Category: Community News

Board Ready Women (BRW) joined Axis Connects last year, and together we are working to establish a continuous career pipeline, moving women from mid-career milestones through to executive and governance roles. Building on BRW’s long-standing foundation of impactful programming in Calgary, our focus has shifted from simply providing access to delivering intentional and strategic readiness.

Our recent expansion into Edmonton has already seen a strong response from the local community. Driven by targeted events, Edmonton professionals are looking past basic networking to actively master the realities of boardroom dynamics, fiduciary duties, and strategic oversight.

Edmonton Highlight: Unpacking the Board Chair and CEO Dynamic

The strength of this growing Edmonton community was on full display at our recent BRW event: The Relationship Between the Board Chair & CEO.

This standout evening brought together directors, executives, and governance leaders for a rare and transparent look into one of the most critical partnerships in any organization. We were incredibly fortunate to host a truly unique dynamic on stage: Joan Hertz, Board Chair of ATB Financial, alongside Chris Turchansky, President and CEO of ATB Financial.

Hearing directly from a sitting Board Chair and their CEO provided unfiltered insight and immense value. Their candid discussion explored how to cultivate a high-performance relationship, learn from past mistakes, and navigate the inevitable complexities of governance.

Key themes explored during the event included:

• • Building Trust Through Candor: The duo highlighted the necessity of giving and receiving honest feedback, sharing insights on how to create an environment where open communication flows in both directions, especially during crucial moments like annual evaluations.
  • Closing the Communication Gap: Addressing the reality that executives face a storm of disruptive forces, Chris shared how a strong relationship with the Board Chair helps close communication gaps, enables top-tier leadership, and ensures the board has the right knowledge to help the organization cope.
  • Protecting the CEO: Joan offered her unique perspective, having sat on both sides of the table as both a CEO and a Chair, on what it truly means for a board to support and protect its chief executive while maintaining healthy tension and safeguarding integrity.

Stay Curious and Join the Conversation

Achieving a high-performance career is never accidental. As our pipeline of talented, board-ready women continues to grow across Canada, we invite you to be part of the momentum. Whether you are aiming for your first board seat or looking to refine your governance skills, Axis Connects and BRW are here to support your journey.

Get Involved Today:

• • • Become a Member: Purchase a Board Ready Women membership to unlock exclusive event invitations, access to curated board opportunities, and member-only updates.
    • Stay Informed: Sign up for our insider newsletter delivered directly to your inbox to stay ahead of the curve on governance trends and community news.
    • Join Us Live: Keep an eye out for upcoming BRW events in Calgary or Edmonton to connect with decision-makers, ask questions, and stay curious about what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.

Axis Connects hosted a dynamic afternoon of high-level engagement and vital community conversation on Monday, June 1, 2026, at the Calgary Petroleum Club. Welcoming over 300 leaders, professionals, and community members, the event demonstrated Axis’s unique ability to convene top leadership and facilitate meaningful dialogue on the issues that matter most to Albertans.

The exclusive event featured a keynote address by the Honourable Premier Danielle Smith, followed by an in-depth fireside chat moderated by Axis Connects CEO, Nuvyn Peters.

Bringing together voices from business, government, and the community is a cornerstone of Axis Connects’ role in Alberta’s leadership landscape. The exceptional turnout for this event highlights a shared commitment across sectors to engage in thoughtful, province-shaping dialogue.

“The issues shaping our province require thoughtful dialogue, diverse perspectives, and opportunities for meaningful engagement,” said Nuvyn Peters, CEO of Axis Connects. “Events like this create space for those conversations, connecting leaders with decision-makers and fostering a greater understanding of both the opportunities and challenges facing Alberta today.“

A Focus on Leadership, Economy, and Community

During the structured fireside chat, the conversation spanned critical, top-of-mind topics for Albertans, moving past surface-level talking points to explore substantive issues:

• • Leadership & Resilience: The Premier shared insights into her personal leadership journey, navigating public pressure in a fast-moving environment, and the core principles required to collaborate effectively across diverse provincial leadership frameworks.
  • Energy & Investor Confidence: In light of recent global news coverage, the discussion highlighted strategies for providing market certainty and ensuring Alberta remains a premier, highly competitive destination for global investment across the energy, oil, and gas sectors.
  • Economic Certainty & Affordability: The discussion addressed how Alberta can balance robust economic growth and investment certainty with the real, day-to-day affordability pressures facing Canadian families, including housing, groceries, and utilities.
  • The Future of Healthcare: A transparent conversation focused on the structural shifts within provincial healthcare, discussing ways to reduce wait times and build a preeminent system. The dialogue explored the objectives behind creating four separate service delivery agencies, managing care coordination for complex patients, and evaluating the role of diverse delivery options to relieve pressure on frontline workers while strictly maintaining universal access to care.
  • Navigating Diverse Perspectives & Unity: The conversation also addressed broader themes of provincial cohesion and regional governance, looking at constructive ways leaders can navigate differing viewpoints, address high-stakes discussions like regional referendums, and foster unity across Alberta’s evolving landscape.

The session concluded on a lighter note with a rapid-fire question round, offering attendees a unique look at the person behind the public office.

Looking Ahead

Axis Connects extends its sincere gratitude to Premier Danielle Smith for sharing her insights, to the event sponsor, Whitecap Resources, and to the vibrant community of attendees whose presence made the afternoon an overwhelming success.

As a non-partisan champion for professional growth and connection, Axis Connects looks forward to continuing to build platforms that inform, challenge, and inspire leadership across Alberta.

Get Involved with Axis Connects

Our community thrives when dynamic leaders engage. You can join our mission to shape Alberta’s leadership landscape by getting involved today:

• • Become a Member: Enjoy exclusive perks, early notifications about our events, and invaluable networking opportunities designed to elevate your professional journey.

  • Attend Our Programming: Join us for upcoming sessions like our Career Development Dialogues, Lunch with a Leader, or our signature Networking events.

  • Join Our Mailing List: Stay informed about our latest initiatives, thought leadership, and community insights delivered straight to your inbox.

On April 23, Axis Connects saw a record-breaking, sold-out crowd gather at the TELUS Convention Centre for an unforgettable evening at the seventh annual Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) awards gala. With over 1,500 people in attendance, guests came dressed to impress to celebrate exceptional leadership, equity, and innovation across Calgary’s corporate landscape.  

The gala serves not only as a night of recognition but as a crucial driver for fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment across Calgary’s business landscape.  

“This gala has evolved into a movement,” said Nuvyn Peters, CEO of Axis Connects. “Gathering Calgary’s top professionals under one roof isn’t just about celebrating the milestones of our honourees, it’s about setting a new, higher standard for what leadership looks like in this city.”  

Axis Connects Co-founder and Board Chair, Heather Culbert, echoed this sentiment in her opening remarks, stating, “We’re on a mission to advance gender equity in Calgary’s business community – not someday, not slowly, but now.”  

An Evening of Surprises, Laughter, and Celebration 

The night was expertly guided by our emcee, two-time Olympic speed skater, Olympic & Paralympic Host and Calgary native, Anastasia Bucsis. She kept the crowd engaged and inspired throughout the night, bringing her trademark warmth and wit to the stage. Guests were also treated to a spectacular surprise performance by The Tenors, which set up a dazzling tone for the post-event celebrations.  

As the evening progressed, the award presentations brought both inspiration and a touch of humour; provoking a little bank-on-bank friendly fire, keeping the audience laughing as various financial institutions took the stage to hand out the awards.  

Celebrating this year’s bold and brilliant leaders  

The true heart of the evening was honouring six extraordinary individuals who have made profound contributions to their respective industries and the broader community. The 2026 CIWB Award recipients are: 

• • • Small/Medium Enterprise: Lara Murphy, Co-founder, President & CEO, Calgary WildFC; Founder & Owner, Ryan Murphy Construction Inc. 
    • Social Enterprise: Saifa Koonar, President & CEO, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. 
    • Professional Services: Valerie Prather, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP. 
    • Large Enterprise: Tara Lockyer, Chief People, Culture, Brand and Communications Officer, ATB Financial. 
    • Male Champion: Vern Yu, President & CEO, AltaGas Ltd. 
    • Lifetime Achievement: Bonnie DuPont, Independent Director and President, DuPont Consulting.  

Accepting the final award of the evening, DuPont was met with a venue-wide standing ovation honouring her incredible legacy and impact. 

As the 2026 recipients took the stage, they offered words of wisdom, advice, and insight into their inspiring journeys. To experience the energy of the night, relive the highlights, and hear directly from our incredible speakers and honourees, watch the official 2026 CIWB Awards recap video below: 

Keeping the Momentum Going 

The awards may have ended, but the energy stayed at an all-time high. Guests celebrated well into the night at our post-event reception, fueled by a dynamic performance from DJ Joanna Magik and Kate Stevens.

The CIWB Awards Gala is just the beginning. Axis Connects drives momentum year-round to advance gender equity in Calgary’s corporate landscape. We invite you to join us in the movement! Visit axisconnects.com to become a member, explore our career development programs, get involved in upcoming events like our 2026 Stampede Round Up, and nominate an inspiring leader for the 2027 CIWB Awards. 

In our last newsletter, we opened the floor to hear insights and reflections from this year’s International Women’s Day. After looking through the common threads, we’ve synthesized the key takeaways that resonated most.

What was the most impactful thing you have heard, learned, or experienced this International Women’s Day so far?

• Sharing your perspective while you are still in the middle of the learning process or figuring things out is actually more relatable for others and keeps you human. You don’t always have to have everything figured out.
• Learn to advocate for yourself as loudly as you do for others.
• Careers are rarely a straight line, and the quiet periods of growth are often just as important as the big, visible milestones.
• Understanding the critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, while a mentor talks to you, a sponsor talks about you in rooms you haven’t entered yet.
• Building a Personal Board of Directors around you: a group of trusted voices who know your aspirations and can offer the right support or a bit of inspiration when you need it most.
• Define success on your own terms rather than letting the corporate ladder or societal expectations define you.
• Network when you don’t actually need anything, so that you have a foundation of support when you finally do.

In a world where we all juggle and give so much, how do you plan to keep this momentum alive in a way that feels sustainable?

• Remembering that everyone is on their own unique journey with invisible challenges; giving grace, understanding, and kindness to both ourselves and those around us.
• Reframing rest as a productive part of the work cycle rather than a luxury or something we only do once we’ve hit burnout.
• Finding time for the things you love, or better yet, integrating those small moments of joy into your daily life so they aren’t always being pushed to the back burner.

What is a favourite quote, book, podcast, or resource (by or about women) that you’d love to share with our community?

• “The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun!” – Shania Twain
• Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez for anyone wanting to understand the hidden gaps in our daily systems.
• Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast, specifically the episodes on rethinking how we network and how to find more joy in our routines.
• The First, the Few, the Only by Deepa Purushothaman for a powerful look at how to navigate and lead in corporate spaces from a unique perspective.
• The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart, which offers a great deep dive into why women are still taken less seriously in professional environments.
• The Dare to Lead podcast by Brené Brown, which has been a staple for many of us learning to lead with more courage and empathy.
• Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke, which provides a fresh perspective on knowing when to walk away from a project or role that is no longer serving you.
• Harvard Business Review: IdeaCast episodes that feature female leaders discussing how they navigated pivot points in their careers.

Every year, we pause to reflect on the work we’ve done, the progress we’ve made, and the impact we’ve created together.

This year’s report highlights the measurable outcomes of our programs, partnerships, and advocacy. It showcases the stories behind the numbers, the people behind the progress, and the momentum we’re carrying into the year ahead. Most importantly, it demonstrates how our mission is translating into real change in our community.

Thank you for your support of Axis in 2025, and we look forward to an amazing 2026!

Read the 2025 Year In Review Here

Dr. Scott Tinker kicked off the day with a fireside chat moderated by Canada Powered by Women CEO Tracey Bodnarchuk. They explored the moral importance of energy access, energy’s connection to economic empowerment, and the role Canadian energy can play in strengthening global security and opportunity.

Vassy Kapelos, CTV’s Chief Political Correspondent, offered honesty, humour, and fierce intelligence to her keynote and fireside chat.

“Vassy was by far the best part of the whole day — her candidness and vulnerability in discussing leadership, her experiences, and the consequences of them were truly inspiring and thought-provoking. Those are the types of conversations that can’t be easily found, but are among the most valuable” – forum attendee.

The morning breakout sessions were absolutely packed!

Leaders filled every room to dive into today’s most urgent conversations, from power and influence (Joanna Shea) to AI bias (Danielle Gifford), to Alberta’s evolving economic landscape (Heather Exner-Pirot and Rob Roach).The afternoon breakout sessions sparked some of the most honest and impactful conversations of the day.

• Dr. Erin Brennand and Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc reframed leadership through the lens of women’s biology and life transitions.
• Geoff Bertram (TD Securities) and Marnie Smith (Russell Reynolds) shared candid stories from high-stakes environments where trust, clarity, and resilience matter most.
• And in a packed room, Judith Athaide and Sue MacKenzie pulled back the curtain on what really happens inside the boardroom, strategy, service, and evolution.
  

In the afternoon, Hetty Pye (Russell Reynolds Associates) took us into The Artemis Effect: Redefining Succession Pipelines for the Future. From systemic bias to the future of CEO succession, she brought bold truth, clarity, and actionable insight. Her talk was recorded live as part of the Quiet Part Out Loud podcast.

Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada, closed off the day, sharing his insights on diversity as a driver of growth, AI and the future of work, and how inclusive leadership has shaped culture and engagement at Deloitte.

The day concluded with a networking reception sponsored by TC Energy.

Thank you to everyone who made this incredible day possible: the speakers, moderators, sponsors, market vendors, volunteers and guests. We cannot wait to see you at the next one!

Missed out on this year’s forum? Become an Axis member today, and get the news first for future events.

Every guest on The Quiet Part Out Loud brings their own wisdom – and their own favorite reads. Over time, we’ve built an incredible reading list full of leadership classics, inspiring memoirs, and unexpected gems. This page is your go-to resource for every book our guests have recommended. Bookmark it and come back often – we update it after each new episode!

Guest-Recommended Books

Leadership & Personal Growth

• • • The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

    • How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

    • The Wealthy Barber – David Chilton

    • The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek

    • Anything by Brené Brown

    • Let Them – Mel Robbins

Business, Strategy & Ideas

• • • How to Succeed – Malcolm Gladwell

    • Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand

    • Poet’s Café – Historical fiction (current guest favorite)

Inspiration & Escapism

• • • The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks

    • The Red Tent – Anita Diamant

    • Oh, the Places You’ll Go – Dr. Seuss

    • Memoirs by Rick Mercer, Mindy Kaling & more

Why We Love This List
These books have sparked ideas, shifted perspectives, and comforted our guests through challenges. Whether you’re a CEO, an emerging leader, or simply a curious reader, you’ll find something here to grow your mindset and refresh your spirit.

🎧 Listen to The Quiet Part Out Loud for the stories behind these books and new recommendations every episode.