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
For the first time in the fifteen years that I have produced events, I endeavored to host an event without being there, in New York City. I called on my network, set a theme, chose a venue, and held my breath. Success would be the connection of women in a variety of industries, with the goal of reaching a leadership position, and a discussion with takeaways on how we can support more women on getting there.
With women still only representing 4.4% of CEO positions in S&P 500 companies, it’s evident that we still have some work to do and the only way we’re going to push the needle is to work together. That’s why I launched the upcoming WNORTH Conference in Whistler April 19-21 – to create a place where women could share their experiences, and together, make the path to the top easier for those aspiring to get there. The WNORTH Connect Dinner Series is a way for us to keep the “women on the rise” movement alive and well year round.
For Immediate Release – WHISTLER, B.C. February 8, 2017 – WNORTH, a global gathering of women on the rise, today announces an exciting schedule packed with inspirational speakers, actionable workshops and opportunities for meaningful connections. Taking place in Whistler April 19-21, 2017, WNORTH is a boutique conference focused on providing a forum for women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track.
The theme of this year’s WNORTH Conference will highlight the relationship between Authenticity, Image and Power. Keynote speakers include Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, Founder, The Gaia Project for Women’s Leadership, who will speak on the Rise of the New Heroine, Dan Pontefract, author and HR Leader at TELUS, who will examine the Sweet Spot of Purpose in Work and Life, and Donna Carpenter, CEO at Burton, speaking on The Privilege of Power. Read More
“Heather’s vision was to bring together a collective of women who were aspiring to senior leadership roles and advance entrepreneurs that wanted to take their business to the next level.”
“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.”
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.”
For Immediate Release – WHISTLER, B.C. November 16, 2016 – WNORTH Conference, taking place in Whistler April 19 – 21, 2017, has announced Donna Carpenter, CEO and Co-Owner at Burton, as a keynote speaker. 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.Donna oversees a long list of departments at Burton, from U.S. Sales and Sustainability to Women’s Leadership and Burton’s non-profit, Chill. She met Burton’s founder, Jake Burton Carpenter, in a Vermont bar on New Year’s Eve 1981. Ever since, she’s been a driving force at the world’s leading snowboard company. Deemed a ‘Super Woman’ by Refinery29 and ‘The Snowboard Ambassador’ by The New York Times, Donna officially became Burton’s Chief Executive Officer in 2016.
Female Leaders Return to Whistler Mountain Resort Spring 2017
For Immediate Release – WHISTLER, B.C. September 7, 2016 – The WNORTH Conference, is a boutique-style conference focused on providing a forum for women who are aiming for, or already on, a senior executive leadership track. The 3rd annual Conference is set to return to the Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, April 19 -21, 2017.
WNORTH Founder, Heather Odendaal announced that this year’s conference theme will highlight the relationship between Authenticity, Image and Power. She revealed the first four speakers at the annual event in the spring, will include Amy Stanton, Esther Ayorinde, Dan Pontefract and Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin. Read More
“Heather founded the WNORTH Conference when she couldn’t find a resource that brought together women aspiring to senior leadership roles and female entrepreneurs who wanted to grow their business all under one roof. So in true entrepreneurial fashion, she created her own conference. Similarly, she organized the second conference with a newborn attached to her hip.”
“A lot of women who make it to leadership positions say the power of their network is extremely important. There were at least three women who moved into new positions based on the connections they made from last year’s conference.”
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