Canadian Tire Community Impact Award

The Canadian Tire Community Impact Award honours women leaders who strive to make a difference in their communities, which helps make life in Canada better for all of us. It celebrates women from many sectors including but not limited to sports, media, arts, philanthropy, literature, journalism, retail, education, and finance, who embrace community outreach, make connections, bring people together and amplify underrepresented voices. They support their community by helping to eliminate barriers to achievement and they demonstrate leadership by being changemakers, initiators and role models for others in their community.

The Nominee must be actively in her role on or before December 31, 2023.

THE CRITERIA
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Community Impact
  How does the Nominee demonstrate her sustained commitment to strengthen and invest in local communities?
• Career Accomplishments
  What actions have the Nominee taken in her career that have also impacted her community in a positive way?
• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated vision and leadership to drive impact at her current organization and throughout her career?
• Impact on Life and Culture in Canada
  How has the nominee had a measurable impact on making life in Canada better?

Canada's Most Powerful CEOs, presented by Postmedia

The research is in: companies win when women lead. Not only do female CEOs tend to boost the performance of their businesses, but they also attract more women to leadership roles, which leads to higher profits.

The Canada’s Most Powerful CEOs Award, presented by Postmedia, recognizes Canadian female CEOs who are the compelling force behind their organizations. These women demonstrably impact their industry and business, and drive equality in their sector and beyond.

Nominees exemplify all the attributes of a powerful visionary with a strong foundational character, sense of integrity and the ability to elicit public trust. They must hold positions in Canada’s publicly traded or privately owned companies, the public sector or a not-for-profit organization; however they cannot be a Founder or Entrepreneur. CEOs must be actively in their role on or before December 31, 2023, be in their position with the same organization for a minimum of three years and report directly to the Board of Directors to qualify.

Detailed dossiers, including financial metrics, are prepared on the Nominees and provided to the members of the Judging Committee. Each award winner must agree to receive her award in person at the awards gala in Toronto.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Customer and Shareholder Value Creation
  How has the Nominee demonstrated value creation through external benchmarks?
• Impact on Organization,Industry and Society
  How has the Nominee shown courage and guided the company through challenging periods?
  How has the Nominee shown compassion and credibility through socially responsible initiatives?
  What are examples of the Nominee’s accomplishments as an agent of change in making a distinct and describable difference to the advancement of women in the Canadian workplace?
• Innovation
  How has the Nominee brought about an innovative change in the market?
• Financial Performance
  How has the Nominee contributed to sustained financial performance for their organization in the past five years?
• Brand Ambassador
  How has the Nominee garnered public trust through their actions and reputation?
• Strategic Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated strong leadership qualities and engagement?
  How has the Nominee created and shared a strategic vision for long-term growth and the determination to drive related events?
  How has the Nominee modelled the values, behaviour and culture of the organization?

• Is the Nominee a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) at her current organization?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee a Co-CEO, President, Founder or Entrepreneur?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category. (Note: ‘President & CEO’ title is acceptable)
• Has the Nominee been active in her current role for a minimum of 3 years, as of December 31, 2023?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

C-Suite Executives

The glass ceiling may be shattering, but not quickly enough. Though more women have reached leadership levels than ever before, men still hold 90 per cent of C-Level executive roles in Canada’s largest publicly traded companies – despite the fact that full inclusion means better financial performance. The C-Suite Executives Award honours the women who break from that pattern and lead the way as chief operating, information, marketing, financial and human resource officers, and all other C-level executives.

The C-Suite Executives Award recognizes women who play a significant strategic role within their organization, have a strong record of innovation in their field, demonstrate outstanding performance, lead with a strong vision, commit to diversity in the workplace and contribute to their organizations and society. These women are powerful communicators, collaborators, influencers, trailblazers, innovators, leaders and strategic thinkers who break down barriers for Canada and our future generations.

C-Suite positions include but are not limited to: CTO (Chief Technology Officer), CFO (Chief Financial Officer), CIO (Chief Information Officer), COO (Chief Operating Officer), CCO (Chief Compliance Officer), CKO (Chief Knowledge Officer), CSO (Chief Security Officer), CDO (Chief Data Officer) and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer).

Nominees must hold an active role at the C-Suite level as of December 31, 2023, be in a C-Suite role at any organization a minimum of three consecutive years and report directly to the CEO to qualify.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Corporate Growth
  How has the Nominee’s expertise helped limit risks and boost profitability in the past five years?
• Innovation
  How has the Nominee demonstrated their agility and innovation to adapt to a shifting business landscape?
• Community Involvement
  How has the Nominee been involved with and shown leadership within the community?
• Strategic Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated strategic vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?
  What mentoring and other initiatives has the Nominee undertaken to assist women in the workplace through serving as a role model?

• Is the Nominee a President/CEO, Founder or Entrepreneur?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee currently have C-Suite in her title? (Examples: Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Legal Officer)
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Has the Nominee been active in their current role at the C-Suite level and been in a C-Suite role at any organization for a minimum of 3 consecutive years, as of December 31, 2023?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

Amex Emerging Leaders

The Amex Emerging Leaders Award celebrates the professional achievements of women aged 30 to 40 (inclusive) who are at the mid-level stage of their careers. These women are seen as high-potential contributors within their organizations and have been targeted for successive leadership positions. They are passionate about learning and innovating and have accomplished a great deal in their chosen field.

To qualify, a nominee must have been employed by the same organization for a minimum of three years and have been between 30 and 40 years old as of December 31, 2023. The candidate may come from any professional background or discipline; however, she cannot be an entrepreneur, president, CEO, Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Division President, Country President, Deputy, Partner, Group/Regional Head or the founder of her own business.

THE CRITERIA
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated vision and leadership at her current organization?
  What part have her contributions played in taking her organization to the next level?
• Authentic Leadership
  How does the Nominee demonstrate a strong sense of purpose?
  How has she earned the trust of her peers and driven engagement within her organization?
• Innovative Thinking
  Is the Nominee willing to take risks in order to achieve her goals and does she demonstrate continuous learning and improvement?
• Recognition
  Have the Nominee’s contributions been recognized by senior leadership and has she been identified as a promising talent within her organization?

• Is the Nominee a President/CEO, Founder, Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Division President, Country President, Deputy, Partner, Group/Regional Head or Entrepreneur?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee 30 to 40 years of age and born between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1993?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee hold a successive leadership position at their organization (Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, Coordinator, Supervisor, etc.)
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Has the Nominee been employed at her current organization for a minimum of 3 years, as of December 31, 2023?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category

Compass Rose Entrepreneurs

Women are leaving their mark on the world in amazing ways, embracing great risks to achieve even greater rewards. Female entrepreneurship is incredibly important for our future and for closing the gender gap but in many ways their challenges are greater than those experienced by male counterparts.

The Compass Rose Entrepreneurs Award recognizes female founders who own and operate businesses and bring to the table their bold enthusiasm.

The criteria for this Nominee includes:

• Actively manage the daily affairs of the company as the top executive;
• Own at least 25% of the shares of a private company (if she is a Founder or Co-Founder and transferred equity for tax reasons to a life partner and children for example, these shares will be included in the equity calculation) or own at least 5% of the shares of a publicly-traded company.

The Nominee must be actively in her role on or before December 31, 2023.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Management Role
  How has the Nominee grown her business and adapted to changing markets and customer needs?
• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee built and grown her team to support her vision?
• Corporate Performance
  How has the Nominee delivered strong earnings in the most recent fiscal year?
• Community Service
  How does the Nominee demonstrate her commitment to the community?

• Does the Nominee actively manage the daily affairs at their current organization?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee own at least 25% of their private company or have at least 5% shares in their public company?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

Executive Leaders

What makes a great leader? Passion. Open-mindedness. Ambition. Communication. Accountability. Creativity. Innovation. A drive to achieve ever-higher goals. A desire to help others along the way.

Women want to be great leaders – and they do it well. They’ve made steady progress moving into positions of leadership across many sectors and industries. Although it’s still an uphill battle, there’s momentum: as more women step into these roles, they inspire others to do the same.

The Executive Leaders Award recognizes women who not only exemplify what it means to be a great leader in their organizations and communities, but also build confidence, champion equality and break down barriers for the next generation of leaders to come.

Nominees must hold senior positions in Canada’s publicly traded and privately owned companies, the public sector and not-for-profit organizations; however they cannot be a CEO, C-Suite Executive, Founder or Entrepreneur.

This award is open to individuals of all ages.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Corporate Performance
  How did the Nominee contribute to the financial performance of her organization in the most recent fiscal year?
• Management Role
  How does the Nominee contribute to the management and strategic direction of her organization?
• Community Service
  How does the Nominee demonstrate her commitment to the community?
• Strategic Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated strategic vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?
  What mentoring and other initiatives has the Nominee undertaken to assist women in the workplace through serving as a role model?

• Is the Nominee a CEO, C-Suite, or Founder/Entrepreneur?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee hold a senior position in her organization? (Examples: Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Division President, Country President, Deputy, Partner, Group/Regional Head)
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award


The SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award honours and celebrates standout Canadian women from a diverse range of career paths within the food industry, including chefs, solely owned restaurants, franchisees, food retailers and food entrepreneurs. These individuals have demonstrated excellence within their career and are acting as agents of change to increase the representation of women in leadership roles within the food industry. They play an active role in championing diversity and are role models within their community and for others within their field.

To qualify, a Nominee must actively work within the food industry in Canada (i.e. chefs, restaurant owners, franchisees, food retailers, food entrepreneurs) or be a small business owner/entrepreneur that provides a service that exclusively supports the food industry (i.e. sustainable packaging, POS, etc.).

The Nominee must have hands-on experience within the industry and cannot be a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader or Manager.



THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Career Accomplishments
  How has the Nominee demonstrated excellence within their field? What professional achievements is the Nominee most proud of?
• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated strategic vision and leadership in her role and throughout her career?
• Influence and Impact
  How has the Nominee demonstrated her commitment to having a positive impact in her community and within the industry?
• Changemaker
  How is the Nominee acting as a role model for women in leadership roles in the food industry and beyond? How is the Nominee challenging the status quo?

• Does the Nominee actively work within the food industry in Canada as of December 31, 2023? (Examples: chef, restaurant owner, franchisee, food retailer, food entrepreneur, etc.) Alternatively, is the Nominee a small business owner/entrepreneur that provides a service that exclusively supports the food industry? (Examples: sustainable packaging, POS, etc.).
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee have hands-on experience within the food industry?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader or Manager?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.

RBC Future Launch Future Leaders

These exceptional women are tomorrow’s leaders TODAY!

They are confronting social and economic challenges to take meaningful action to move our communities, workplaces, country and the world forward.

The RBC Future Launch Future Leaders Award recognizes five exceptional young women who are transforming their communities through innovation, collaboration and courage. They are bold and courageous. They are artists, entrepreneurs, influencers, innovators, thinkers and consensus-builders. They forge relationships between communities to enable change in a positive manner and strive to ensure its success. As agents of change and advancing inclusion, they demonstrate a unique ability to guide and inspire others through their drive and commitment.

They are Canada’s Future leaders.

To qualify, the nominee must be a Canadian citizen between 15 and 29 years old as of December 31, 2023. This award is not specific to any industry or sector, and does not require a post-secondary degree or a leadership position in the workplace.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Innovation
  How has the Nominee created and executed an original bold idea(s)?
  What was its impact and what was the scale of change?
  How has the Nominee broken new ground or overcome barriers?
• Advocacy
  How has the Nominee demonstrated advocacy as an effective way of driving social and economic change?
  How has the nominee demonstrated advocacy to influence decision making in their community?
• Influence and Impact
  How has the Nominee demonstrated benevolence through volunteerism and philanthropy?
  How has the Nominee succeeded in amplifying their voice and following for change?
  How has the Nominee demonstrated an inclusive mindset?
• Community Service
  How does the Nominee demonstrate an inclusive approach to community building?

• Is the Nominee 15 to 29 years of age and born between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2008?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

Professionals

Through new innovations, laws and policy, professionals affect real change and progress in their fields. The Professionals Award recognizes women who are professionals in practice and are leaders within their organizations. Nominees include women who serve on their firm’s executive committee, have founded their own professional services firm or practice and/or who serve their profession in a leadership role at a professional or national level.

Professional means a vocation or occupation requiring special and advanced education, knowledge and skill. Professionals may include but are not limited to: Lawyers, Accountants, Actuaries, Architects, Engineers, and Airline Pilots, Medical Professions (Pharmacists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Veterinarians, Surgeons, and Physicians).

Nominees must hold positions in Canada’s publicly traded or privately owned companies, the public sector or a not-for-profit organization. Nominees must hold an active role as of December 31, 2023.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Management Role
  How does the Nominee contribute to the management and strategic direction of her organization?
• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?
  What mentoring and other initiatives has the Nominee undertaken to assist women in their profession through serving as a role model?
• Corporate Performance
  How did the Nominee contribute to the financial performance of her organization in the most recent fiscal year?
• Community Service
  How does the Nominee demonstrate her commitment to the community?

BMO STEM

The fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math impact our everyday lives in many ways. They shape both our present and our future through the way they drive new ideas, productivity, and improvements in human life. Women who participate in and influence these fields are an important way we discover new breakthroughs, disrupt old ways of thinking and drive innovation further than ever before.

The BMO STEM Award celebrates the female leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment. They use their knowledge and skill to improve human life, while paving the way for better representation in accessing and advancing these important sectors.

The Nominee must be actively in her role on or before December 31, 2023.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Agent of Innovation
  How does the Nominee use innovative thinking to solve real-world problems?
• STEM Accomplishments
  What is the Nominee’s biggest STEM-related achievement to date within her field, organization or community?
• Advocate for Women in STEM
  How has the Nominee demonstrated her commitment to, and advocacy for, other women in STEM?

• Does the Nominee study or operate in at least one of the following fields: Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee a student at a Canadian educational institution, volunteer with a Canadian organization or hold a position within a Canadian publicly traded or privately owned company, not-for-profit organization or the public sector?
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

CPKC Skilled Trades

The overall industry sector and skilled trades workforce is, and has always been, predominantly male. In fact, women represent only three to five per cent and this is unacceptable. Balancing the gender ratio is important because it brings many additional skills and fresh innovative perspectives, while creating a stronger and more diversified economy.

The CPKC Skilled Trades Award recognizes outstanding women who contribute immense value and demonstrate excellence in skilled trades, product or service innovation and community involvement.

To qualify, a Nominee must be on a career path that requires hands-on and specialty knowledge in manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, construction, fisheries, forestry or mining. The candidate may come from any industry background or trade and may include Forewomen, Journeypersons, and Tradeswomen; however, she cannot be a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader, Construction Manager, Plant or Project Manager, or Entrepreneur/Owner.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Empowerment Agent
  How does the Nominee increase awareness of careers in this category sector for women in her workplace and community?
• Difference Maker
  How does the Nominee respond to this sector’s deficit in Canada through advocacy and build employability and marketability skills in female youth?
• Breaking New Ground or Traditional Barriers
  How has the Nominee broken new ground or traditional barriers?
• Vision and Leadership
  How has the Nominee demonstrated vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?

• Is the Nominee a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader, Construction Manager, Plant or Project Manager, or Entrepreneur/Owner?
  If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee actively work in the skilled trades industry? (Examples: Hands-on and specialty knowledge in manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, construction, fisheries, forestry or mining; from any industry background or trade and may include Forewomen, Journeypersons, and Tradeswomen)
  If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.