Several financial services executives were among the recipients of the 2010 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards announced Monday by The Women’s Executive Network (WXN).

The awards, co-presented by Scotiabank Group and KPMG, is Canada’s recognize the country’s highest achieving female leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

“Every year, we honour the exceptional female leaders of Canada,” said Pamela Jeffery, founder, Women’s Executive Network. “They each have remarkable achievements and Top 100 is a mark of their success and how they have supported their communities, companies, and organizations. Our Top 100 community is a powerful group of women who are at the top of their game, exemplify success and empower the next generation of women to take their careers to the next level.”

The Awards cover eight categories: Sun Life Financial Arts & Communications, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Champions, Scotiabank Corporate Executives, Franklin Templeton Investments/Fiduciary Trust Entrepreneurs, TELUS Future Leaders, KPMG Professionals, Cisco Public Sector Leaders, and Xstrata Nickel Trailblazers & Trendsetters.

In the Scotiabank Corporate Executives Award category, financial services industry winners include:
> Marie-Claude Boisvert, chief operating officer, Desjardins Venture Capital (Montreal)
> Debra Hewson, president and CEO, Odlum Brown Limited (Vancouver
> Zabeen Hirji, chief HR officer, Royal Bank of Canada (Toronto)
> Sue Hutchison, SVP, head of commercial banking, BC region, HSBC Bank Canada (Vancouver)
> Lynn Jeanniot, SVP, human resources and corporate affairs, National Bank Financial Group (Montral)
> Kerry Peacock, EVP, retail distribution, TD Canada Trust (Toronto)
> Tracy Redies, president and CEO, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union (Surrey, B.C.)
> Launi Skinner, CEO, First West Credit Union (Surrey, B.C.)
> Jennifer Tory, regional president, Greater Toronto Region, Royal Bank of Canada (Toronto)
> Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO, Vancity (Vancouver)
> Benita Warmbold, SVP and COO, CPP Investment Board (Toronto)


In the Franklin Templeton Investments / Fiduciary Trust Entrepreneurs Award, the financial services industry winners are:
> Susan Gallacher, president & CEO, DirectCash Bank (Calgary)
> Ann Kaplan, president and CEO, Medicard Finance Inc. (Toronto)
> Aileen Reid, CEO, A.P. Reid Insurance Stores Limited (Dartmouth, N.S.)

Margaret Franklin, chair of Board of Governors, CFA Institute; and president & CEO, Kinsale Private Wealth (Toronto), was honoured in the KPMG Professionals Award category.

Laura Nashman, CEO, BC Pension Corporation (Victoria, BC) was honoured in the Cisco Public Sector Leaders Award category.

The list of the 2010 Top 100 is available at www.top100women.ca.

To date, 522 women across Canada have received this distinction. Each woman is selected for recognition by an independent advisory board. This year 11 women have been inducted into the Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame. They join a list of 73 women who have received the Top 100 Award more than three times.

This year’s WXN Hall of Fame Inductees from the financial services industry are:
> Sonia Baxendale, senior EVP of CIBC and president of CIBC Retail Markets (Toronto)
> Francine Blackburn, EVP and chief internal auditor, Royal Bank of Canada (Toronto)
> Sandra Hanington, EVP, product operations & process simplification, technology and operations, BMO Financial Group (Toronto)
> Wendy Hannam, EVP, sales and service, products and marketing, Scotiabank (Toronto, ON)
> Barbara Mason, EVP, wealth management Canada, Scotiabank (Toronto)

Award Winners and Hall of Fame inductees will also be honoured in their own communities of Vancouver on February 1 and Calgary on February 16.

This year’s winners will be celebrated November 29 at an Awards Gala Dinner at the Allstream Centre in Toronto. The gala is the finale of a full-day celebration that offers Top 100 Winners an exclusive morning of networking and professional development. The morning session will be followed by a Summit, which allows participants the opportunity to meet Award recipients and enjoy an afternoon of professional development. The theme of this year’s Summit is the Power of Collaboration and Connectivity.

IE