Women Who LEAD

A program recently relaunched by Concordia’s Alumni Engagement team aims to engage, elevate and foster affinity among women graduates of the university.

Named Women Who LEAD — LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Aspire, Dare — the initiative marks the next chapter of what was previously known as Women and Leadership, a program established in 2016 to encourage alumnae to connect, share professional experiences and expertise.

“I’m very proud of how we were able — particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic — to unite members of the wider Concordia community to advance women’s leadership through conferences, lectures, webinars and other special events,” says Leisha LeCouvie, senior director of Alumni Engagement.

“The efforts of our enthusiastic volunteers and participants helped Concordia earn recognition as a place that encourages and promotes equity, diversity and inclusion, and provided our talented alumnae with a truly phenomenal array of ambassadors, role models, mentors and sponsors.”

The relaunched program will be led by an advisory council whose chair, Christine Lengvari, BSc 72, helped shape the vision of what Women Who LEAD has become.

A major donor to the university, Lengvari, the president and CEO of Lengvari Financial, Inc., was named one of 50 women of influence in Canada’s life-insurance industry in 2014.

A culture of giving back

“What we want to do with Women Who LEAD is offer a combination of professional development via webinars and in-person events that foster connection, mentoring via the university’s successful CU Connect program, and opportunities to engage in philanthropy and build a culture of giving back,” says LeCouvie.

The timing for the platform’s rebranding is auspicious, she adds.

“As we start to execute on plans to celebrate Concordia’s 50th anniversary next year, it’s inevitable that the many milestones realized by our women builders will be proudly underscored.

“There is no shortage of achievements — and firsts — to single out and champion,” LeCouvie remarks. “From faculty deans to Board of Governors chairs and administrators, women have led Concordia since its inception.”

There are currently 17 women on Concordia’s executive team of 29, and three of the university’s four faculty deans are women, she points out.

“From our provost, Anne Whitelaw [BFA 87, GrDip 92, PhD 96], to Dominique Bérubé, our vice-president of Research and Graduate Studies, these leaders are paving the way to a brighter future for Concordia. 

“Importantly, that future is also being shaped by the efforts of women like Manon Tremblay [BA 03], our senior director of Indigenous Directions, and Angélique Willkie, chair of our President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism.”

As a platform to encourage connection, civic engagement and philanthropy, Women Who LEAD can also count on a long-established track record at Concordia of accomplished women researchers as well as major donors.

The former includes Dajana Vuckovic, Concordia Research Chair in Clinical Metabolomics and Biomarkers, who was recently granted $500,000 by the Government of Canada to improve how certain compounds are measured in the body.

Doctoral candidate Qi Feng recently won a major Quebec prize for her research on microplastic pollution.

What’s more, three faculty members were named to the Royal Society of Canada this year: Nadia Myre, MFA 02, Department of Studio Arts; Angélique Willkie, Department of Contemporary Dance; and Mireille Paquet, Department of Political Science.

A tremendous legacy

Women donors who have recently bolstered the Campaign for Concordia include Miriam Roland, LLD 18, whose $1-million gift, announced this past January, will fund sustainability pilot projects led jointly by Concordia’s Next-Generation Cities Institute and Ben-Gurion University’s Goldman Sonnenfeldt School for Sustainability and Climate Change.

Announced in May 2022, a $1-million gift made by Sandra Chartrand, BA 85, LLD 23, and her husband Alain Bouchard, LLD 23, advanced projects led by the Concordia Arts in Health Centre and Concordia’s Centre for the Arts in Human Development.

These stories — and the stories of alumnae like Samira Nasr, BA 93, the first Black editor to lead Harper’s BAZAAR, and Mandy Gull-Masty, BA 06, BA 08, Grand Chief of Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee — will greatly contribute to the development and success of Women Who LEAD.

“We have a tremendous legacy to draw from, and a new generation of dynamic, progressive alumnae who are breaking down barriers,” says LeCouvie.

“We’re really excited to show what Women Who LEAD can accomplish for the Concordia community.” 

Meet six women who lead

As part of the promotional launch for Women Who LEAD, testimonials and words of wisdom from six standout alumnae leaders were recorded for Concordia’s social-media platforms (see @ConcordiaAlumni).

• Farah Ahmad, MBA 07, president, Life Sciences
  “We always hear about confidence, but I think an even more important quality [for leadership] is empathy.”
• Ruma Ahmed, BEng 22, analyst, CHUM (Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal)
  “Be open-minded and be curious. Trust in your own abilities and embrace risks and challenges, no matter what.”
• Rana Ghorayeb, BA 97, MEng 01, president and chief executive officer, Otera Capital
  “I think it’s important to listen to the people around you. It’s extremely important to be curious and to always want to learn.”
• Stacey Masson, BA 00, vice-president, Marketing and Communications, The YMCAs of Quebec
  “The qualities of a great leader are pretty simple. You need to have vision, optimism and strong communication skills.”
• Salomé Villeneuve, BFA 20, filmmaker
  “Trust your instincts and follow your intuition, even if it doesn’t seem rational. Be passionate and willing to fail.”
• Lisa White, BA 12, executive director, Equity Office, Concordia
  “We need to reflect on what we think leadership is, how gendered those notions are, and then make room for different types of leadership. Developing a skill set that’s robust and multifaceted is of benefit to everyone.”