20 Canadian Companies With Female CEOs

Even though women make up just over half the Canadian population and nearly 48% of the workforce, men still dominate the top tiers of business and government. According to Catalyst.org, only seven of the 249 companies listed on the main index of the Toronto Stock Exchange in September 2017 were women. However, women are slowly but steadily breaking through the glass ceiling and while few head up large corporations, a growing number are CEOs of smaller companies – often companies that they started too – as well as NGOs.

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1. Linamar Corporation: Linda Hasenfratz

Linamar is the second largest manufacturer of car parts in Canada. Even though she might not be one of the world’s richest women, Linamar’s CEO, Linda Hasenfratz, is the country’s highest paid female CEO and the 12th highest paid CEO overall, according to Maclean's. She took the CEO position in 2002.

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2. TransAlta Corporation: Dawn Farrell

TransAlta used to be known as Calgary Power and is the largest investor-owned renewable power company in the country. Dawn Farrell has been its president and CEO since 2012 and is the second highest paid female CEO in Canada.

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3. ATCO Ltd: Nancy Southern

Headquartered in Calgary, ATCO is a huge holding company with activities mainly in utilities and construction, industries that have jobs that pay over $200,000 a year. Its CEO, and also CEO of its subsidiary Canadian Utilities, is Nancy Southern, one of only three women who count among Canada’s 100 highest paid CEOs.

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4. ENMAX Corporation: Gianna Manes

ENMAX is a subsidiary of The City of Calgary and provides utilities. Gianna Manes is its CEO, president and Director. She took the CEO job in 2012.

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5. Tangerine: Brenda Rideout

Tangerine is a subsidiary of Scotiabank and used to be known as ING Bank of Canada. Its CEO, Brenda Rideout, became the first female CEO of a major Canadian financial institution when she took the job in 2017.

She has been quoted on the importance of family time, too. Inspired yet? Don't miss the 20 highest paying jobs for working parents.

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6. Katrin’s Karepackage: Maike van Niekerk

Katrin’s Karepackage is a charitable program that helps raise funds to pay the treatment-related travel costs of cancer patients in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Its founder and CEO, Maike van Niekerk, only graduated high school in 2013 and is currently studying for her PhD in Psychiatry.

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7. B2B Bank: Deborah Rose

B2B Bank serves financial professionals such as financial advisors, mortgage brokers and mutual fund and insurance providers. Deborah Rose became CEO and president in 2015.

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8. ACL: Laurie Schultz

Software tech company ACL is considered one of the best Canadian companies to work for. Laurie Schultz became its president and CEO in 2011. If you want to follow in her footsteps, consider these great careers for women in tech.

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9. Freshco: Mandy Rennehan

Freshco is a retail maintenance provider that operates throughout Canada. The company was founded in 1995 by Mandy Rennehan, who is still its CEO.

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10. Plan International Canada: Caroline Riseboro

Plan International is a relief organization. Caroline Riseboro became president and CEO of its Canadian arm in 2016. Check out these feel-good jobs if you want to help make the world a better place and still earn a salary.

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11. The Economic Club of Canada: Rhiannon Traill

The Economic Club of Canada is a speaker’s forum that organizes events for business leaders and policy makers. Rhiannon Traill is its president and heads an all-female executive.

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12. Emterra Group: Emmie Leung

Emterra is a recycling and waste management company that started in Vancouver in 1976 as a one-woman operation called International Paper Industries. Founder and CEO Emmie Leung has grown the business to operate in Canada and the United States and changed its name to Emterra in 2008.

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13. SureCall Contact Centers: Desirée Bombenon

SureCall Contact Centers is a telephone call centre. Its CEO, Sri Lanka-born Desirée Bombenon, encourages a culture of work–life balance among the company’s employees.

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14. Fundserv: Karen Adams

Fundserv connects people working in the investment fund industry through its online network. Karen Adams became president and CEO in 2017.

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15. Augurex Life Sciences Corp: Norma Biln

Augurex Life Sciences Corp. is a biotech company that develops biomarkers to help in diagnosing health conditions and choosing the right treatment. Co-founder Norma Biln also serves as the company’s CEO.

While she has a background in science, you might be interested in jobs that don’t require STEM for yourself.

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16. Creative BC: Prem Gill

Creative BC was started by British Columbia’s provincial government and provides support and advice to the province’s creative industries, including film and television, publishing, the recording industry and digital media. Prem Gill became CEO in 2015.

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17. Digital Nova Scotia: Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia

Digital Nova Scotia was established in 1989 as the Informational Technology Alliance of Nova Scotia and helps facilitate growth in the province’s IT and communications industry. Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia has worked all over the world – check out the best places for tech start-ups – and became president and CEO of DNS in 2013.

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18. Futurpreneur Canada: Julia Deans

Futurpreneur Canada helps entrepreneurs with start-up financing and mentorship programmes. Its CEO since 2013, Julia Deans started her career as a lawyer. Even if you’re not thinking of starting your own business, you might find these productivity hacks from start-up founders useful.

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19. Hillberg & Berk: Rachel Mielke

Hillberg & Berk creates jewellery that has been worn by everyone from Hollywood stars to Queen Elizabeth. CEO Rachel Mielke started the company in 2007 and hasn't slowed down since.

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20. Smarten Up Institute: Laurie Clark

Smarten Up Institute provides finance education and securities training to companies and private individuals. Laurie Clark launched the institute in 2010 and has been its CEO ever since.

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