Category: Community News

A Leader Rooted in Purpose

For Shelley, leadership is not just about results—it’s about people. She believes that success comes from creating an environment where individuals can thrive. “People come to work every day to do their best, and my role as a leader is to help them become the best version of themselves.” From her early days in the industry, Shelley recognized that real leadership isn’t about molding people into a single vision; it’s about empowering them to discover their own strengths and potential.

In her current role as Senior Vice President of Operational Improvement & Support Services at Suncor Energy, Shelley leads global teams with a philosophy rooted in trust, collaboration, and a deep sense of purpose. “At work, we need to be tough on issues, not on people. My job is to help people flourish and be successful based on what they can do.”

Strength Through Adversity

The defining moments of Shelley’s career weren’t the easy ones—they were the challenges that tested her resilience. “The moments that have mattered most in my career were often the toughest ones—those times when you just want them to be over. But looking back, they were when I learned the most and grew the most.”

Shelley embraces adversity as an opportunity to grow, believing that the hardest experiences often lay the foundation for future success. “Storms make trees grow deeper roots.” That mindset shapes her leadership journey and fuels her commitment to continuously evolve and challenge herself.

The Power of Sponsorship and Mentorship

Throughout her career, Shelley has championed the next generation of leaders, recognizing that mentorship alone isn’t enough—sponsorship is just as critical. “Mentorship has been incredibly important to me, but sponsorship is what has helped me advance. Who is putting your name forward behind closed doors? Who is advocating for you when you’re not in the room?”

Shelley ensures that the support she received throughout her journey is paid forward. Whether in the boardroom, the workplace, or the community, she is intentional about creating opportunities for others to step up, be seen, and thrive.

A Commitment to Community

Shelley’s leadership extends far beyond the corporate world. She sits on the board of trustees for the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the board of directors of Canada Powered by Women. Shelley also previously served as the chair of Keyano College’s board of governors and the board of directors at the Wood Buffalo Community Foundation. She is passionate about education, mentorship, and creating opportunities for future generations. “I love the volunteer work I do because it allows me to give back using the skills I’ve built over the years. It’s about making a difference where it matters most.”

Her dedication to community service reflects her belief that leadership is not just about driving business success—it’s about creating lasting impact.

Empowering the Next Generation

For Shelley, one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership is inspiring young women to step outside their comfort zones. “Push yourself into areas that scare you, the ones you’re not sure you can walk into, because those are the spaces you’ll grow the most. Take that step, be bold, and make it happen. You are awesome—just keep going.”

Her own career path has been anything but linear. “Thirty years ago, I started at a refinery in Sarnia as a process operator with a flashlight and a pipe wrench. I had no idea that some of the best lessons of my career were happening right then.” Her story is a testament to the power of taking risks, embracing challenges, and being open to unexpected opportunities.

 A Vision for the Future

As Shelley looks ahead, she is more committed than ever to making lasting impacts. “These days, I want to work on things that are bigger than me. I want to impact the system, to move the needle, not just tinker at the edges of problems.” Her leadership is driven by a desire to create change that goes beyond individual success—one that benefits industries, communities, and future generations.

Her philosophy is simple: work should be meaningful, relationships should be genuine, and learning should never stop. “Life is way too short to be miserable at work every day.” She thrives on collaboration, surrounding herself with people who challenge and inspire her, knowing that the best ideas come from working together.

A Legacy of Impact

Shelley Powell’s leadership is defined by resilience, generosity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. As she continues to break barriers, mentor others, and give back, she leaves a legacy that extends far beyond her own accomplishments. “I really hope awards like this normalize the success and achievements of women. We should celebrate each other, cheer each other on, and make this the norm.”

Shelley’s journey is proof that leadership is not just about where you end up—it’s about how you lead, who you lift up along the way, and the impact you leave behind. Please join us in celebrating Shelley Powell, a leader who embodies courage, purpose, and heart.

Her philosophy is simple: work should be meaningful, relationships should be genuine, and learning should never stop. “Life is way too short to be miserable at work every day.” She thrives on collaboration, surrounding herself with people who challenge and inspire her, knowing that the best ideas come from working together.

About Axis Connects
Axis Connects is changing leadership. From the c-suite to the boardroom, we support and accelerate the advancement and recognition of gender diversity throughout our business community. We believe that gender diversity at the leadership table matters. Through Axis Connects’ programs, workshops, networks, and events, we support women in their journey towards leadership positions and professional potential. www.axisconnects.com

About the Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) Awards
The Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) Awards recognize the incredible business leaders advancing women and diverse professionals in Calgary. Honourees were chosen based on their professional accomplishments, advocating for advancing women, influence, and business community involvement. The CIWB Awards recognizes five outstanding female business leaders and one male champion for women in Calgary and celebrates their accomplishments.

“Women are even more increasingly determined to support one another and to champion each other; to believe we can do anything, be anything. Now, when you look at the streetscape, especially in this remarkable city of Calgary, and the quality of entrepreneurs, women are everywhere. We are making a massive difference, and it is no longer a man’s boardroom. It is an equal-opportunity world, and you have to believe that and hold it true and operate in the world, today, like that.” – Allison Grafton 

At the Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards, we celebrate the leaders in our community who are helping advance women in business and leading the charge for diversity in the workplace. This year, we are honoured to present Allison Grafton with the Small and Medium Enterprise Award, recognizing her trailblazing work establishing a luxury custom home-building company while championing other women to rise into leadership roles.  

Before becoming the founder and sole owner of Rockwood Custom Homes, Allison Grafton was an investment banker. In 2009, she decided to take the leap and change careers. She felt ready to run her own company and was inspired to find ways to improve the residential construction industry. 

“When you see an opportunity to make an industry better, to be one of the leading people, it’s not going to be easy; it’s going to be really, really hard because 95 per cent of people don’t want to change,” she says. And it’s with hard work that Grafton has grown Rockwood Custom Homes into a team of 35 employees collaborating with over 500 contractors. 

Taking Risks With Guidance 

“I really hope that women look to myself and other women who are thriving and making a difference in their industry and community, knowing that the risk is worth taking when you’re going to have significant growth. You never truly know if you can or if it’s going to be a success, but never let that stop you.” 

Grafton is a risk taker, but she listens to her gut instincts for guidance. She also trusts and values her mentors, who help ensure her decisions are balanced and thoughtful.   

“If you can listen to mentors, you’re going to do really well. You don’t have to listen to exactly what they tell you to do, but you must listen to their words of wisdom around how you might do better.”  

Values to Carry You Through  

“Honesty, integrity, accountability: those are really the key values that make a massive difference in being an exceptional leader and making a change in any level of industry.” 

Grafton knows the world of an entrepreneur is ever-changing, and what once worked may not always work. Though pivoting is necessary, she advises aspiring entrepreneurs to keep their values intact throughout the journey. As a mentor to many women, her advice is simple: work hard and believe in your success.  

“Anybody can make a difference with their ingenuity, intelligence, work ethic, loyalty and courage.” 

Grafton sees the importance of giving back, too. She’s sat on various boards and been involved with different organizations and initiatives, like YW Calgary and the Dress for Success program at the Making Changes Association. She supports various youth mental health initiatives at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and the Fraser Institute and contributes to multiple foundations.  

 A Woman of Influence in Calgary 

“To be a woman of influence in the city of Calgary is remarkable, as it’s a city of women who are remarkably intelligent and independent.”  

 Grafton says she’s honoured to receive the Small and Medium Enterprise Award and that it comes with immense responsibility to continue on the path she’s forging. With her exceptional leadership in business and involvement in youth mental initiatives and women’s organizations, there is no doubt she will continue to make a difference in Calgary and beyond. 

Please join us in celebrating Grafton’s outstanding contributions to business and her efforts to support and inspire women on their journey to success.  

Looking Back and Looking Forward

In 1975, March 8 was designated as International Women’s Day. Now, 50 years later, we look at the impact of the annual celebration and acknowledge the work still to do.

International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a century, originating back to 1911. In 1975, the United Nations designated March 8 as its official date, marking the start of the Decade of the Woman. That same year, newspaper headlines featured the Why Not? campaign, calling attention to the lack of women in the workplace and unequal pay between men and women.

Since then, we’ve seen some changes: the Government of Canada appointed a gender equity task force to look at creating a more equitable pay system, and the gender wage gap slowly decreased. Rates of women in the workplace have increased: female representation has increased at every work level in the past decade, and 29 per cent of C-suite leaders are women.

For decades, activists have called for advancements in women’s rights, and there’s been some progress, and we’ve witnessed change in our city here in Calgary, too.

Celebrating Calgary’s memorable moments

Calgary has a long history of women breaking the mould and helping pave the way for the future of young girls. Women’s rights activist Nellie McClung, and member of the Famous 5, lived in Calgary and was instrumental in having women recognized as persons in 1929.

Fifty years ago, when IWD was given its official annual date, Calgary was in the thick of second-wave feminism; exciting things were happening. Virnetta Anderson, the first Black person to serve on Calgary City Council, had just been elected. She was one of four women on Council from 1974 to 1977, a significant increase from the previous term where Barb Scott was the sole woman. 

From a political standpoint, Calgary has seen many exciting firsts. In 2021, Calgary elected Jyoti Gondek, its first female mayor, and that same year, a record number of women ran for Council.

Both the big and small wins can, and should, be celebrated, however, women still make 84 cents for every man’s dollar and we are less likely to be promoted. There continues to be a lack of female representation in senior-level leadership roles as well as in politics — there have been more men named John who have sat on Calgary Council than women.

Keep your on the gas

According to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report, full parity for all women in the workplace is approximately 50 years away, so there’s still work to do. As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, it’s worth examining how we can continue to promote equal rights and opportunities.

For leaders, you can consider if your workplace is actively working against cultures of sexual harassment and microaggressions positioned at women. Are you placing unfair expectations on women to take on unpaid work? Do you provide adequate parental leave and flexibility for working parents? Do you provide opportunities and programs for women’s advancement?

Career advancement programs for women have decreased, yet we still need them. More women have bachelor’s degrees than men, yet make up the minority of entry-level positions. Not to mention, Alberta’s gender pay gap is among the largest in the country.

Collectively, we must all keep working towards an equitable future for women and create impactful change, just as we have done for the last 50 years.

Join Axis as we continue to work towards women’s advancement in the workplace. Become a member today.

A lifetime of achievement

Foulkes spent two decades as a geologist before transitioning into investment banking, where she shifted towards a more strategic approach to leadership and governance. Currently, she serves on the boards of Chord Energy and Pine Cliff Energy. She also founded the Canadian platform for Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., a U.S.-based energy investment bank, and continues to serve as a senior advisor to the firm.

A firm believer in education and the power to inspire through teaching, Foulkes is vice chair of Let’s Talk Science, a STEM outreach education organization that works to develop skills in Canadian youth. Foulkes is a proud mother of three daughters, she’s executed and advised on billion-dollar client transactions, been the only woman in a C-suite position at Penn West Exploration, and still finds time to advance the pipeline of future talent in the energy sector through mentorship and coaching.

“I don’t spend a lot of time mentoring people who want to know how to get to the next level in an organization and whose focus is on getting the next promotion. I focus much more on the underpinnings: the self-discovery, managing one’s life, the ups and the downs and setting the stage for whatever choices people want to make,” says Foulkes. “It’s not about providing advice so much as it is very similar to a board where you’re asking illuminating questions. That’s really the approach I have to the mentorship that I provide. It’s just such a rewarding part of my life, and I learn so much from it, as well.”

The leader within

Foulkes’ believes leadership is most impactful when everyone on her team can embrace a collective vision and recognize their part, no matter where they are in the organization. Her business philosophy prioritizes bringing people together for the better.

“People thrive in an environment where they see opportunity. They see a way to contribute, they understand their accountabilities, and they want to be successful for themselves and their families.”

Foulkes is focused on the early stages of the career pipeline, believing this is where we need strong female leaders to help pave a clearer path.

“If there isn’t a recognition of all the microaggressions that take place and all of the areas where women’s careers can be thwarted by less effective leadership, then we cut off the pipeline of potential leaders too early,” she says. “Removing the barriers, for younger people in the industry, or in any industry or corporation, is about teaching leadership throughout the organization so that every level understands that they are leaders.”

As our 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner, Foulkes is devoted to helping advance women in the workplace and believes we’re better off for it. Now, more than ever, Foulkes believes in the need to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

“When we are with people who are exactly like us, we don’t make good decisions and we don’t inspire innovation. Sometimes, instead of seeing talent, we see just difference, and that’s almost human nature. It can be overcome, but it is human nature. So why would we not recognize that we have to continue to evolve in our understanding of talent?”

Please join us in celebrating Hilary Foulkes and her lifetime commitment to advancing women in business.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Hilary Foulkes, Board Member, Chord Energy & Pine Cliff Energy; Senior Advisor, TPH Canada; Vice-Chair, Let’s Talk Science

Hilary Foulkes is a trailblazer in the energy sector, known for her resilience and adaptability. From geologist to corporate governance leader, she has been a strong advocate for mentorship, diversity, and community involvement. Notably, she’s mentored over 25 women in the industry and supported causes like Let’s Talk Science. Her journey, shaped by perseverance and a commitment to giving back, makes her an inspiring role model for future leaders.

Large Enterprise Award

Shelley Powell, SVP, Operations Improvement & Support Services, Suncor

With a remarkable 30-year career in the oil and gas sector, Shelley’s journey from process operator at Suncor to senior vice president demonstrates the power of resilience and embracing challenges. She encourages young women to push boundaries and prioritize self-care.

Small/Medium Enterprise Award

Allison Grafton, President & Founder, Rockwood Custom Homes

As the president of Rockwood Custom Homes, Allison is a bold leader who emphasizes integrity, mentorship, and staying true to your values. She is deeply committed to supporting fellow entrepreneurs and pushing the limits of what’s possible in Calgary’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Professional Services Award

Alison Jackson, Managing Partner, EY Calgary

Managing partner at EY, Alison is passionate about advancing diversity and coaching women to achieve their full potential. She believes that leadership requires authenticity and a commitment to creating inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.

Social Enterprise Award

Sue Tomney, CEO, YW Calgary

As CEO of YW Calgary, Sue has helped grow the organization into a sustainable social enterprise. Her leadership is grounded in integrity, curiosity, and humility, and she has played a key role in raising over $53M to support women and families in need.

Male Champion Award

David Smith, Retired CEO, Keyera Corp.; Director, Advantage Energy Ltd. & Wajax Corp.

A long-time advocate for women in business, David’s work at Keyera Corp has led to 50% female representation on its senior executive team. His commitment to diversity and inclusion has made a lasting impact, and he believes building diverse teams makes us all stronger.

This article is filled with incredible stories of determination, leadership, and the drive to make a positive impact. These award winners’ achievements are shaping Calgary’s business landscape, and their journeys will inspire you to embrace change and lead with purpose.

Go check out the full article in Business in Calgary to read more about these exceptional leaders and their groundbreaking work!

When it comes to our mental health, knowing specifically what we’re experiencing can be helpful so we can get better. But the symptoms of burnout, stress and depression so often overlap. Someone can feel severely overwhelmed and not necessarily be struggling with burnout. The same goes for the physical symptoms associated with burnout, like fatigue,
headaches or insomnia. It can be hard to identify the root cause of our issues — so how can we tell if we are facing burnout?

Burnout is an ongoing deep state of exhaustion. It often inhibits feelings of accomplishment and enjoyment — especially at work, as it typically derives from prolonged work-related stress. For women in leadership, it can be easy to ignore signs of burnout or dismiss them as something else, especially when they feel external pressure to keep pushing forward, even when symptoms arise.

Dr. Valerie Taylor is the department head of psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine. As an expert with extensive experience in how mental health relates to the body, she knows the intricacies of burnout and how it shows up. The issue is that the symptoms of burnout can just as easily be signs of a different underlying cause.

As a starting point, Taylor suggests getting any physical symptoms, like weight loss, pain or cognitive changes, checked out by a physician to rule out any medical concerns. There’s no use in assuming your sudden changes in appetite and sleep patterns are linked to burnout when they may need to be uniquely addressed.

On the other hand, people often think depression is the cause of burnout when, in reality, it’s more often the opposite, explains Taylor. It’s a little trickier to decipher the root cause, but Taylor explains burnout is more situational, whereas depression is less so, affecting more areas of your life and going as far as causing thoughts of self-harm.

It’s difficult yet vital to identify exactly what you’re experiencing in order to find the right treatment and solutions to heal. Taylor suggests revisiting what you’re feeling through a new lens.

“I often try to tell people, ‘If you saw the symptoms that you’re experiencing or the things that you’re feeling in your friends, what would you do?’ Often, that type of self-reflection can be helpful,” she says.

To help you find out if you’re struggling with burnout, the Mayo Clinic offers the following questions to consider.

• • • Do you question the value of your work?
    • Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
    • Do you feel removed from your work and the people you work with?
    • Have you lost patience with co-workers, customers or clients?
    • Do you lack the energy to do your job well?
    • Is it hard to focus on your job?
    • Do you feel little satisfaction from what you get done?
    • Do you feel let down by your job?
    • Do you doubt your skills and abilities?
    • Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to numb how you feel
    • Have your sleep habits changed?
    • Do you have headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints with no known cause?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, consider the possibility of burnout. Examine your work environment and reflect on whether that may be the cause of any of the above issues. Get a doctor to check your physical symptoms to rule out any different medical or mental health issues.

“Pay attention to your pain. If you don’t feel well, try to understand where that’s coming from, whether or not there’s another underlying physical cause, or if something is going on within your work environment or home environment. Don’t push it off and try to white-knuckle your way through it. That has rarely worked,” affirms Taylor.

Join the discussion on how burnout shows up in professional women. Become a member today.

With International Women’s Day around the corner, women are asked to organize galas, celebrations and fundraisers, adding more to their workload of unpaid tasks.

Every year, March 8 marks International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates the achievements of women and girls in social, economic, cultural and political climates, and calls to accelerate gender equity. IWD dates back to the 1900s as a way to fight for women’s rights. We’ve come a long way since then: women gained the right to vote, shattered many glass ceilings in male-dominated fields, and have more equality in legislative rights — celebrating these achievements is valuable. But behind the celebration, there’s a hidden cost for women.

Emotional labour and unpaid work

It’s important to acknowledge how far women have come and how far we have yet to go, but IWD events tend not to dig that deep. And sometimes, these events can feel performative — think of the companies who host a special day for women yet continue to have a gender pay gap and tolerate a work culture that is dismissive toward women. The cherry on top of these once-a-year events? Women are usually the ones asked to organize them.

The weight and responsibility of planning IWD often falls on the shoulders of women. Across the board, women make up the majority of those who take on unpaid work. Think of social committees, school volunteers and gala organizers: women tend to take on those roles, and this is largely due to a volunteering history from when most women did not hold paid positions. Yet now that most women are in the workforce, the expectation to take on additional, unpaid responsibilities remains.

Companies will often ask female panellists to speak without pay, female employees to organize an IWD gala outside of working hours or ask the women in the office to brainstorm ideas on what the company can do.

It’s time to revisit how we celebrate and advance women and make sure it’s causing more good than harm.

How can we celebrate differently this year?

This IWD, ensure the way you or your company celebrates does not bring more unwanted work to women. And know that the responsibility to plan and organize an event doesn’t have to fall on you if you’re the one being asked. This year, alleviate the emotional labour some women have to carry and celebrate in useful ways. Some Calgary-based companies, like Toast — a member collective for women in tech — are even going as far as sitting this IWD out.

Celebrate women in your circle. Instead of sharing a trending Instagram post everyone has seen, make your declarations more personal and intentional. If you feel like making a statement online, make sure it’s attached to action, like donating to organizations that help advance women’s rights and successes. In the workplace, women want equal pay and healthy work cultures. Ask your employees what they need or what could help them. Revisit company policies. Find the gaps and start closing them.

Join Axis in helping promote women in the workplace. Become a member today.

Women make up slightly above 50 per cent of Canada’s population, yet we are still far from equal political representation.

Historically, there were no women’s washrooms near the House of Commons. Originally, political spaces were never imagined as rooms where women would be welcome. And while women have made great strides in the political landscape today, the gap in women in politics remains.

Sarah Elder, owner of Madame Premier and podcast host of The Briefing Note, has an extensive political background, having worked as a research officer and assistant to various municipal ministers. She knows firsthand the lack of representation of women in political discussions as someone who has been, at times, the only woman in the room.

Elder explains that fundraising for a campaign is one of the biggest barriers to elected positions in politics. Beyond funding, professional background and the perception of unpaid work act as barriers, too.

“If there are two people in front of you, and you ask them both, ‘What do you do?’ One of them says, I’m an accountant at an oil and gas company,’ and the other says, I’m a stay-at-home mom,’ and they both want to run for office. Who do you think people would naturally turn towards as being thought of as a more qualified candidate?” asks Elder. It’s the standard to dismiss women who have taken a career break to take on domestic responsibilities without ever acknowledging the possibility that she may have extensive political expertise.

The Glass Cliff

An additional phenomenon that affects women, and one we are currently seeing in today’s Canadian political landscape, is the Glass Cliff. The Glass Cliff happens when a woman is put in a leadership position at a time of crisis or uncertainty where failure can be imminent. Following Trudeau’s resignation, three women have entered the race to become the next Liberal Party leader.

“They would inherit the crisis, turmoil and everything that Justin Trudeau is leaving in his legacy and his departure from politics, coupled with the precariousness of being in a minority government and, almost immediately after, going into a federal election, where the outcome of that election and the future of the Federal Liberal Party is really uncertain,” explains Elder.

The issue is not that women can lead in difficult times; it’s what happens after the circumstances cause her not to succeed. Also, it’s worth asking ourselves why women are called on in times of crisis and ultimately set up to fail.

“We want women to lead and be political leaders in a good time, not just a bad time, when their chances of failure are high, because who comes up after them in the vacuum of leadership? Typically, a man.”

Elder explains that when a woman fails in the eyes of the public, it’s easy to look past the circumstances she took on and only see a lack of qualifications or skill. Plus, it sets up an unfair, yet common, argument to say that a man in power has always worked before; therefore, we should return to it, albeit once the woman has cleaned up the mess.

Participating for change

Before 1918, women did not have the right to vote, and even then, it was exclusionary for certain women. “Women had to fight for the right to vote and to be considered persons under the law in Canada,” says Elder.

Today, some overlook the fight for that right; only 68.5 per cent of women voted in the general 2019 election. At just over 50 per cent of Canada’s population, women make up the majority, and in a numbers game, there’s a lot of power in the majority.

“There is a huge diversity of thought and political belief within that percentage, which is absolutely fundamental to healthy democracy,” says Elder. “What we also have in there is a huge opportunity, as women, to shift policy.”

If women rallied together, no matter their political stance, and became more involved in politics — whether through elected roles, voting involvement or advocating for more participation — the impact would be significant.

With more women at the table, policy-making includes more voices and creates effective change in policies that affect everyone. “All of a sudden, the conversation changes when you have possibly even just one person at the table who has a different lived experience,” says Elder.

Don’t miss more conversations on women in leadership. Become a member today.