Women in Capital Markets presented awards to three members of the financial industry on Monday, recognizing their contributions to the advancement of women in the industry.

At an award ceremony in Toronto, the non-profit organization announced the 2010 winners for the WCM Rising Star Award, the WCM Award for Leadership and the WCM Visionary Award.

The inaugural winner of the 2010 Rising Star Award is Liette Bromley, director of corporate debt trading at BMO Capital Markets. The award honours an individual who, at a relatively early stage in their career, has made an impactful contribution by providing inspirational leadership and mentorship to young women in the industry.

Patti Perras Shugart, managing director and head of corporate banking at RBC Capital Markets, is the recipient of the 2010 WCM Award for Leadership. It has been presented for the past three years to a senior executive, male or female, who has combined professional excellence with a demonstrated commitment to advancing and supporting women in the capital markets.

The winner of the first WCM Visionary Award is Heather-Anne Irwin, adjunct professor of finance at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. The visionary award recognizes the outstanding commitment and lifelong dedication to the development and growth of Women in Capital Markets over the last 15 years.

“For 15 years, WCM has been supporting the entry and advancement of women in the Canadian capital markets,” said Martha Fell, CEO of WCM. “These two new awards, together with our Award for Leadership, are just one more way we are celebrating women and inspiring diversity in the financial industry.”

IE