BBOT Women’s Leadership Panel Discusses Supporting and Empowering Women in Business

Over 100 professionals attended the BBOT’s Women’s Leadership Panel on September 13th to hear from a panel of 3 distinguished women business leaders and executives.

The event – the most recent organized by the BBOT’s Women’s Business Success Network (WBSN) – featured a delicious lunch followed by a panel discussion moderated by BBOT President & CEO Paul Holden and was presented by sponsors BDC and Pacific Blue Cross.

The panelists included:

  • Sue Paish, the President & CEO of Lifelabs, Canada’s largest laboratory services provider with a team of over 5,000 employees across more than 300 locations
  • Heidi Worthington, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Pacific Blue Cross, BC’s largest health benefits provider with over 800 employees and 1.2 million customers
  • Dr. Catherine Boivie, Executive in Residence at the Beedie School of Business, one of Canada’s “most powerful women,” and a past senior executive at Vancity, BCAA, and Pacific Blue Cross and current Board member at ICBC and the Arts Club Theatre
Paul Holden with panel speakers Catherine Boivie, Heidi Worthington, and Sue Paish

          Paul Holden with panel speakers Dr. Catherine Boivie, Heidi Worthington, and Sue Paish

The panelists shared their experiences rising through the corporate ranks as successful businesswomen and their insights on elements of women’s leadership, maintaining work-life balance, and supporting women in business.

Each woman shared how they achieved their level of success and provided advice and suggestions for both the women in the room and the men.

“You are so much better than you think you are,” exclaimed Sue Paish when urging more women to pursue leadership and executive roles and not be held back by self-doubt.

This event was an initiative of the WBSN, a group of women and men interested in supporting women’s success in business through meaningful relationships, inspiring events, and impactful policy development.