MEET WBE CANADA
Support for Canadian Women-Owned Businesses
Support for Corporate & Government Buyers and Supplier Diversity Initiatives
Creating Strong Partnerships
Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization that is opening doors for Canadian women-owned businesses to supply chains across Canada, North America and globally.
WBE Canada represents Canadian Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) that are changing supply chains around the globe.
Our WBEs represent some of the most successful suppliers and innovators Canada has to offer. Our mandate is to build connections between Canadian women-owned businesses and corporate/government buyers and ensure that existing barriers are removed and supply chains are more diverse and inclusive.
OUR VISION
To empower and facilitate the success of women-owned businesses with equitable access within supply chains to drive innovation, social value and economic growth in communities across Canada.
OUR MISSION
To build and grow a strong Canadian ecosystem that connects women-owned businesses to procurement opportunities through advocacy, certification, development, and promotion and helps corporations & governments to deliver on their supplier diversity commitments.
OUR VALUES
LEADERSHIP
We commit to building strong and caring communities
INNOVATION
We continue to learn, improve, and innovate with audacity
INTEGRITY
We build trust through responsible actions and honest relationships
OUR WORK
WBE Canada is the bridge between Canadian women-owned businesses and larger corporate and public buyers that were previously out of reach. As a quality third-party certifier of businesses owned, managed, and controlled by women, we have been connecting them to corporate supply chains since 2009. Our work focuses on 3 areas...
ACCELERATING SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
Corporate Members - WBE Canada partners with Private and Public organizations committed to supporting Canadian WBEs through their supply chains. We provide training, programs, tools and resources to help our members develop and evolve supplier diversity initiatives. WBE Canada also enables connections between Canadian women-owned businesses and buyers in our Member organizations through our events, networking and matchmaking opportunities.
CANADIAN WBE DATABASE DEVELOPMENT
Certified WBEs - WBE Canada certifies Canadian businesses that are at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by women and introduces them to opportunities with both private and public organizations. We have the largest database of certified women-owned suppliers in Canada. Our WBEs span across a variety of industries, purchasing categories, sizes and geographic locations. Our Corporate Members have 24/7 access to the database with added support of data reporting services.
EMPOWERING WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
In addition to certification, WBE Canada delivers programs that ramp up the capacity of WBEs to bid successfully on large procurement opportunities. We actively seek new partnerships to ensure holistic support for women-owned businesses across industries, stages of growth and business needs. Resources like Toolbox, workshops, training webinars, networking and other programming are customized for the needs of our WBE community.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WBE Canada is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors representing Corporate Members and Certified WBE (Women Business Enterprises) community. Our Board of Directors is instrumental in charting the strategic direction of WBE Canada.
MADELEINE BAKER
Board Chair
Chair, Executive Committee
Director, Products and Services
TELUS
JANICE TEE
Board Vice-Chair
Senior Manager, Global Human Resources and Talent Management
Magna
ANDY THOMPSON
Board Treasurer
VP, Network Infrastructure Transformation
Nokia
LAURA DIDYK
Board Secretary
VP, Client Diversity
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
CELSO AFONSECA
Manager, Sustainable Procurement
Metrolinx
CHRISTINE CANNING
Chair, Business Development Committee
Managing Director, Supplier Relationship Management
BMO
DAELAN BURGESS
Assistant Director of Global Supplier Recovery
General Motors LLC
GENEVIÈVE SHARKEY
Chief Procurement Officer Purchasing & Materials Management Division City of Toronto
JEN MCAVOY
Chair, Certification Committee
VP, Client Engagement
Cotton Candy
JENNIFER COOKE
Corporate Lead / Women in Trade
Export Development Canada (EDC)
MARTIN GRENIER
Chair, Nomination Committee
Vice President, Procurement
Cogeco
MEGAN QUINTIN
Senior Director, Global Procurement
RBC
MICHAEL BOURNE
Senior Manager, Procurement Business Operations, Policies, Controls, Supplier Diversity and Ombudsman
IBM
SHANNON WALKER
Vice-Chair, Supplier Advisory Committee
President, WhistleBlower Security Inc.
WBE Representative
STEPHANIE KHURANA
Chair, Supplier Advisory Committee
President, Netchem
WBE Representative
MEET THE WBE CANADA TEAM
SILVIA PENCAK
President & CEO
ALEXANDRA ROY
Marketing Manager
ANETA K
Executive Assistant to President & CEO
ARA WOLE-SOWOLE
Digital Marketing Specialist
CATHERINE GROSZ
Membership Manager
CHARLI LAW JURY
Finance & Operations Director
EZGI CAGATAY
Member Community Lead
FRANK ELUAKA
Data & Technology Manager
GRACE ORIKHI
Certification Coordinator
(Maternity Leave)
JENNIFER POPOWYCZ
Certification & Community Director
JUDY CARSWELL
Chief Editor
MARTHA OSINBAJO
Certification Admin Assistant
MASHA SHAVRINA
Digital Media Specialist
NYOTA KABIKA
Bilingual Project Administrator
SRIRAM RAJARAMAN
Business Development Manager