Canada’s financial services industry employs many of the country’s most powerful women, the Women’s Executive Network revealed on Tuesday.

The network released its list of the top 100 most powerful women in Canada in 2008, and more than a quarter work in the financial services realm. The 6th annual listing honours the accomplishments of women in eight categories and all fields of endeavor.

Each of Canada’s big five banks are identified on the list as home to several of the women in the corporate executive category.

CIBC recipients include Sonia Baxendale, senior executive vp of retail markets, Christina Kramer, executive vp of retail distribution and Jackie Moss, executive vp of human resources.

“On behalf of everyone at CIBC, I want to congratulate Sonia, Jackie and Christina on being formally recognized by the Women’s Executive Network for their leadership at the bank and for their involvement in the community,” said Gerry McCaughey, CIBC’s president and CEO, in a statement. He added that nearly 70% of CIBC’s employees are women.

RBC employees to make the top 100 include executive vps Francine Blackburn, Shauneen Bruder and Zabeen Hirji, who is also chief human resources officer.

Two of Bank of Montreal’s executive vps also made the list: Sandra Hanington and Wendy Millar, as did Karen Metrakos, an executive vp at BMO Financial Group.

The Bank of Nova Scotia earned three nods on the list, including executive vp Wendy Hannam, Barbara Mason, executive vp of wealth management and Kim McKenzie, executive vp of information technology and solutions.

At TD Bank, executive vp Teri Currie made the list.

Other financial services players on the list include National Bank of Canada’s senior vp of risk management, Laura Dottori-Attanasio, Sun Life Financial senior vp Greta R. Cusworth, ING Canada senior vp Françoise Guénette and Manulife Financial’s senior vp and general manager of real estate, Stephani Kingsmill.

Investment industry recipients include Patricia Nesbitt, senior vp of Canadian Equities at Great-West Life Assurance Company’s investment management arm, and Lisa Pankratz, president of finance at Mackenzie Cundill Investment Management Ltd.

Pension industry players also earned recognition, including Heather Gavin, chief administration officer at OPSEU Pension Trust, Victoria Hubbell, senior vp of strategy and stakeholder relations at the Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan, Rosemarie McClean, senior vp of member services at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and Monica Norminton, president and CEO of Alberta Pensions Administration Corporation.

Vancity Credit Union CEO Tamara Vrooman also earned a spot on the list.

Other industry winners include Ann Leduc, secretary general of the Canadian Securities Administrators, Louise Le Brun, senior vp of operations and administration at Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, and Tracy Redies, executive vp at HSBC Bank Canada.

“We are seeing that women remain committed to ongoing professional development and moving their careers forward – perhaps now more than ever,” said Women’s Executive Network founder Pamela Jeffery in a statement.

IE