Whistler’s business community is flush with women leaders — but what hurdles have they crossed to get there?

We’re witnessing a watershed moment. There’s been a tidal wave of conversation, heated debates, and marching in the streets, pushing the subject of gender equality to the forefront of our current cultural moment. Some believe these discussions have only pulled us further apart, while others see it as a call to arms, a rallying cry. Either way, we have to decide whether this wave is going to wash over us, leaving only small fragments in its wake, or if it will alter our social landscape forever. With women coming forward and sharing their stories like never before, of stunning abuses of power, of systemic barriers to entry, of unfair and unequal business practices, we need to be ready to listen, and then we need to be ready to act. With all that we’re being told, what will we do next?

When Whistler’s Heather Odendaal couldn’t find a conference specifically geared to women on or aspiring to senior executive leadership tracks, she created one herself. Bringing together successful career women from a wide range of sectors for a chance to learn from and inspire each other, WNORTH was born.

WNORTH, an annual women’s leadership conference, will hold its third forum in Whistler from April 19 to 21 with a panel of female business leaders for keynote addresses and workshops.

Tracey Riley, managing partner, assurance at PwC Canada, will address the conference on how women’s perspectives improve the bottom line.

Pique caught up with Riley via email in advance of the conference to find out about the changing role for women in business. Read More

When Whistler’s Heather Odendaal couldn’t find a conference that brought together ambitious career women aspiring to senior executive roles and women who were looking for an opportunity to network and hear from successful leaders, she created her own.

In 2015, this savvy entrepreneur and sales executive for a Fortune 500 wine company founded WNORTH Conference, a one-day event that attracted 120 attendees. Read More

Read More

“Heather Odendaal has a hard time “slowing down.” She’s a new mom to seven-month-old son Luke; the founder and CEO of Bluebird Strategy, an event production company she founded in 2010; and the co-founder of the WNORTH Conference, an annual gathering of global women on the rise that she launched with her husband in 2015. It’s easy to see why slowing down for Heather really isn’t an option.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The WNORTH Conference, which is gearing up for its third year, is a global gathering of women on the rise. Heather Odendaal, the brains behind it, is on a mission to grow a global community of women by helping them shape their careers as they evolve into executive leadership roles. She does this by hosting a conference in Whistler as well as Connect Dinners all around North America.

“I am building the WNORTH brand to support these driven, high-potential women across Canada, the U.S. and beyond,” said Odendaal. “In Canada, we have 57 per cent of women in middle management positions, yet only 14 per cent at the executive level. We have to focus on the women mid-career in order to change these statistics.”

Read More