The future of women’s entrepreneurship and leadership

Anne-Marie Croteau, Dean, John Molson School of Business 

Anne-Marie Croteau is dean of John Molson School of Business at Concordia University since 2017 and full professor of business technology management. She has been reappointed by the Board of Governors of Concordia University for a second five-year mandate as dean, starting July 2022.

During her tenure as dean, Croteau oversaw the revisions of both the graduate research programs and graduate professional programs, as well as the undergraduate program. The school welcomed the creation of three new research centres: the Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate, the Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship, and the L. Jacques Ménard–BMO Centre for Capital Markets. 

Additionally, under Croteau’s guidance, John Molson became the first business school in Canada to receive gender parity certification by Women in Governance, the non-profit organization which supports women in their leadership development, career advancement and access to board seats across Canada.

Barry Lorenzetti, Founder BFL Canada 

Barry F. Lorenzetti is an entrepreneur, builder, and corporate leader in the insurance industry in Canada, and as his close friends can attest, he is also a discreet philanthropist and a man deeply aware of the importance of community service.

Under his leadership, BFL CANADA has become a Canadian powerhouse in the field of insurance. BFL CANADA has enjoyed extraordinary growth; so much so that Mr. Lorenzetti now oversees a firm of over 1200 employees in 24 offices across the country. BFL CANADA is the largest Canadian employee-owned insurance brokerage company and, as a partner in an international venture, Lockton Global LLP, is represented in over 140 countries worldwide.

Kathleen Boies, Associate Dean, Research and Research Programs, Concordia University

Dr. Boies (PhD The University of Western Ontario) holds the Concordia University Research Chair in Leadership Development. Her research focuses on leadership in educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the private industry. Through a variety of methodologies and research contexts, her research aims to understand how to identify and develop effective leadership practices. Her research has been published, among others, in the Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Business and Psychology, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Journal of Personnel Psychology, in addition to book chapters and numerous academic conferences.

Dr. Boies’ leadership research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Fonds Québécois de Recherche sur la Société et la Culture. In 2006, Dr. Boies was the recipient of the Junior Researcher Award at the John Molson School of Business.

Lisa Giannone, Regional Vice-President, BFL Canada 

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Finance and Marketing  and also holds the title of Associate Insurance Broker (AIB). 

Lisa started her career in 1989 in the Risk Management & Insurance Brokerage industry within a large multinational firm. After spending a significant part of her career as Managing Partner of the Canadian operation, she decided to join BFL CANADA in December of 2009 for its entrepreneurship and building opportunity. As Regional Vice-President, Eastern Canada, Lisa now leads and oversees a team of 275 employees in the provinces of Quebec (Greater Montreal Area, Québec City), Ottawa and Nova Scotia. 

BFL CANADA, the largest owned brokerage firm with $2Billion in annual transacted premiums, Lisa focuses on transformational leadership to continue to innovate for the present and the future. 

Lisa has been on the Advisory Committee of ‘’La Rue des Femmes’’ for the past two years, an organization that has been welcoming and caring for women who are living in a state of homelessness. Lisa is also involved with other Foundations working with her clients, with the main cause being in support of breast cancer.

Indu Krishnamurthy, Executive Director, Microcrédit Montreal

Indu Krishnamurthy is the Executive Director at Microcrédit Montreal where social impact investments are leveraged to finance entrepreneurship and professional projects, to build a more inclusive and prosperous society. 

Indu has over 20 years of experience in finance, banking and the non-profit sector. A graduate of the Executive MBA McGill-HEC Montréal program, she is skilled in community economic development, strategic planning, project management, relationship building and partner engagement strategies.

She currently sits on the board of PME-MTL Centre Ville and the investment committee of Centraide du Grand Montréal. She is passionate about building a more inclusive and prosperous Quebec.

Élyse Léger, VP/Investment Counsellor at Fiera Capital

Élyse Léger joined Fiera Capital in 2012 following its acquisition of Natcan and is currently an Investment Counsellor. Ms. Léger has over 30 years of experience in the investment management industry. She started her career at leading Canadian consulting firms as an actuary and investment consultant. Ms. Léger also held various positions in the investment management industry, namely as Investment Manager at a major Canadian pension fund as well as Vice President at a major investment management firm.

Ms. Léger is highly dedicated to her community, namely as the treasurer of the Institut Pacifique and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. 

Ms. Léger graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Science (BSc), majoring in Actuarial Mathematics. She later became a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA). She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation from the CAIA Association.

Anne-Marie Trudeau, President at Trudeau Corporation

A graduate of Concordia University, Anne-Marie Trudeau began her career as a businesswoman in various national telecommunications, security and technology companies, mainly in sales roles. In 1998, she joined the family business Trudeau Corporation Inc. where she worked in various positions, from product development to licensing and sales management. In 2014, she was promoted to Vice President of National Sales for Canada. In December 2017, she was appointed CEO, and since then has put all her energy into propelling this ancestral company to the forefront of innovative companies to echo the world of today and tomorrow. In 2021 through a transfer from her father, she acquired the family company, marking history by becoming the first women to own the company in four generations.

A committed woman, she is part of a think tank and action group on the feminization of leadership, a movement that aims to influence leadership that rises above gender and responds now to the needs of a more fulfilled, more egalitarian, and more inclusive society.

Ingrid Chadwick, Associate Professor, John Molson School of Business, and Academic Director, Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership

Ingrid Chadwick is an Associate Professor in Management and the Academic Director of the Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership at the John Molson School of Business. She has a PhD in Organizational Behaviour from the Queen’s Smith School of Business and a Masters of Education in Organizational Learning from Queen’s University. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a Human Resources Specialist in employee and organizational development both in Canada and in Sweden.

Ingrid’s main research focuses on determinants of learning and development in individuals and organizations, particularly under challenging situations. Ingrid’s research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Société et la Culture (FRQ-SC). She has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Management, and Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Louise Champoux-Paillé, Certified board member and Director of Practice, Barry F. Lorenzetti Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership

An economist by training, Louise Champoux-Paillé holds an MBA with the mention of excellence, a master's degree in museology and a certificate in governance from Laval University. She has successfully completed the governing for not profit excellence program of the Harvard Business School. 

Breaking new ground in a number of senior management positions, she has served as founding president of the Bureau des services financiers du Québec, executive vice-president of the Ordre des administrateurs agréés and president of Leucan, an organization that supports children with leukemia and other forms of cancer. 

She has now been teaching governance and risk management at UQAM for ten years, and she has served on more than 50 boards, including the SAAQ, the Université du Québec à Montréal, loto-Québec, the CHUM, and the Ste-Justine Hospital. She was president of the Association des MBA du Québec, of the group of UQAM graduates and of the Circle of Corporate Directors of the College of Administrators of Laval University.

In 2012, the Québec government named Ms. Champoux-Paillé a member of the Ordre national du Québec. In 2014, she won the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, granted to women who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of life for women in Canada. In 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her contributions as an administrator and for her commitment to promoting women in governance. In 2017, she was admitted to the Circle of Excellence of the University of Quebec for the excellence of its teaching and its influence in the community. Recently, she received an award of excellence from Laval University and was named one of the Top 20 personalities for diversity. In October 2021, she was awarded the Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec.