Women’s rights advocate and former politician Maryam Monsef is partnering with local business leader Gail Moorhouse to present a one-of-a-kind workshop designed to give emerging leaders in the community the tools and confidence to succeed.
Held on Monday, October 23rd from 1 to 4 p.m. at Peterborough’s Market Hall, the half-day workshop is a guiding and developmental opportunity for young and emerging professional leaders, especially women. For a cost of $125, attendees will hear from and network with local female powerhouses and get updated, resume-worthy headshots from a professional photographer.
“If we look at our community and the number of executive vacancies that happened over the last few years, we really want to make sure that the people who are working for the organizations are being considered, because that’s the first step for people moving up,” says Moorhouse, a former executive director of Community Futures Peterborough. “I would rather see us working to help the people who have already invested time in our community, so we need to build a younger generation who has the skills.”
Now the CEO of her own consulting practice Recharge Solutions, Moorhouse specializes in helping rural non-profit organizations develop and thrive through guidance in board governance, strategy, and leadership. Working so closely with community leaders, she recognized the need for young professionals — especially women — to see themselves in a leadership capacity. She connected with Monsef, who works towards the same goal at ONWARD, the initiative she founded to connect and inspire women leaders.
“The need has always been there,” says Monsef, adding that there are lots of women in the community who both shoulder and lead organizations. “These same women, who are often the face of an organization or quietly running them, are often either overlooked for promotions or don’t see themselves as the natural next person in charge. And the result is that we all lose out.”
Even prior to ONWARD, Monsef has been a changemaker and leader for women’s equality at both a national and local level, having held a seat as Member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha and served on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet from 2015 to 2021. By establishing Canada’s first full department for Women and Gender Equality, delivering powerful speeches, and contributing to social justice files, Monsef has been recognized as a global influencer on gender equality.
Together, Monsef and Moorhouse have collaborated to develop and present the workshop through ONWARD, offering it at cost for the “most affordable price possible,” says Monsef. The workshop will also include professional headshots from local photographer Jengish Odigineyev of Odigski Media, and nutritious refreshments catered by Lisa Dixon of Black Honey.
While the workshop is open to anyone who is interested in advancing their careers, Moorhouse and Monsef explain it is particularly beneficial for young professional women and for employers looking to build leadership within their own companies.
“We’re hoping those companies and organizations who are building succession plans and developing their staff — which is a really great way to retain your staff at a time when labour challenges are real — consider sending a few members of their team to the event,” explains Monsef, adding that it’s been proven that diversity in general on leadership boards make better decisions.
In addition to Monsef, panellists for the event include AVIT Manufacturing and Palette Skills CEO Rhonda Barnet, RM23 owner and chief strategist Vanessa Ferreri, Community Futures Peterborough executive director Devon Girard, BDC senior client partner Dawn Hennessey, Elmhirst’s Resort spa operator Martina Linde, Peterborough Regional Health Centre president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula, and kawarthaNOW CEO and publisher Jeannine Taylor. Visiting speaker Corina Moore, the former CEO and President of Ontario Northland and now the CEO of Moore Leadership, will also be attending to share her experience in becoming the first woman CEO of a Canadian railway.
“These are women who have made it — often in male-dominated (industries) — to executive positions,” Monsef points out.
“We’ll talk to people who have been there, who’ve gone through it, who know what’s required and can set a path for women to develop the skills and knowledge that’s necessary to get them where they need to be,” adds Moorhouse. “With Rhonda coming from manufacturing, Dawn coming from banking experience, Devon from not-for-profit and community work, we’ve got that variety of women that come from all different organizations.”
The panellists will also be speaking to what they look for when hiring for executive positions and will give advice on what to expect during the interview process, which can be vastly different than that experienced at an middle management level.
Moorhouse and Monsef explain attendees will be able to do more than just listen to speakers, as there will be interactive opportunities to talk with the leaders in smaller group settings and even to begin to market and position themselves for executive roles in the community.
“Often we hear from younger women, women who are not in executive roles, or women who are emerging executives that they have imposter syndrome,” says Monsef. “So we’re building up that confidence and hearing directly from these women, and being able to practice some of what they’ve learned.”
In addition to connecting with female leaders, attendees will also be able to network with their peers similarly aiming to advance their careers.
“There’s something validating about knowing you’re not alone in your struggles and that it’s not personal,” says Monsef. “There’s a system too often working against women in leadership positions, but hopefully there will also be problem solving and practical tips for overcoming those barriers in that room.”
As another long-term benefit, Moorhouse adds, the workshop will help encourage a community of emerging professionals who are supportive of one another.
“Through our network, you’ve got a million other eyes helping you see,” she explains. “As women, we don’t see in a lot of cases the ability to transfer our skills, because we’ve never developed a brag file. We’re too timid about our successes.”
Monsef notes the workshop will help attendees understand how they can transfer their skills into leadership positions.
“We’ll hopefully address the terrible but very real challenges that prevent these great women in our community from seeing themselves in those top roles and from being seen for the value they bring to the organization,” she says.
For more information about ONWARD and to register for the emerging leaders workshop, visit www.maryammonsef.com. To learn more about Recharge Solutions, visit gailmoorhouse.com.
