Women’s Leadership in Action: Inspiring Insights from the Club Canadien de Toronto Luncheon
On January 30, the Club Canadien de Toronto welcomed a full house of 150 attendees for a discussion on Entreprendre et Transformer: Le Leadership Féminin en Action (Entrepreneurship and Transformation: Women’s Leadership in Action). Moderated by Sabine Soumare, executive director of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), this luncheon showcased the exceptional journeys of Dominique Anglade, entrepreneur, former politician and associate professor at HEC Montréal; Martine St-Victor, general manager of Edelman Montréal; Nadine Renaud-Tinker, national head of career sales at RBC Royal Bank; and Danièle Henkel, visionary entrepreneur and influential mentor.
Discussions revolved around three key themes: the persistent obstacles hindering the advancement of women leaders, the crucial role of mentorship and networking in career progression, as well as the vision for a more inclusive leadership future.
Breaking glass ceilings
Dominique Anglade set the tone, emphasizing that breaking a glass ceiling is a gradual process where overcoming each challenge gradually brings women closer to the top.
Women often have to prove their worth repeatedly before receiving recognition, much more so than men. However, rather than viewing being held to a higher standard as a barrier, Anglade encouraged using it as motivation to push boundaries.
“Say yes and figure it out” means taking the leap before feeling fully ready and learning along the way. Through her career in politics and business, she forged ahead even when she was the only woman in the room.
The power of networking
From left to right: Peggy Harvey, communications and partnerships program manager at WEKH; Sabine Soumare, executive director of WEKH; Martine St-Victor, general manager of Edelman Montréal; Danièle Henkel, president of Danièle Henkel Inc.; Nadine Renaud-Tinker, national head of career sales at RBC Royal Bank; and Dominique Anglade, entrepreneur, former politician, and associate professor at HEC Montréal.
For Nadine Renaud-Tinker, success is rooted in the quality of one’s network and the trust built within it. She underscored the importance of having allies, mentors and sponsors who not only believe in one’s potential but actively push for one’s growth.
“No one succeeds alone. Finding people who support and challenge you is essential.”
Her career path illustrates how opportunities can arise in unexpected ways. With a background in psychology, she never envisioned working in the financial sector. Yet, by seizing opportunities and stepping outside her comfort zone, she built a thriving career.
“Behind the numbers, there are human stories, empathy and strategic vision. That’s what drew me to finance.”
She demonstrated that leadership is not just about technical expertise but also about relationships, communication and the ability to navigate a complex professional ecosystem.
Leadership begins with personal transformation
Danièle Henkel addressed a significant challenge many women face: the weight of external judgment.
“Too often, we let others’ opinions hold us back. We need to believe in our vision and move forward despite failures.” She highlighted the importance of reframing failure—not as an endpoint but as a necessary step toward success.
“I have never met a successful person who has not experienced failure. It’s through falling and getting back up that we become stronger.” In a world where women are often expected to prove their perfection before being recognized, embracing failure becomes an act of resilience and empowerment.
Debunking the myth of having it all
Martine St-Victor tackled another societal pressure placed on women: the expectation to succeed in all areas of life.
“No one has it all, and that’s okay. We need to learn to set our own priorities and reject guilt.”
She critiqued the pressure on women to excel simultaneously in their careers, family lives and social circles—often at the expense of their well-being.
“True leadership means saying no to others’ expectations and focusing on what truly matters to us.”
Her message was clear: there is no single path to success and every woman must define her own balance based on her values and aspirations.
Mentorship is key to opening doors
The sold out event had 150 attendees on January 30.
A central theme of the panel was the importance of mentorship and networking in advancing women’s careers.
All panellists agreed that without support—without people willing to take risks on them—the path to leadership is significantly more challenging.
“A mentor is not just a guide. It is someone who takes a risk for you, who opens a door at the right moment.”
A call to action for bold and inclusive leadership
The panel’s key message: women’s leadership is not an exception—it is essential.
Barriers still exist, and the event concluded with a call to action: building a future where pay equity, access to leadership roles and inclusion are no longer battles to be fought but established realities.
WEKH provides key research and data on The State of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada, and celebrates the success of diverse women entrepreneurs through See it. Be it. (SIBI), a database featuring nearly 2,000 women entrepreneurs who challenge stereotypes. The Diversity Institute (DI) also supports a range of programs through Diversity Leads, 50 – 30 Challenge and Future Skills Centre as well as offering programming targeting specific groups of women entrepreneurs through Capital Skills, Rise Up and more