Board Ready Women Toronto Kick-Off Event
April 16, 2024
Our Fireside Chat Features:
Martine Irman
Board Director – Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, First National Financial LP & Plan International Canada
Past Chair – Export Development Canada
Manjit Sharma
Board Director – Finning International, TransAlta Corporation, Vermillion Energy & Export Development Canada
Ani Hotoyan-Joly
Board Director, Haventree Bank, Friends of Canadian Media & Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Moderated by:
Heather Culbert
Co-Founder/Board Chair – Board Ready Women & Axis Connects
Vice Chair – Export Development Canada
Board Chair – United Way World Leadership Council
Jennifer Koury
Co-Founder / Director – Board Ready Women
Board Director – Bird Construction & Crescent Point Energy
Vice-Chair – Calgary Zoo
We invite you to join our inaugural Board Ready Women event in Toronto on Tuesday, April 16, from 4:30 to 7 pm, at the Toronto Dominion Centre. This will be an in-person and virtual event with registration starting at 4:30 pm, and at 4:45 pm we will introduce you to the value proposition of Board Ready Women, hear from our all-star Board panel, followed by networking and cocktails.
This is an introductory session for Toronto highlighting who we are and how we can help place more women on Boards. We are also taking this opportunity to showcase local Board talent to inspire and encourage women to participate in our efforts to increase diversification of Boards.
We are thrilled to be hosting this session with an impressive panel of experienced board members, Martine Irman, Manjit Sharma and Ani Hotoyan-Joly, who will talk about their Board journey and share some of their learnings along the way.
Following the formal program, please stay and enjoy cocktails and appetizers during our networking session. Networking is a proven method to create awareness of talent, make introductions and open doors for Board opportunities. We invite both men and women to join us for the event as men can be instrumental in supporting women on their Board journey.
The event will be hosted in-person at the Toronto Dominion Centre, 66 Wellington St. W, Suite 5300. In-person attendance is limited to 100 attendees so register early! Should you have any questions, please direct them to boardreadywomen@gmail.com.
We look forward to your participation in what will surely be an exciting afternoon of insight and inspiration. Please feel free to share this invitation with your network!
Speakers' Bios:
Manjit Sharma
Board Director, Finning International, TransAlta Corporation, Vermilion Energy & Export Development Canada
Manjit Sharma currently serves on the boards of Finning International (world’s largest Caterpillar dealer), TransAlta Corporation (one of the largest renewables power producers in North America), Vermilion Energy (international oil and gas producer), and the crown corporation, Export Development Canada. Most recently she was the CFO of WSP Canada where she led the finance, procurement, and real estate teams through the complexities of the pandemic. Prior to WSP, Manjit spent 20+ years with General Electric Canada, lastly as its CFO where she oversaw an expansive business portfolio.
Over her 30+ year career, Manjit has built and motivated global teams of 300+ people, held multi-billion-dollar P&L authority, transacted complex M&A activity, and steered successful business development initiatives and product introductions. With strong community ties, Manjit has mentored young professionals and served on the boards of YMCA GTA, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. In addition, she previously held board positions with GE Canada Company, GE Pension Trust, GE Hitachi-Nuclear and BGO Prime Canadian.
Manjit is an FCPA FCA and holds both the ICD.D and the GCB.D designations. Manjit has previously been recognized as one of WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
Martine Irman
Board Director, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, First National Financial LP & Plan International Canada
Past Chair, Export Development Canada
An experienced executive and corporate and philanthropic director, Martine M. Irman has over 30 years’ experience in International Banking, Treasury, Securities and Trade, and 20 years of expertise on both Corporate and Not-for-Profit boards along with Executive Advisory Councils. Formerly Vice Chair, TD Securities and SVP, TD Bank Group, Martine currently sits as an Independent Director of the Board of the TMX Group of Companies and First National Financial, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan and is immediate Chair of the Board for Export Development Canada. Martine values community involvement and is known as a strong leader and mentor for women in the investment industry. She sits on the Board of St-Michael’s Hospital Foundation and the Campaign Committee of MAP Centre For Urban Health Solutions and Plan International Canada and is the Past Chair of the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
Ani Hotoyan-Joly
Board Director, Haventree Bank, Friends of Canadian Media & Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Ani is a member of the Board of Directors of Haventree Bank and is a member of the Audit and Conduct Review Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Friends of Canadian Media where she is currently a member of the Executive Committee; chairs the Audit and Finance Committee and for the last three years, she was the chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee. In June 2023, she joined the Board of Directors of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and is a member of the Finance and Quality Committee.
Ani is also the Chair of the Board of Armenian Relief Society Toronto “Roubina” Chapter. From 2016-2022, she served on the board of Women’s College Hospital where over the six years she was the chair of a number of board committees including the Governance Committee and the Resources Committee. She also served as a board member of Ontario Power Generation for four years and was a member of the Audit & Risk Committee and Compensation, Leadership and Governance Committee. During the last 2 years, she was the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Prior to that, she was a member of the board of Echelon Financial Holdings and the Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee.
In June 2020, she became a member of the Community Services Sector Audit Committee for the Province of Ontario and is the Committee’s Vice Chair. In April 2020, she became one of the Founding Visionaries of The Prosperity Project.
From 2005 to 2018, Ani worked for Coventree Inc. and for the last nine years, she was the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. Prior to that; she was the VP Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Swiss Reinsurance Company Canada (P&C). From 1989 to 2002, she worked for Zurich Canada and held various senior positions.
Ani Hotoyan-Joly is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant and a Fellow Chartered Accountant with 39 years of business experience. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, the ICD.D designation from The Institute of Corporate Directors and University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, and the GCB.D and CCB.D designations from Global Competent Boards.
Jennifer Koury
Co-Founder / Director – Board Ready Women
Board Director – Bird Construction & Crescent Point Energy
Vice-Chair – Calgary Zoo
Ms. Koury has more than 35 years professional experience including C-suite leadership roles and international experience, with the world’s largest mining Company, BHP Billiton, as well has worked with Enerplus Resources and Exxon Mobil as a senior executive.
Currently, Ms. Koury sits on the Board of Directors for Crescent Point Energy, chairing their HRC and member of the Governance Committee; Bird Construction in Toronto, Chairing the HR and Governance Committee and member of the EH&S Committee; the Calgary Zoo as Vice-Chair of the Board and is one of the Co-Founders of Board Ready Women. Ms Koury also served on the Women in Mining Canada Board as Co-Chair from April 2017 to April 2021. .
Ms. Koury holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (honors) from the University of Alberta and has her Directors Designation, ICD.D, from The Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto.
Heather Culbert
Co-Founder / Board Chair – Board Ready Women & Axis Connects
Vice Chair – Export Development Canada
Board Chair – United Way World Leadership Council
With over 27 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Ms. Culbert has held senior positions in the oil and gas sector and was formerly the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at Enerplus, a mid-sized oil and gas company.
Heather served as Interim Board Chair and Vice Chair on the Board of Export Development Canada (EDC) and Chaired the HR Committee. She was recently appointed the to the Board of The Fraser Institute and Catapult Environmental. She chairs the United Way World Leadership Council, a member of the She Leads Economic Council of Alberta and is past Chair of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Council (ARIAC), past Chair of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and past Director of Whitecap Resources.
Heather has been an active volunteer and philanthropist for many years and has co-founded and Chairs both the Board Ready Women and Axis Connects not-for-profit organizations in Alberta. She is now the Co-Chair of the Calgary Cancer Centre campaign with the goal of raising $250 million. Heather has served on many not for profit Boards over the past 15 years and is a recent recipient of the Queens Platinum Jubilee Award.
