women of Influence and featured on panels and presentations for the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professions, Women in Capital Markets, and the Black North Initiative.

Thank you to Visa, the 2022 Convening Presenting Sponsor!

Visit the Catalyst Honours ticket package page to purchase tickets.

About Catalyst
Catalyst is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with preeminent thought leadership, actionable solutions, and a galvanized community of multinational corporations to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.

About Catalyst Honours
Catalyst Honours recognizes exceptional role models who are accelerating progress for women in the workplace. Launched in Canada in 2010, Catalyst Honours has recognized more than 64 outstanding individuals as representing the gold standard for inclusive leadership. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.catalyst.org.

Media Contact
Erin Souza-Rezendes
Senior Director, Global Communications
Catalyst
[email protected]

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