The Pathway to the Boardroom: Fireside Chat with Phyllis Yaffe

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Past Event

How do you go from Librarian, to CEO of a publicly traded company, and Consul of Canada in New York?

Women in Governance is proud to present a “fireside chat” between Phyllis Yaffe, Chair of the Board of Cineplex Entertainment and former Consul General of Canada in New York, and Caroline Codsi, President and Founder of Women in Governance and Board member, Alexa Translations and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

During this wide-ranging discussion held in English, they will examine Ms. Yaffe’s inspiring professional journey, notably her involvement on various Boards. Anik Lapointe, COO, National Bank of Canada Financial Inc. and General Manager of the New York Branch, will moderate the public Q&A period.

This virtual event is part of a series of workshops offered to members of Women in Governance’s Mentoring programs. While the discussion is open to the public, the networking breakout sessions following—facilitated by Laure Cohen Van Delft—are exclusively reserved for mentors and mentees.

Admission fee is CAN$25, free for mentors/mentees and WiG members with promo code.
You will receive a Zoom link via email with your registration confirmation for this event.
We look forward to your participation!

About our guests

Phyllis Yaffe has held a number of strategic positions in film and television in Canada since the 1980s including Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc., and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting Inc. Most recently, she served as Consul General to New York for the Government of Canada, from July 2016 through December 2019. In addition to serving as Chair of the Board of Cineplex Entertainment, she currently serves on the board of directors of Blue Ant Media, a privately held Canadian media company. She has previously served on the boards of Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, Torstar Corporation, and Astral Media Inc. In 1999, Ms. Yaffe was selected as the Canadian Women in Communications’ Woman of the Year and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Film and Television in 2000. In 2006, she was included in the Women’s Executive Network’s list of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women; in 2007, she was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcast Hall of Fame; in 2015, she was honoured as a recipient of to the Order of Canada. In her volunteer time, Ms. Yaffe has previously served on many boards of directors, including  WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and Women Against Multiple Sclerosis.  She was also previously Vice Chairperson of the Board of Governors for Ryerson University and is still Vice Chairperson of the Board of Baycrest Health Sciences.

Caroline Codsi founded Women in Governance (WiG) in 2010, a non-profit organization with the mission to increase the number of women in decision-making bodies and sectors where women were traditionally under-represented. With the pro bono support of McKinsey & Co, WiG created a Parity Certification to close the gender gap in the workplace that has concretely moved the needle across corporate Canada and positively impacted more than a quarter of a million employees since 2017.  A sought-after international speaker and multiple award winner, including by the United Nations’ Women’s Committee, Caroline was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated her on the National Committee for Gender Equality and Mayor Valérie Plante on the City of Montreal’s Business Committee.

Anik Lapointe joined National Bank of Canada in 2001 and has held various roles of increasing responsibility over the years, mainly in the Financial Markets. She is currently Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer for National Bank of Canada Financial Inc., a broker dealer, and General Manager of the New York commercial branch. Before working for National Bank of Canada, Mrs. Lapointe had management roles at Laurentian Bank of Canada. She achieved her Executive MBA and Bachelor of Public Administration and Administration from the University of Quebec in Montreal. She has another Executive MBA from University Paris Dauphine in Paris, France, and holds several certificates from Harvard and Queens University. Mrs. Lapointe is very implicated in the community: her various roles include member of the advisory committee of the Quebec government in New York, member of the Women’s Forum’s finance committee, director on the board of the Canadian Association of New York (CANY), active member and mentor at Women in Governance, and mentor at Baruch College.

About our mentoring programs

Women in Governance’s Mentoring programs were carefully curated by a strategic committee, composed of leaders and professionals with extensive experience in their fields and roles. By applying our mentoring best practices, the mentee is empowered to set personal development goals and steer the mentor-mentee relationship to help reach her goals and succeed in her career. Women in Governance’s Mentoring programs are offered to women in both executive and professional levels to help them reach greater heights and access decision-making bodies. Visit our mentoring page to learn more!

We encourage companies to show their support for parity. If you would like to become one of our prestigious sponsors or for any other information, contact us at info@womeningovernance.world.