Reflecting on My Leadership Journey
I’m coming off a bit of a high from the WBE Canada National Conference where I was honoured to receive the 2025 Leadership Award, and I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to be a leader.
Looking back, I believe that I’m a natural born leader. My leadership journey began with my very first job as a Lifeguard, where I made my way from a shy, introverted child to a young, confident adolescent learning to find her voice, assertiveness, and natural ability to guide others. That early version of me eventually found her way into the corporate tech world, where being bold, decisive, and unapologetically assertive became key to my progression in management.
Leadership as a Continuous Process
Cultivating leadership is a continuous process of developing skills through formal learning, hands-on experiences, mentorship/coaching, and a level of emotional intelligence and awareness that is both elevated and intentional. Leadership is a constant growth project. The desire to keep improving, keep learning, and lift others along the way is innate for some. For others, it can be developed if there’s a genuine interest in growing and helping people. If not, that’s okay too! Leadership is not for everyone, and teams thrive when people play different roles.
When I think about the last couple of years, I can see how far I’ve stretched myself. I stepped out of the comfort of the back-office, where I spent the first couple of years of Expertis focused on talent acquisition. I later moved into the front-office as the face of the company. It pushed me, challenged me in ways I could not have imagined, and sometimes made me uncomfortable. And it reminded me that leadership is less about where you started and more about who you choose to become, how you show up for others, and the impact you will leave behind.
I really started pushing my limits: taking on speaking engagements with YES Montreal, getting involved with the Global STEM Women Congress as an ambassador, and engaging with the WBE Canada community to promote the organization every chance I got. Those experiences pushed me to grow in new directions and strengthened my confidence as a leader. I’m passionate about helping others grow, and my values truly align with my actions.
How This Translates Into Our Day-to-Day Actions
1. Elevate others
That’s the first and foremost attribute of a leader who opens doors for women entrepreneurs, diverse talent pools, and underrepresented voices.
2. Lead with integrity and purpose
Integrity is the highest level of values I can demonstrate to my candidates, clients, and my teams. Just do what is right – is it that hard to do?
3. Actions speak louder than words
I’m a huge advocate for ACTION – let’s get involved and support our diverse communities.
4. Inclusive growth
At Expertis, we champion equitable hiring, supplier diversity, and opportunities that strengthen the ecosystem for women in STEM.
5. Impact & Legacy
Leadership is not the actual award itself – it’s the ongoing work of empowering others, elevating your standards, and making IT happen!
So, what is leadership?
For me, it’s definitely about showing up and consistently doing so with purpose and intention. It’s about doing the hard work behind the scenes, pushing your limits, stepping into new awkward spaces, and helping others rise with you. Winning the Leadership Award isn’t the finish line; it’s a reminder to keep going, keep growing and keep using my platform to create real impact.
If leadership is about ACTION, INTEGRITY and ELEVATING OTHERS, then I’m ready for the next challenge!