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Past Event Summaries
May 2009 By Tamara Prymak, Graduate—Corporate Communications Graduate Program, Sheridan College, and Susan Baka, Bay Communications & Marketing Inc.
Here are some of the discussion points raised by the groups and shared by the mentors: Luna Roth
Alma Farias
Julia Haggerty
Darlene Homonko
Honourable Sarmite Bulte
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak
Januray 2009 For those of you who missed this very worthwhile event, attached you will find presentation decks and contact information for our speakers. File 1: BDC - Banking on Canadian entrepreneurs File2: Ontario Chamber of Commerce - Export Market Access - A Global Expansion Program File 3: OWIT - Financing Support to Expand your Business Internationally
Two exceptional women in exporting accepted the Woman Exporter of the Year Award, added this year to the Awards Gala to recognize an outstanding Ontario-based woman exporter who is successful in more than one international market. Samantha Kane, founder and principal of technology consulting firm Kane-MacKay & Associates Ltd., and Sabine Schleese, Managing Director, Schleese Saddlery Service Ltd., a manufacturer of customized English riding saddles, were each awarded with the honour. OWIT hopes to recognize the efforts of business students in upcoming years with the introduction of a Student of International Trade Award. Other highlights of the evening included speaker Astrid Pregel of WEConnect Canada, a new independent non-profit that delivers the leading international certification standard for women-owned businesses that will help boost them into the supply chain of multinational corporations. Pregel emphasized the recruitment of women in business as being economically beneficial, noting that supplier diversity is a fundamental business strategy for improvement and efficiency in the strengthening of a supplier base.
A special thanks to our Award sponsors – Cassels Brock, Export Development Canada (EDC), Hodgson Russ LLP, Parcel Design Inc and Ministry of Economic Development & Trade – for their support. We’d also like to thank our door prize donors: GoodLife Fitness, Foxy Originals, Forum for International Trade Training and Ministry of Economic Development & Trade.
Toronto, ON -- Consultant Betty Wood is this year’s recipient of the JoAnna Townsend Award, presented by the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) – Toronto. She received the award, which recognizes a woman’s trade advocate in Ontario, for her outstanding work over many years to encourage women to expand globally. OWIT-Toronto launched the award several years ago in memory of JoAnna Townsend, a trailblazing champion of women exporters who died in 2004 after a courageous battle with cancer.
“I applaud OWIT for recognizing those who work with women entrepreneurs to encourage exporting,” Betty added. “We know that companies that export tend to be more successful – OWIT is the place to get the information, networking opportunities and global contacts to open those doors.” In selecting Betty as this year’s winner, the judges highlighted her efforts in the advancement of women in international trade, her innovativeness, and the length of time she has been engaged in this. Betty is currently doing work in Africa to assist women entrepreneurs in developing countries, as a consultant for the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of The World Bank Group. Previously, as National Director of Women’s Market Strategies for RBC Royal Bank for seven years, she had focused on developing and executing integrated marketing programs and initiatives designed to foster education, networking and international trade opportunities for women. These included newsletters, a website, and sponsoring trade missions and events that helped educate women about exporting and expand their global contacts. Other highlights of the evening included keynote speaker Kyle MacDonald , CEO of Phoenix Interactive Design Inc. and 2006 RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award winner for exporting. In her presentation, From Fledgling to Phoenix Rising: 5 Secrets to World Domination, Kyle shared her insights on key success factors for exporting – from developing solid relationships through to understanding cultural differences – that helped catapult her software company onto the global stage and revolutionize the retail banking industry. “World domination is a full-time job – requiring lots of guts, determination and confidence,” she said. The awards ceremony was supported by Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada, with award sponsors including Export Development Canada, Hodgson Russ LLP, and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. About OWIT The Organization of Women in International Trade (www.owit.org) – with chapters around the world – is dedicated to advancing global trade opportunities for women. There are two Canadian chapters – in Ontario (www.owit-toronto.ca) and Alberta (www.owitalberta.org). Media Contact
Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson
After many years of living and working in Latin America, Andrea had observed first hand how Canadian businesses were perceived around the world. Speaking for the first time in front of mostly women, she started off by saying that she usually addresses a sea of men in suits. “Women in international trade are as rare as home-grown Canadian multinational companies,” she admitted. With amusing yet compelling anecdotes taken from her book, Andrea described Canada’s lack of vision and ambition in a rapidly changing global business environment. Relying solely on its natural resources, yet not knowing how to build viable multinationals in order to stay competitive internationally, Canada has remained inward looking and lazy, she said. Hence the title of the book – that despite its strong culture of beer and enormous amount of fresh water and barley, Canadian beer is not known outside of Canada. Molson was too afraid to take the risk, while a less equipped beer company from Mexico has successfully launched Corona as a leading global brand. According to Andrea, Canada has completely overlooked its greatest assets – new immigrants. “Immigrants have founded most of the few Canadian multinationals,” she said. Yet because most of Canada’s trade is done with the U.S., we’ve become too comfortable. As the rest of the world has gone global, Canada has chosen to look away. In closing, Andrea warned that Canada is actually “deglobalizing”, and without a radical change in leadership and strategy, will end up as a nation of dependency with lost opportunities. In partnership with  .........................................................................................
February 2007
Here are some of their insights into these emerging markets:
Gail Morris on Brazil:
Carla Kearns on China:
by Susan Baka ......................................................................................... |
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OWIT Toronto members gathered at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre for OWIT’s first Mentorship Café. Attendees were given the opportunity to meet and speak with an impressive group of business women who answered questions related to their area of expertise 
and gave helpful advice on how to grow your business, get additional financing, and understand legal issues that impact international trade. Attendees rotated to different tables and spoke to the mentors. 
Toronto, ON -- Mary Anderson, President of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters (I.E.Canada), is the 2008 recipient of the JoAnna Townsend Award, presented by the Organization of Women in International Trade. Anderson, the first woman president to be appointed in the 75-year history of I.E.Canada, is a leader in the international trade community. This long-time supporter and mentor of women in international business is known for her generosity of spirit, her launching of trade missions for women entrepreneurs, regular speaking engagements to teach students about international business, and board positions on government advisory boards, among several others. Her efforts make her an outstanding recipient of the award, launched several years ago in memory of JoAnna Townsend, a tireless champion of women exporters who died in 2004 after a courageous battle with cancer. 
Townsend’s daughter Genevieve Friesen attended the 5 th Annual Awards Gala in Toronto in September to present the award. She noted that the evening was one her mother would have loved, both for the networking opportunities to build strong relationships and provide women in business with a multitude of resources, and for the honouring of women exporters. 
Keynote speaker Isabel Alexander, CEO of Phancorp Inc., a global chemical wholesaler, presented her philosophy: “Wake up and smell the maple syrup, Canada,” encouraging Canadian businesswomen to be part of the economic force to position Canada on the global stage. “Listen to client’s needs, be willing to change and grow…into the next person, or even the next country. Women should expand, generate new business opportunities, and take a leadership role in the strength of the Canadian economy—and they should do it all in three-inch heels.” 
Alexander’s personal anecdotes focused on the importance of integrity above all else, advising those starting out in business that keeping promises and maintaining business relationships is prized over market savvy or even knowledge of products. From humble beginnings on a small farm in rural Quebec, she went on to lead her company to become one of the fastest growing in Canada and was named one of Profit Magazine’s top 100 Women Entrepreneurs. Her advice? Network. Fostering relationships and creating resources by surrounding yourself with the positive influence of other women entrepreneurs is exactly what OWIT is about. 
“When you do something you're passionate about, the work itself is very rewarding,” said Betty in accepting the award presented by JoAnna Townsend’s daughter, Meghan Friesen , and Kathryn McCallion, Senior Advisor, Office of the Deputy Minister, International Trade. “It’s a particular honour to receive this because I had the pleasure to work with Joanna, a passionate supporter of women, on several initiatives including the Beyond Borders Report, which was the first research of its kind. My current work in Africa gives me the opportunity to pass along what I have learned over the years from so many talented women in Canada and abroad. We all really do stand on the shoulders of those who went before us. 
Binni Rana of 
Kim McArthur on Russia: 