Les femmes dans les STIM

Veuillez prendre note que cet événement se déroulera en anglais.

Women in Governance (WiG) is delighted to host a free panel discussion on Tuesday, June 14, from noon to 1:00 p.m. EDT with inspiring women in STEM!

Globally, and to this day, women are still severely under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), at all levels. Numerous initiatives aim to encourage young women to embark on studies and careers in these sectors, and rightfully so! But as we prepare the next generation, it is also important to transform the industry now and remind companies of the countless benefits associated with more equity in all fields and workplaces.

To discuss these questions further, Women in Governance is particularly honoured to welcome four speakers whose personal and professional backgrounds are as varied as they are impressive:

– Dr. Gina Cody, Corporate Director and Benefactor of the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University (Toronto)
– Dr. Christyl Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (USA)
– Elodie Meyer, Partner and Chief Legal Officer at Bradley & Rollins Cybersecurity (Montreal)
– Melisa Muraca, Vice President, Technology and Transformation Strategy at Sun Life (Montreal)

Caroline Codsi—WiG’s Founder and Chief Equity Officer (Montreal)—will moderate the discussion.
Ayumi Moore Aoki—Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Women in Tech Global Movement (France)—will moderate the public Q&A session.

Click here to read all speakers’ full bios.

This virtual event is part of a series of workshops offered to members of WiG’s Mentoring programs.
While the webinar is open to the public, the networking sessions that will follow—facilitated by Ray Kazan, Global Human Resources Director – Civil Flight Services at CAE and Co-Chair of WiG’s Mentoring Committee—are exclusively available for mentors, mentees, and members of WiG’s Mentoring Committee.

Registration is free.
All participants will receive a Zoom link via email with their registration confirmation.
Mentors, mentees, and members of WiG’s Mentoring Committee will receive a second link to access their private breakout sessions from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. EST. For support, contact info@womeningovernance.world

We look forward to your participation!

Speakers

Dr. Gina Parvaneh Cody, who immigrated to Canada from Iran in 1979, was the first woman awarded a PhD in building engineering at Concordia. She has more than 30 years of professional practice in the private sector as a professional engineer, corporate executive, and principal shareholder of an engineering firm. Dr. Cody has provided services to some of Canada’s largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), financial institutions, builders and developers. She served the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) for more than 15 years as a member of the Discipline Committee and eight years as Chair of the Professional Practice Committee. Dr. Cody also serves, among others, on the board of trustees of both the Canadian Apartment Properties REIT and the European Residential REIT. She is a Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Engineering since 2019 and was named the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 34th Combat Engineer Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces in 2021. She was granted numerous other distinctions throughout her career: most recently she was awarded the Order of Montreal (2019), named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada (2020), and appointed Member of the Order of Canada (2020). In 2018, Dr. Cody made an historic $15 million donation to what is now called Concordia University’s Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science: it is the first engineering faculty in Canada—and one of the first internationally—to be named after a woman.

Dr. Christyl Johnson is Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: she manages the Center’s research and development portfolio and is responsible for formulating the Center’s future science and technology goals and leading an integrated program of investments aligned to meet those goals. Dr. Johnson came to NASA Goddard from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she served under the President’s Science Advisor as the Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), which is the principal means within the executive branch to coordinate science and technology policy across the Federal research and development enterprise. Prior to joining the White House staff, Dr. Johnson had already served at NASA in the Office of the Administrator, in the Office of the Chief Engineer, and in the Office of Earth Science. She began her career at Langley Research Center in Hampton, where she held a variety of project management and senior engineering positions involved in the design, development, and application of state-of-the-art and advanced systems and subsystems for atmospheric, aeronautic and space flight research missions. Dr. Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in physics from Lincoln University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.

Elodie Meyer is a lawyer practicing in Technology and Cybersecurity Law. She worked at a boutique firm for 4 years, specializing in business law and mergers and acquisitions before enrolling in Polytechnique’s cybersecurity program. Combining her passion for the legal and cybersecurity fields, Elodie became a founding partner of the innovative, fast-growing start-up Bradley & Rollins Cybersecurity, where she holds the position of Chief Legal Officer. Believing firmly in the importance of giving back to the community, she sat for many years on the prestigious Daffodil Ball Committee for the Canadian Cancer Society and was a volunteer at the Missing Children’s Network. Elodie currently holds the position of Secretary of the Boards at the Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal and at Women in Governance; she also sits on the Board of Bradley & Rollins. A sought-after speaker, Elodie is a subject matter expert in data privacy and legal risks related to cybersecurity, and she is a strong advocate of the importance of having more women and members of under-represented groups in STEM disciplines.

Melisa Muraca is the global Vice President overseeing Technology & Transformation Strategy at Sun Life. With over 20 years of experience in technology, she is a thought leader bringing innovative ideas and strategies with broad organizational context, having accountability for IT Strategy, the Digital Enterprise Center of Excellence, including coaching, tools, methodologies, and IT training & development, as well as the enterprise Project Management Office. Prior to joining Sun Life in 2007, Melisa has held various senior IT roles in several Canadian and global organizations such as Maple Leaf Foods, BMO, ING Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, and Ericsson. She has a keen interest in supporting women in STEM: as such, she introduced Sun Life to “Le Code des Filles” (2021), “Canada Girls Learning Code” (2019), and WomenHack (2017), with the intent to attract more female talent within Sun Life IT. She is the recipient of the “Limra Rising Star” award in the Information Technology category, which represents a group of Canadian technology leaders under 40 who have achieved significant accomplishments in their career. Melisa holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, with a major in Management Information Systems and a minor in e-Commerce from the University of Concordia.

Hosts

Caroline Codsi is the Founder and Chief Equity Officer of Women in Governance (WiG), Canada’s preeminent non-profit created in 2010 with mission to help women access decision-making bodies and male dominated fields. She sits on the Boards of the Quebec Labour Council, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Alexa Translations. A Citizen of the world having lived on three continents, Caroline was born in Beirut and grew up through the civil war. A highly sought-after speaker, Caroline has addressed audiences across the globe, including two TEDx. Widely quoted in national and international media, she is the recipient of numerous awards from prestigious organizations such as the United Nations’ Women’s Committee, the Quebec Business Women Network, The Federation of Chambers of Commerce or the New Delhi Women’s Economic Forum, to name a few. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Caroline on Canada’s National Gender Equality Committee and Mayor Valérie Plante on the City of Montreal’s Business Committee. She was also recognized as a Top 20 Diversity Leading Figure in Quebec, Top 75 Canadian Immigrant, Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and Top 100 Entrepreneurs changing the world.

Ayumi Moore Aoki is the Founder and President of Women in Tech®, a leading global organization whose mission is to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in STEM fields. With thousands of members in over 70 countries, the Movement reaches women worldwide through different programs focusing on education, entrepreneurship and social inclusion. Women in Tech and Women in Governance (WiG) proudly joined forces earlier this year to facilitate access to WiG’s professional and executive mentoring services to all women, from all industries and all over the world through the Women’s Global Mentoring Program.

About our mentoring programs

Women in Governance’s Mentoring programs were carefully curated by a strategic committee, composed of leaders and professionals with extensive experience in their fields and roles. By applying our mentoring best practices, the mentee is empowered to set personal development goals and steer the mentor-mentee relationship to help reach her goals and succeed in her career. Women in Governance’s mentoring program, previously offered to executive women only has now expanded and is offered to ambitious women at all professional levels. The year-long programs are also available across Canada and internationally. Visit our mentoring page to learn more!