Sixteen women have been named 2020 Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award winners by Mercedes-Benz Canada.
The award recognizes the achievements of the rest of this year’s Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards recipients. It focuses on the professional achievements of women aged 30 to 45 in their mid-career.
“Mercedes-Benz is deeply committed to supporting women’s professional and personal advancement,” said Virginie Aubert, Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Canada. “As part of this commitment, we are proud to partner with WXN to celebrate female achievement and recognize Canada’s next generation of female leaders.”
The women who win the award are seen as high-potential contributors within their organizations, and are a target for successive leadership positions.
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders Award recipients are:
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- Meghan B. Azad, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, University of Manitoba
- Nazia Shahrin, Senior Director, Regulatory Strategy & Delivery, Royal Bank of Canada
- Stachen Frederick, Executive Director, Weston Frontlines Centre
- Dr. Fiona Clement, Department Head, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
- Commander Kelly Williamson, Director Public Affairs, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defence
- Angela Thompson, Director, Environmental Services and Vice President, Project Services, ClearStream Energy Services
- Fatema Pirone, Senior Director, Enterprise Innovation, CIBC
- Roopa Davé, Partner, Sustainability and Impact Services, KPMG in Canada
- Janine Barry, Assistant Vice President, Digital Engagement, Manulife Bank
- Vasie Papadopoulos, Communications and Outreach Manager, Philip Morris International Canada
- Lorraine Gray, Superintendent, Stations Services, Hydro One
- Naki Osutei, Associate Vice President, Social Impact, TD Bank Group
- Letecia Rose, Principal Consultant, Skill Market (Formerly Manager, Partnerships & Programs, MLSE LaunchPad)
- Aida Cipolla, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Toronto Hydro Corporation
- Ravy Por, Leader, Partnerships & Outreach, Advanced Analytics, Desjardins Group
- Ani Castonguay, Executive Vice-President, Public Affairs, CDPQ
The OEM also supports a platform called She’s Mercedes, which aims to connect, inspire, and empowers women who are at “the top of their game.” The platform serves as a network for women to generate important conversations.
“Celebrating and supporting the next generation of women in leadership is important to Mercedes-Benz, because the brand has benefitted from strong female voices from the very beginning,” said Aubert, in reference to Bertha Benz.
Bertha Benz was a German automotive pioneer and inventor and the wife of Karl Benz who completed the first long-distance journey in automotive history.
“While automotive is a traditionally masculine industry, at Mercedes-Benz, in the spirit of Bertha Benz, we are actively prioritizing the importance of bringing women’s voices and experiences to the table,” said Aubert.
