Zulema Ruiz, BSc. Industrial engineering, PMP

Zulema is a creative and multilingual Industrial Engineer with experience in Lean Manufacturing, Continous Improvement and Quality Control. She is a true beleiever that dreams are the driving force behind every achievement.

She is also passionate about mental health and wellbeing, and a certified mental health first aid responder.

Zulema is our Master of Ceremonies in Edmonton at WES 2023!

Carla Morris, P.Eng.

Carla Morris is the Director of Natural Gas Pipeline Projects at TC Energy, responsible for the implementation on natural gas pipeline projects across Canada. As an energy problem solver, she works with stakeholders, rightsholders and industry partners across Canada to ensure the safe, responsible development and construction of critical energy infrastructure projects in Canada.

Carla studied Petroleum Engineering at the University of Alberta and holds certifications with the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering and as an Actuary with the Society of Actuaries.

Carla has been with TC Energy for over 20 years, working across the company’s North American footprint in a variety of roles from Project Development and Supply Chain to Risk Management and Operations. Over the years she has built a reputation as a team builder and problem solver with a passion for safety and innovation.

Carla is a cis-gendered, neurodiverse, Metis woman who loves travel, family and competitive weightlifting. She is devoted to advocating for mental health and diversity and inclusion in the energy industry through both her work and personal volunteer activities.

Doug Piquette, B.Sc. Psychology

Doug Piquette is the Executive Director of the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC). Doug has been with ERIEC for 15 years and in that time has worked to establish, manage and advance the strategic priorities and direction of this Edmonton based organization.
Doug brings a breadth of diverse experience to ERIEC previously working for over 30 years in project design and management in the community economic development field. Doug also spent several years project managing community economic development projects in South America assisting to facilitate community processes for diverse community stakeholders groups.
Doug is a founding and current board member of the Edmonton Business Diversity Network (EBDN) and the past Chair of the Workforce Development and Attraction Committee with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
Doug holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Victoria, certificates in Economic Development from the University of Waterloo and in Executive Leadership from the University of Alberta. He is also the recipient of the Queens Platinum Jubilee Medal. Doug works fluently in both Spanish and English.

Jill Chesley, B.A. Psychology, MA Intercultural Relations

Jill Chesley is the Diversity and Inclusion Lead, Employee Services for the City of Edmonton. She brings domestic and international experience and over 20 years of experience in the non-profit, private and public sectors, including working in the USA, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Afghanistan. Jill has subject-matter expertise in the fields of intercultural competence, equity, diversity and inclusion, particularly in large, complex organizations.
Jill’s competencies include strategy and policy development, design and delivery of training, program development and coordination, as well as employee engagement via vehicles such as diversity & inclusion committees, employee resource networks, and mentoring programs. At the City of Edmonton, Jill is responsible for the development and implementation of The Art of Inclusion: Our Diversity & Inclusion Framework. She leads the Corporate D&I Advisory Committee, and advises each department D&I Committee. Jill also oversees the implementation of Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) at the City.
Prior to her role at the City of Edmonton, Jill was the Team Lead, Diversity & Inclusion at Enbridge. Jill has a MA in Intercultural Relations. She is the Founding Chair of the Edmonton Business Diversity Network and the National Municipal D&I Network. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and a Senior Facilitator of Personal Leadership ©.

Andrea Marciales, M.Sc., P.Eng.

Andrea Marciales is a Corrosion Engineer with Innotech Alberta. She holds a Master degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia, South America. Andrea is skilled in applied research for internal corrosion in pipelines, heavy crude oil, petroleum/reservoir engineering and solvent injection. She is an P.Eng. registered with APEGA since October 2022 after following the new procedure of 22 competencies for the P.Eng. application process. She is a mentor for many colleagues who are also applying for their P.Eng. and has collected many lessons learned.

Carmen Lee Essington, P.Geo., Ph.D.

As Vice-President, Oil Sands Operations, Carmen leads Cenovus’s oil sands operations including the company’s Foster Creek, Christina Lake and Sunrise assets.
She is responsible for the oversight of safe operations and delivery on production commitments.
Carmen brings over 20 years of experience working in the oil and gas industry in oil sands development and operations. She began her career in mining exploration and has extensive knowledge in managing and developing oil sands assets as well as expertise in subsurface development and reservoir characterization. Before joining Cenovus in 2021, Carmen worked at Husky Energy for 13 years and held increasingly
senior roles including Vice-President, Oil Sands, where she was responsible for leading the development and operations of Husky’s oil sands assets.
Carmen holds a PhD in Sedimentology from the University of Reading, England and a Bachelor of Science (Geology) from the University of Calgary. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.

André McDonald, PhD, BS Law, PEng, CEng, PE, FASM, FIMMM, FIMechE

Dr. André McDonald is currently the Associate Vice President (Strategic Research Initiatives and Performance) and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. He received his BSME in 2001 and his MSME in 2002 from the City College of New York. He was awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2007, under a collaborative research program with the National Research Council Canada in Boucherville, Québec. Dr. McDonald has nearly twenty years of experience in the fabrication, development, and performance assessment of thermal- and cold-sprayed coatings. His current research involves the development of multi-functional coatings that provide wear and erosion resistance, heating, and structural health monitoring to a variety of structures. Modelling work to predict and analyze the performance of coatings is a focal feature of his research program. In addition to peer-reviewed scientific articles, Dr. McDonald has published a textbook on the practical design of thermo-fluids systems, a manual for thermal spraying for the Oil & Gas industry, several book chapters on thermal-sprayed coatings, and numerous industry reports. He has received several awards including the Jules Stachiewicz Medal from the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering for Heat Transfer, Fellow of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Fellow of ASM, Fellow of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Mentorship Award from the Faculty of Engineering (University of Alberta), and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta’s Early Accomplishment Award. He holds Professional Engineer licenses in Canada (Alberta) and the United States (California) and is a registered Chartered Engineer in the United Kingdom. Dr. McDonald has trained nearly 100 students, fellows, and research associates in the areas of thermal spraying and heat transfer. Among many other leadership contributions, he was chair of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Scholarships and Fellowships Selection Committee – Civil and Mechanical Engineering and is currently the Lead Editor of the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, Chairman of the Canadian Cold Spray Alliance, and Immediate Past President of the ASM Thermal Spray Society Board. He currently leads the Experiential Learning in Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ELITE) Program for Black Youth – an externally funded university-government-industry-community collaboration to support hands-on learning and work-integrated training of Black Youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and in entrepreneurship

Cathy Maniego, B.Sc.Eng, MBA

Cathy Maniego is a professional engineer and has been with the Government of Alberta for over 20 years. As Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Integration and Operations at Alberta Infrastructure, Cathy provides leadership and strategic direction in infrastructure policy, procurement, technical standards for vertical infrastructure, Federal/Provincial Relations, Continuous Improvement programs and department operations.
Prior to coming to Infrastructure, Cathy held roles in Municipal Affairs, Environment and Parks and Alberta Transportation, supporting municipalities, delivering on projects for flood mitigation and transportation planning, as well as developing policies and legislation for developments alongside provincial highways.

Jennifer Krochak, P.Eng., BAC, PMP

Jennifer is a collaborative leader with experience in strategy development, matrix management and team-building. She has delivered major projects from a range of stakeholder perspectives and for a variety of industries, most recently as the General Manager for the Southwest Calgary Ring Road P3 and Design Manager for the Northeast Anthony Henday Drive P3.
During her time at WSP, she has led the PMO for Transportation, driven Global projects standards development as VP, Global Project Delivery, and now serves as VP, Special Projects working for the Canadian CEO. In this role, Jennifer is an advisor, facilitator, and integrator for the Canadian Leadership Team, driving effective collaboration and decision making, and delivering on strategic projects.

Qiao Sun, Ph.D. M.Eng.

Dr. Qiao Sun is an established scholar, effective educator and leader. She has contributed to the field of multi-body systems modeling, control, and machinery fault diagnosis. She drives research that challenges assumptions and pushes performance boundaries in terms of precision, speed, and reliability. As an educator, she endeavors to create an inclusive space for all learners. As an academic administrator, she works to build bridges, foster understanding, and value differences with the goal to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in engineering and society at large. She is highly regarded nationally and internationally for her leadership and dedication to EDI.

Session Title: Saying YES, Fighting your inner critic to progress your career

Abstract: At times women in engineering self-doubt themselves despite their proven track record in technical and leadership roles. With over 17 years in increasingly complex roles in industry, Nicole is familiar with the “imposter syndrome”. In this candid conversation, she will reveal the strategies that work for her to silence her inner critic and progress her career.

Megha Sharma, P.Eng.

Megha Sharma holds a Chemical Engineering Degree (CPC Option) from the University of Alberta. She is a professional engineer and has experience working in a variety of engineering roles including refinery operations, project management, and research. She has a passion for advocating for increased representation of women in engineering by reducing systemic barriers in the profession. She is now pursuing a master’s in psychology to combine her passion for mental health with engineering in hopes to foster more inclusive environments for all in the field. She was recently featured in Edmonton’s Edify magazine as their Diversity Leader.

Session Title: Doug Piquette
Resilience and Perseverance when Pursuing your Professional Designation and other Lofty Career Goals in Canada

Abstract: ERIEC is an organization that helps immigrants in their career transition to Canada. This session will cover some of the biggest challenges their clients face, and several strategies that have worked for them to overcome these challenges. Other topics covered in the session will include the do’s the don’ts of finding success in Canada, and the attitudes one needs to manage the challenges of starting a new career in a new country. In summary, practical solutions will be shared to add to the resiliency and the perseverance already present in all immigrants. Special focus will be given to the topic of the 30 by 30 Initiative by Engineers Canada. This initiative is looking for thousands of immigrant women to Canada who already have their engineering and geoscience degrees from home back home, to pursue and obtain their P.Eng. or P.Geo. designations before the year 2030 in their respective provinces. Not only will the 30 by 30 initiative achieve the diversity goal, but also bring on huge business benefits to Canada. For that reason, this session would be ideal for immigrants, company leaders and employees.

Nicole Hynes (Hon.)

Nicole Hynes has worked for Suncor for eighteen years and is currently the Director of Operations Support in Refining & Logistics. In this role, she represents Downstream as the Business Improvement Lead and is accountable for prioritizing and standardizing the implementation of improvements and initiatives impacting Downstream assets. The R&L Ops Support team, reporting to Nicole, also includes accountabilities for Risk Management, Business Planning/ Capital Portfolio Management, and Fuel Quality.

Nicole’s prior experience includes progressive leadership roles in Process Engineering, Capital Development/ Portfolio Management, Learning & Competency, and Environment, Health & Safety.

Nicole grew up in Leamington, Ontario and attended the University of Western Ontario where he obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering (2003). She also holds a Masters of Business Administration with Natural Resources & Energy specialization from the University of Alberta (2009).

Like many women in engineering, at times she has second guessed her ability when recommended for a particular position. In this candid conversation she will talk to us about how she has managed to keep her doubts under control, overcome her own biases, and become her own ally.

Raymond Matthias, B.A. (Hon.)

Raymond Matthias holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Alberta, where he is currently employed as the Director of the Student Service Centre. Prior to this role, Raymond served as the Strategic Advisor to the Associate Dean of Outreach at the Faculty of Engineering. In this capacity, he played a significant part in promoting the first Women In Engineering Summit in 2018. Raymond’s previous positions also include Manager of Student Services at the Faculty of Engineering and International Student Specialist at the University of Alberta International Centre. With extensive administrative experience and advising skills, Raymond identifies himself as a post-secondary student services professional. Throughout students’ academic journeys, he has contributed in various capacities, from pre-arrival orientation to convocation. Raymond is also a professionally competent speaker of Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. He is currently an active member of the Club Bilingue d’Edmonton Toastmasters Club, where he is currently working on improving his French proficiency to better connect with francophone colleagues and students.

Session Title: An Ally’s Perspective on Finding Engineering Jobs for your P.Eng. Application, If New in the Canadian Job Market

Abstract: Engineering is one of the fields with the best economic prospects in Canada. However, it is a heavily regulated field, which means that you will need to be certified in your province to access jobs with higher levels of responsibility. Working as an engineer in Canada is a fantastic opportunity for foreign nationals and international students. Whether you were born in Canada or are an immigrant, if you would like to work as an engineer, it’s important to make a realistic assessment of your situation. This session will provide helpful advice on finding an engineering job in Canada before applying for your P.Eng. certification. You will learn many tips for searching for qualifying jobs, networking with fellow engineers, and, depending on your role and context, being hired as an engineer under the supervision of a regulated engineer or a P.Eng. For women, it can be a bigger challenge as they are a minority in the engineering industry, and therefore, the session will include advice with this in mind.

Kathy Baig, Ing, MBA, ASC, DHC, President of Engineers Canada

Kathy Baig is an engineer, currently Vice President of Positioning and Development, and Senior Director of Transportation, for Stantec in Montreal, Quebec. She graduated in chemical engineering from Polytechnique Montreal, and also in business administration from HEC Montreal. She has worked in engineering for more than 10 years in the private sector. She says that as Vice-President, she has the privilege of contributing to the influence and growth of the Stantec team in Quebec, in addition to leading a transportation team in the Montreal metropolitan area. Kathy was notably a project manager in infrastructure and construction at Aéroports de Montréal, and an engineer and project manager at IBM and Pyrogenesis. After three years of active involvement as a director, she was named vice-president and then elected president of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), a position she held from 2016 to 2022. Kathy is particularly proud of having contributed to restoring confidence in the engineering profession and promoting diversity in engineering, particularly among women and the next generation. Always committed to promoting the profession, Kathy is President of Engineers Canada, whose mission is to advance engineering through national collaboration

Session Title: Coming soon

Abstract: Coming soon.

Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve, P.Eng, M.Eng, PMP, DTM, FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve is a professional engineer, university professor, EDI champion, and a recently appointed Fellow of Engineers Canada. Before switching to academia, she worked at Enbridge managing petroleum pipeline projects for over 15 years eventually becoming Supervisor. Today, Claudia works in five different universities teaching engineering design, strategic leadership, and project management in both English and Spanish. In April 2019 she shared the APEGA Summit Award, as a Champion for Women in Engineering and Geoscience, with the CCWESTT (Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology) 2018 Steering Committee. Since 2017 she has been an elected member of the APEGA Council, being re-elected by the memberships many times. Finally, in 2022 she was named “Individual Leader of the 30 by 30 Initiative” by Engineers Canada which was announced at their annual 30 by 30 conference. She is also the Founder of WES, Women in Engineering Summit Ltd, whose mission is to support the 30 by 30 Initiative by Engineers Canada by sharing practical solutions to keeping women happy in engineering and geoscience jobs for life. Claudia was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her husband and their 3 children.

Session Title: How to Humble Brag in your P.Eng. or P.Geo. Application, and at Life, to Get Ahead

Abstract: We’ve all been there. We run into a very important person in our career at an event, and suddenly realize it is our turn to share things about our career. If only we could explain how amazing we are so that we can impress this important person and either get a job offer or a get a contract signed. But instead of speaking clearly, our mind is full of questions: What should I say? What does not sound stupid? Is bragging acceptable? Am I being too arrogant? And then this very important person for our career leaves and we realize we wasted a golden opportunity to advance in our career. For that reason, this session would be useful. It will break down the do’s and don’ts for how to “humble brag”. Yes, you heard that right, humble bragging is a thing. You will learn many tips to be able to speak about yourself, without sounding arrogant, but still achieving the goal of getting a job interview, a job offer, a promotion at work, or to help the 30 by 30 Initiative, to get your P.Eng. or P.Geo. application accepted.

Session Title: Empowering Internationally Trained Professional to Bridge the 30 by 30 Initiative Gap

Abstract: Coming soon

Jyoti Gondek, M.A, PhD Calgary Mayor

Prabjhote Kaur “Jyoti” Gondek is a Canadian politician in Alberta, Canada. On October 18, 2021, she was elected the 37th mayor of Calgary, becoming the first female mayor in the city’s history. Born in London, England, Gondek is the daughter of Indian Punjabi Sikh parents. She immigrated to Canada with her parents at age four, initially settling in Manitoba. Gondek pursued a bachelor’s degree in criminology and sociology from the University of Manitoba, where she worked as a policy analyst with the government of Manitoba before moving to Calgary, where she worked in sales and marketing for the Credit Union of Central Alberta. Gondek pursued a master’s degree in organizational sociology during a two-year stint at Greyhound. She founded a strategic planning and communications consultancy, Tick Consulting, while pursuing a PhD in urban sociology at the University of Calgary, where she also taught and eventually directed a real-estate studies initiative at the university’s Haskayne School of Business

Session Title: … Supporting Women for 30 by 30

Abstract: Put abstract of session here.

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Martha Vega-Smith, P.Eng.

Martha Vega-Smith holds a B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Venezuela where she started her professional career before moving to Canada in 2001. She successfully transitioned into senior technical and leadership roles in Pipeline Integrity, Management Systems and Enterprise Risk, for two leading energy companies in North America, Enbridge first, and now Suncor. Since arriving to Canada she has reviewed hundreds of resumes as a recruiting manager and has helped as many individuals customize and optimize their resumes and prepare for interviews as they navigate their own career path. She earned her P.Eng. with APEGA a few years after arriving in Canada and has many lessons learned about the process for internationally-trained professionals, from her own experience and from the experience of her colleagues and mentees.

Réjeanne Aimey, BESc., MBA

Réjeanne Aimey is a mechanical engineer by training and in 2020, she became founding Director of Black Engineers Canada. When she was young, her family moved from Winnipeg to Trinidad and Tobago, where she found herself in an environment that guided her towards engineering. After high school, she returned to Canada and attended the University of Western Ontario, where she completed a BESc in mechanical engineering in 2003. In 2007, she went on to earn an MBA from the University of Phoenix—a degree she completed part-time, while working in her first professional job. Currently she works in Ontario’s manufacturing industry on Special Projects, and is past President & Chair of OSPE – Ontario Society of Professional Engineers.

Diana Smith, P.Eng.

TBA

Session Title: Maximizing the Network of Women Supporting Women for 30 by 30

Abstract: Whether you are an individual with a passion for gender equality or if you are tasked with responsibility for equality, diversity and inclusion, this session will explore how a systems thinking approach can help bring us together to explore issues relating to gender inequality and develop effective action by looking at connected wholes rather than separate parts.

Our Learning Objectives:

• Using a systems thinking approach to understanding gender equality issues.

• Choosing the appropriate tools to implement change.

• Case study 1: undoing cultural expectations and barriers relating to menopause.

• Case study 2: undoing cultural expectations and barriers relating to Domestic Violence and Abuse.

Kirsten Hogan, P.Eng.

Kirsten Hogan is an Environmental Engineer and the founding partner of Aperture Consulting Inc., an environmental consulting firm providing environmental liability management and regulatory compliance services for government and industry clients. Ms. Hogan is a professional engineer registered in the Yukon and Alberta , the Vice President of Engineers Yukon, and a member of the Engineers Yukon 30 by 30 Committee. This committee was formed as the local component of Engineers Canada 30 by 30, a group working to raise the national percentage of newly licensed engineers who are women to 30 per cent by the year 2030. Ms. Hogan enjoys an active life in Whitehorse with her husband and three children.

Session Title: How the Canada Employment Equity Act Enhances the 30 by 30 Initiative

Abstract: This session will give attendees a fresh perspective on the potential impact of the 30 by 30 Initiative by Engineers Canada, by comparing it with Canada’s Employment Equity Act and with other targets or quota initiatives that have improved the world for minorities. The biggest advantage of the 30 by 30 Initiative, which seeks to achieve by the year 2030 that 30% of newly-licensed engineers and geoscientist will identify as female, is the fact that it is being measured as a number, as a target, as a quota. Project Managers and Business Owners the world over know that having a clear target to reach for, either in a project or in a business, will increase its chances of success. The number becomes the goal that focuses human efforts towards success. It has been over 30 years since Canada decided to increase the number of women in Engineering, but the progress has been slow. It is time to treat diversity in engineering and geoscience the way we treat businesses and projects, by giving it a clear goal and clear progress milestones. We have only 8 years before the 30 by 30 Initiative reaches its natural end, so let’s make sure we exceed the goal of 30% which is scientifically considered the tipping point of permanent change.

Session Title: Transforming Toxic Workplaces using Mental Fitness

Abstract: The workforce has changed, and our workplaces aren’t keeping pace. Teams are faced with more challenges than ever before — hybrid work conditions, complex technology demands, doing more with less — and require a different approach when it comes to leadership support. Creating supportive, engaging workplaces is a key strategy to achieving the 30 by 30 Initiative by Engineers Canada. We need leaders who are mentally fit. What does this mean? Leaders who can demonstrate empathy, innovate solutions, and engage team members to increase problem solving capacity. By focusing on building mental fitness, leaders can transform workplace cultures enabling teams to deliver results while building meaningful relationships.

Session Title: Coordinating Dual Engineering Careers Toward Family Management

Abstract: Over two-thirds of couples in Canada are dual-income. This not only comes with challenges, especially when kids come along but with a number of benefits, such as flexibility, security, and options. Couples can co-design a long-term vision for their careers by looking at each partner’s strengths and dreams, identifying potential risks, and looking at success factors. Instead of competing for short-term trade-offs, cooperating for the longer term can be mutually beneficial and help offset the career consequences of having children, which affect women’s outcomes differently than men’s. For example, when a woman takes longer career breaks, she may experience a stalling in progress and experience maternal wall bias. Planning with your partner can mitigate this risk.

Session Title: Growing a Male Allyship Program in Your Engineering Workplace

Abstract: This presentation will discuss how allyship in order to be successful needs to be multi-layered, multi-faceted. Also, I will showcase allyship in Associated Engineering, including some of the data collected and initiatives undertaken at the corporate level to support the female staff. This example will discuss this specific office situation, and the things that are within the control as office manager, to support career development and the micro-environment at the office.
I will also discuss allyship from my individual perspective, and how men taking parental leave normalizes the behavior, and levels the field for the benefit of women.

Session Title: Applying for a P. Eng. as an ITP (Internationally-Trained Professional)

Abstract: Before an internationally trained applicant—someone who gained the relevant education and experience outside Canada—can gain a professional engineer (P. Eng.) or professional geoscientist (P. Geo.) designation in any province in Canada, they must understand the licensure requirements as outlined in the laws having jurisdiction over engineering and geoscience professions. The laws set the minimum qualifications needed to become a professional engineer or geoscientist in any province, which are not part of this presentation. In this session instead, the presenters will share their many personal lessons learned from applying for a P. Eng. In Alberta. These lessons have nothing to do with the existing laws, they are tried-and-true methods to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes in the application.

Session Title: Reversing the Bias Blocking Women from Technical and Leadership Roles

Abstract: Companies across industries are looking to increase the representation of women who work in technical roles—including in engineering, product management, and other fast-growing fields. There has been an increased focus on gender parity in new hires and on greater equality in executive roles. But companies may be missing another critical moment: equitable advancement in early promotion. This session will cover the speaker’s experiences of being chosen for administrative roles rather than technical roles. Examples of statements she will address include 1) I am not seen as management material, I have to lean in to be even considered; 2) I am given administrative tasks instead of technical, this will not help my P.Eng. application; and 3) The bias is rampant, we are seen as the social glue of teams but I cannot build my career portfolio with that. Finally, the session will present some tools available to help remove bias against women taking management or technical leadership positions.

Session Title: Impact of Male Champions and Sponsors on Advancing Women’s Careers

Abstract: This session will explain some of the underlying issues that have led to unwelcoming and unfair treatment of women in the workplace and will outline what male allies can do to help create a welcoming, high-performance environment, for women engineers and geoscientists. Topics covered will include compelling reasons, as well as clear and actionable things that men can do as allies, to remove the unfair dynamics and give women a chance to reach the potential that they aspire for themselves. Finally, a plan will be presented to help organizations grow their own ‘male allyship’ programs within the engineering workplace to support the 30 by 30 Initiative by Engineers Canada.

Erin Throp

Erin is an author, keynote speaker, facilitator and coach for leaders who struggle with conflict, communication, and performance during high-stress times. Erin supports them in navigating difficult conversations, building powerful teams, and communicating with empathy so that they can lead confidently.

Erin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Calgary and is an Associate Certified Coach through Integral Coaching Canada. She has over 20 years of experience leading construction projects and teams.

In 2017, Erin authored Inside Out Empathy and began speaking and coaching about using the superpower of empathy to build effective teams. She shares her own stories of leadership and what she learned along the way. It’s the book she wished she had when she was just starting out.

Erin is committed to discovering your leader within and supporting you to lead with impact — from the inside out.

Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve, M.Eng., P.Eng., PMP, DTM, FEC

Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve is a professional engineer, university instructor, and EDI champion. Before switching to academia, she worked at Enbridge managing petroleum pipeline projects for over 15 years. Today, Claudia works in different universities teaching courses in pipeline construction and project management. In April 2019 she shared the APEGA Summit Award, as a Champion for Women in Engineering and Geoscience, with the CCWESTT 2018 Conference Steering Committee. Claudia is also the founder and two-time Chair of WES, Women in Engineering Summit, a non-profit organization, which debuted with WES 2018 after learning how many women leave their engineering careers – after many years of education and work experience – when there are many workplaces solutions available to retain them. She was granted a FEC, Fellowship with Engineers Canada, in 2021 for her over 15 years volunteering for APEGA in many roles including elected Councillor.

Alvin Pilobello

Alvin Pilobello is a Professional Leadership Development Coach in Toronto, Ontario. In the past he held roles in strategy as an infrastructure engineering professional. He delivers experiential workshops to entrepreneurs, creatives, and engineers and designers in the STEM field, and support their personalized development through 1:1 coaching. He believes strongly in evolving self- and social-awareness as it informs our ability to communicate with the people that we work closely with. He helps them tap into the diversity within themselves, and others, for innovative approaches to problems, instead of fostering division and staying stagnant. Male allyship is definitely an innovative approach that leaders an all organizations can use to increase diversity in the workplace.

Callie Lissinna, B.Sc, EIT

Callie Lissinna is the COO and Co-Founder at Wyvern which develops high-resolution hyperspectral imaging telescopes from space and makes it commercially accessible. This information-rich imagery is changing the game in agriculture, forestry, environmental and emissions monitoring, energy, and defence. She has nearly 6 years of experience working on 4 different satellites at the University of Alberta and has a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. In the evenings she teaches jazz and ballet classes for competitive dancers. While at University of Alberta’s AlbertaSat team, she wrote the academic paper Human Resources Procedures for the Advancement of Gender Parity in Student Space Mission Projects, addressing how to overcome leaders’ biases which prevents more women from being promoted to technical positions.

Martha Vega-Smith, P.Eng.

Martha Vega-Smith holds a B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Venezuela where she started her professional career before moving to Canada in 2001. She successfully transitioned into senior technical and leadership roles in Pipeline Integrity, Management Systems and Enterprise Risk, for two leading energy companies in North America, Enbridge first, and now Suncor. Since arriving to Canada she has reviewed hundreds of resumes as a recruiting manager and has helped as many individuals customize and optimize their resumes and prepare for interviews as they navigate their own career path. She earned her P.Eng. with APEGA a few years after arriving in Canada and has many lessons learned about the process for internationally-trained professionals, from her own experience and from the experience of her colleagues and mentees.

Andrea Marciales, M.Sc, EIT (P.Eng. in Progress)

Andrea Marciales is a Corrosion Engineer-in-Training (E.I.T.) with Innotech Alberta. She holds a Master degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia, South America. Andrea is skilled in applied research for internal corrosion in pipelines, heavy crude oil, petroleum/reservoir engineering and solvent injection. She is an E.I.T. registered with APEGA since August 2015 and is currently in the process of applying for her P.Eng. following the new procedure of 22 competencies. She is a mentor for many colleagues who are also applying for their P.Eng. and has collected many lessons learned.

Jason Vanderzwaag, MASc, P.Eng, LEED AP, PMP

Jason Vanderzwaag is a civil engineer with 20 years of experience, focused on community infrastructure and development, project management, technical leadership and mentorship. He has been an APEGA councillor since 2017. Jason was team leader for disaster response and recovery following the 2016 wildfire and 2020 flood in Fort McMurray. Afterward the project was the recipient of CEA and ACEC awards for recovery works. He is currently a Manager at Associated Engineering’s office in Fort MacMurray, Alberta, and he is glad to report that the majority of the engineers and technologists in the office identify as female.

Kinia Romanowska, BA, MA

Kinia (Adamczyk) Romanowska is a career strategist for working parents, founder and CEO of Pros&Babes, creator of the MoMBA program, and champion of engineers balancing motherhood. She transforms successful, leadership-minded women who are temporarily overwhelmed by new motherhood into confident parents, skilled leaders, and thriving moms, without them having to compromise family happiness or health. As a business owner, wife, and mother of two, Kinia has helped hundreds of women pursue leadership, develop stronger, more intimate relationships with their partners, bond more closely with their children, and take the right actions to consistently achieve their career goals.

Samantha Daly, BSc Geography

Sam Daly is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) professional in London, UK working for Jacobs. She began her career in Document Control before progressing via a leadership shadowing programme and has now been working in this field for the past six years. Her experience includes delivering EDI within major Government departments and on projects in the UK such as the Environment Agency, Network Rail, Transport for London, HS2 and is now the client’s Head of EDI on the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal. Her work has been recognised by winning the Senior Diversity Champion Award at the Employer’s Network for Equality and Inclusion. Sam is hugely passionate about all areas of inclusion but is particularly committed to delivering systemic changes to create sustainable long-term solutions in EDI.

Erin Austen. M.ASc (Aerospace), EIT

Erin Austen is our Chair for WES 2022. She has had a great experience volunteering at WISEST and AlbertaSat at the University of Alberta. Erin holds a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta, and just finished her Master of Science degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa. She currently works as a mechanical engineering designer at Medical Makers since 2018 and is now looking to grow her career as an Aerospace Engineer anywhere in Canada, the United Kingdom or the European Union. Of all the coolest courses or jobs she has ever had, one in 2012 was as CaNoRock V Payload Manager, at the Andøya Space Center in Andøy, Nordland, Norway. If anyone can say “this is not rocket science” is most definitely Erin Austen.

Svetlana Yanushkevich, PhD (Engineering)

Dr. Svetlana Yanushkevich is the new Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Research at Schulich School of Engineering. She is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, and her research focuses on biometric technologies, data analytics, pattern recognition, machine reasoning, probabilistic decision-making, wearables, and digital design. Dr. Yanushkevich directs the Biometric Technologies Laboratory, the only research facility dedicated to biometric system design in Canada. She is a Chair of the Biometric Taskforce in the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society. With her team, she is developing novel decision support and risk assessment strategies based on machine reasoning, with applications to biometric-enabled access control (risk assessment of misidentification) and healthcare monitoring systems (gait abnormalities detection, action/activity recognition, face attribute analysis).

Steve McMahon, B.Sc (Civil)

Steve McMahon is the COO, Chief Operating Officer, for InnoTech Alberta, a wholly owned research and technology subsidiary of Alberta Innovates. InnoTech was set-up by the Government of Alberta to provide the venue, expertise, and equipment for Alberta’s core and emerging industries and public sector to conduct scaled applied research and accelerated technology development. Their services offering portfolio includes the energy, environment and bio-industrial sectors, along with cross-sectoral monitoring, testing, and applied data science. He is proud to lead a team of highly skilled researchers and technical experts who are making an impact in Alberta and the world; and also of the continued success of their gender equality initiatives at work.

Ingrid Pederson. P.Eng. (Civil)

Ingrid Pederson is our past Chair for WES 2021. She won the 2020 AWSN Athena Outstanding Volunteer Award for her long-standing service to an organization whose primary focus is to connect, unite, support and promote STEM programs. She also won the APEGA Summit 2019 Award as Champion for Women in Engineering and Geoscience, which she shared with the CCWESTT 2018 Conference committee. Ingrid started her engineering career working on offshore oil rigs and this experience motivated her to actively encourage young women to pursue STEM careers since 2008. She works as an engineering specialist focusing on external corrosion prevention to help maintain the integrity of Enbridge’s crude oil pipelines. Ingrid holds a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Chemical Engineering from Dalhousie University.

Deanna Burgart, P.Eng.

Deanna Burgart is both an engineer and technologist who began her career in 1998 as a technician analyzing oil sands in a Calgary laboratory. She is a Senior Instructor at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering in Chemical and Petroleum engineering; and is the first Teaching Chair focused on integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Engineering. Deanna is co-founder and president of IndigeSTEAM, an Alberta based non-profit focused on creating ethical space for Indigenous youth and professionals in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). She serves on the Board of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) where she co-leads the Education committee.

Ari Copeland, BS/MS (Civil and Environmental)

Ari Copeland is an Operations Specialist with Black & Veatch Corporation and has 16 years of experience in the Water and Wastewater Industry. He has a BS/MS in Civil/Environmental Engineering. Ari is a man of transgender and queer experience (transgender queer man) and was perceived as female for approximately a quarter of his career. Ari came out as trans to the world in 2011 and has spent the last 12 years or so years becoming the person he is today. Ari co created and founded Black & Veatch’s Pride Employee Resource Group and has done presentations to various engineering firms, large companies such as Veritas and Beiersdorf, about his experiences as a transperson in the workplace. Ari runs the wandering water bear website – www.thewanderingwaterbear.com that provides resources to assist anyone to be more inclusive.

Mairim Neves, P.Eng(Civil and Environmental)

In 2020, Mairim Neves launched a not-for-profit organization, Mujeres Omega Inc., which profiles a role model for Latina women and focuses on providing opportunities for women to experience personal growth, networking, and thoughtful conversations. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering obtained in Venezuela, her country of origin and has more than 20 years of engineering experience in the design and execution of complex projects. She specializes in the field of hydrometallurgy in her current role as Senior Mechanical Engineer at Sherritt International. In addition to the above, Mairim gives to the community in multiple ways, including chairing the 2021 United Way Campaign at Sherritt International, continuous participation in APEGA’s Mentorship program, as well as participation in a work lead Employee Resource Group (LeadHERS) focused on Diversity and Inclusion aspects.