Adapting your community outreach to a digital platform is a must nowadays.
If I were a fly on the wall to my own chat with Heather Odendaal (CEO and Founder of the WNORTH Conference), I would have a chuckle. See the picture right above this post? That is Heather and me (the author of this post) talking virtually about a virtual event which covers topics on how to work in a virtual world amidst COVID-19. That is a tongue twister, go on try saying that three times quickly.
The point is, our world is clearly facing a pretty scary collective experience and it’s impressive to see people like Heather rally and quickly adapt; something we have all had to do. Heather is an accomplished entrepreneur, a driven sales executive for a Fortune 500 company, an active community member, and founder of the WNORTH Conference. She started the conference in spring 2015 because she herself was not finding a leadership event that catered specifically towards mid-management level women who are on a path to senior executive positions. Read More
The positive impact of an event can reach far beyond its attendees, says co-founder of female leadership conference WNORTH.
Heather Odendaal is the co-founder and CEO of WNORTH, a global community of women aiming for or already part of senior leadership. It’s annual conference is held in Whistler, Canada.
At a time where everything is changing at a rapid pace, so many conversations that I have been having lately have been around the next chapter. “What will my legacy be? How will we create change in a way that impacts generations to come?” Read More
In the 2020 BizBash Best Canada issue, we named the top 250 event professionals in Canada. Here’s a spotlight on one of them.
Why a leadership conference just for women?
We created WNorth to address an underserved need for leadership development to encourage more women to step into senior executive leadership roles. Women are seeking community among other driven and ambitious women and there are unique challenges that they face on their journey to C-suite. Read More
Sixth annual conference supports female advancement to leadership positions in business
Whistler, B.C. (September 17, 2019): This spring, women from around the world will convene in Whistler for the 2020 WNORTH Conference, an annual event that provides business professionals with the crucial skills required to ascend to senior executive leadership. Centred on the theme “Cultivating Legacy”, the conference – sponsored by PwC, Nita Lake Lodge, and Tourism Whistler – will feature presentations by business powerhouses like Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient; Rola Dagher, president of Cisco Canada; and Esther Wojcicki, educator and author of How to Raise Successful People. Read More
Two Sea to Sky Women to Attend Global Gathering of Women on the Rise
For Immediate Release – WHISTLER, B.C. April 9, 2019 – WNORTH Conference, a global gathering of women on the rise, today announces the winners of this year’s Accelerate Scholarship, Erin Murchie and Shelly Bortolotto.
The Accelerate Scholarship, sponsored by Pique Newsmagazine in association with the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, offers the opportunity for two women living and working in the Sea to Sky Corridor to advance their careers by attending the WNORTH Conference. WNORTH is a boutique conference focused on providing a forum for women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track. Read More
Full agenda of the 5th annual global gathering of women announces impressive line-up of speakers for event taking place this April
For immediate release – WHISTLER, B.C. February 21, 2019 – The full schedule for the 2019 edition of the WNORTH Conference, taking place in Whistler, BC, April 10th-12th, is now available online. This Global Gathering of Women on the Rise, presented by PwC, includes an inspiring and thought-provoking lineup of keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and high-level networking opportunities with top female leaders from across North America. The WNORTH conference aims to provide a forum for women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track. Read More
BlueShore Financial Credit Union member and WNORTH CEO Heather Odendaal is expanding her global online networking platform in order to guide women along the executive path.
Published November 7, 2018
By Alexandra Gill – Enterprise Magazine
Photo: Heather Odendaal
It wasn’t your typical breakaway session. On a chilly night this past April, in the ski-resort municipality of Whistler, BC, about 70 attendees from the three-day WNORTH Conference for mid-career women on the senior-executive-leadership track convened at the outdoor Scandinave Spa.
They splashed through waterfalls, floated under the stars and networked in wood-burning saunas. Keynote speaker Halla Tomasdottir, an entrepreneur and former presidential candidate in Iceland who co-founded the the investment firm Audur Capital — guided by feminine values — held court in a steaming hot tub, doling out advice on everything from how to generate high-level support for equal-pay legislation to the difference between raising sons and daughters. Then she challenged the women to a cold-water plunge. “Let’s pretend we’re men and see how long we last,” Tomasdottir joked. Read More
5th annual global gathering of women to take place at Nita Lake Lodge,
April 10-12th, 2019
WHISTLER, B.C. October 30th, 2018 – The WNORTH Conference team is excited to announce the participation of six world-class female leaders to its fifth edition, taking place in Whistler, BC next April 10-12th, 2019. Alison Desir, Amy Nelson, Barinder Rasode, Celeste Burgoyne and Dr. Lois Nahirney will each take the stage to share experiences, challenges and defining moments that shaped both their business and personal paths. WNORTH is a boutique-style conference focused on providing a forum for women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track.
For the fifth edition, Heather Odendaal, Co-Founder and CEO of WNORTH, really wanted to offer a line-up of speakers with diverse professional backgrounds: ‘Leadership opportunities can come in many ways, shapes or forms. This year’s Conference theme is “Colour Our World” and will highlight the importance of diversification, creativity and modernization in the workplace and our role in making these advancements. As women our challenge is often to recognize and to grasp them’, said Odendaal. ‘I’m thrilled to announce this first round of speakers; each of them demonstrates that no matter what your field is, from sports to sciences to marketing, leadership opportunities for women do exist and they are diverse, now more than ever. I know our conference attendees will be inspired by these six incredibly accomplished speakers, and hopefully the event will act as a springboard to elevate themselves both professionally and personally’, she concluded. Read More
WNORTH will host their inaugural London Event at Canada House
For Immediate Release – LONDON, UK. June 7, 2018 – WNORTH, a global community of women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track, will host their inaugural London event in partnership with the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom at Canada House on Thursday, June 14. WNORTH will celebrate and profile “Modern Role Models” with a lineup of leading speakers from around London including:
- Alison Nimmo, Chief Executive at The Crown Estate
- Farah Mohamed, CEO at the Malala Fund
- Chantal Coady OBE, Founder at Rococo Chocolates
- Max Foster, Anchor and London Correspondent at CNN
- Shirin Foroutan, COO at MPC Film
- Rupal Kantaria, Social Impact Advisor, Co-Lead Global Women at Oliver Wyman
