The non-profit organization Women in Capital Markets (WCM) honoured several people for their professional achievements and for their advocacy for women in the industry at their 2012 Awards Luncheon held in Toronto on Monday.
“[These are] high caliber people who are inspirational not only in terms of what they’ve done with their own careers,” says Heather Kerr, leader of Ernst and Young’s Financial Services Tax Practice Canada, at the event, “but also in their commitment and efforts to support women around them.”
For the first time since it was first awarded five years ago, the WCM Award for Leadership was divided into male and female categories. “We want to recognize both women and men,” says Kerr, “who champion diversity in the industry.” Both recipients are senior executives in the industry who have demonstrated professional excellence and a commitment to advancing and supporting women in capital markets.
This year there was a tie for the Award for Leadership — female. Lovisa McCallum, managing director, financial products group at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto and Annie Ropar, managing director, global equities, RBC Capital Markets also in Toronto received this year’s award. The Award for Leadership — male went to Mark Hughes, chief operating office of RBC Capital Markets in Toronto.
As well, since 2010 WCM has presented the Rising Star Award. This year’s award went to Viktoriya Gruzytska, executive director, corporate credit products, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Toronto.
Nominees for the awards came from Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC, BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets.
While the event celebrated several people who are committed to advocating for women in capital markets, the work doesn’t stop there, said Martha Fell, chief executive officer for WCM. Instead, Fell said people needed to continue to celebrate and raise the profile of women in the industry.
Since its inception in 1995, WCM has worked to attract, retain and advance women in capital markets.