Women in Capital Markets Announces 2010 Award Winners

To Celebrate 15 Years of Inspiring Change WCM Honours Three Women in Capital Markets

TORONTO, Oct 4 /CNW/ - Women in Capital Markets (WCM), a non-profit organization that promotes the advancement of women in the Canadian financial industry, in celebration of its 15^th Anniversary, announced today the 2010 winners for the WCM Rising Star Award, the WCM Award for Leadership and the WCM Visionary Award.

The WCM Rising Star Award honours an individual who, at a relatively early stage in their career, has made an impactful contribution by providing inspirational leadership and mentorship to young women in the industry. The inaugural winner of the 2010 Rising Star Award is Liette Bromley, Director, Corporate Debt Trading, BMO Capital Markets.

The WCM Award for Leadership has been presented for the past three years to a senior executive, male or female, who has combined professional excellence with a demonstrated commitment to advancing and supporting women in the capital markets. Patti Perras Shugart, Managing Director & Head of Corporate Banking at RBC Capital Markets, is the recipient of the 2010 WCM Award for Leadership.

The WCM Visionary Award recognizes the outstanding commitment and lifelong dedication to the development and growth of Women in Capital Markets over the last 15 years. The winner of the first WCM Visionary Award is Heather-Anne Irwin, Adjunct Professor of Finance, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

"For 15 years, WCM has been supporting the entry and advancement of women in the Canadian capital markets," said Martha Fell, CEO of WCM. "These two new awards, together with our Award for Leadership, are just one more way we are celebrating women and inspiring diversity in the financial industry."

The awards were presented at a luncheon on October 4^th, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel that was generously sponsored by Ernst & Young.

"Companies who foster the professional development of women benefit from much-needed diverse thinking and the fresh perspective they bring to the decision-making process," said Diane Sinhuber, Ernst & Young's Canadian Financial Services Industry Leader. "There is an opportunity for Canada to capitalize on the contributions women make and gain a competitive advantage in the global market."

Women in Capital Markets is a non-profit organization that aims to support and advance female leaders in business, foster accountability for diversity in the industry, and recognize leaders who have contributed significantly to the advancement of women in the capital markets. Through innovative programming, WCM offers its members diverse and creative opportunities for networking, career growth and personal development, and mentoring and coaching of both students and professionals. WCM is generously sponsored by seven corporate champions: BMO Financial Group, CIBC, KPMG, RBC Capital Markets, Scotia Capital, TD Securities and UBS. More information is available at www.wcm.ca.

Ernst & Young LLP is a global leader in assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services. We strive to create an inclusive environment where all our people can achieve their potential. www.ey.com/ca

About our Winners

Liette Bromley

Liette Bromley is a Director at BMO Capital Markets and a senior trader of investment grade corporate credit. An integral part of the corporate trading desk, Liette has helped lead the group to maintaining a top ranking amongst the Canadian investment banks in the IROC volume statistics, through her strong client relationships and credit knowledge.  Liette has been an active member of the BMO Capital Markets Diversity Council for the past 5 years and was Chair of the Women's Subcommittee from 2008 to 2009.  She is actively involved in the BMO Capital Markets Campus and Intake Program as well as representing BMO Capital Markets in the choice for the 2010 Heather L. Main Memorial Scholarship candidate.  Liette holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a CFA charter holder. 

Patti Perras Shugart

Patti Perras Shugart is Managing Director & Head Corporate Banking at RBC Capital Markets. Patti has worked in the industry for more than 20 years and has always been an active advocate for the advancement of women in the capital markets. Patti was a director on the board of Women in Capital Markets from 2005-2009, with a particular focus on the development of a Senior Women's Network involving women across all firms on Bay Street. She is a member of RBC Capital Markets' Leadership Council for Diversity and is the founder of "RWomen" at  RBCCM - a forum which fosters development and career aspirations for women, as well as provide networking opportunities for them within the firm. During her tenure at CIBC, she was the co-founder and Chair of the CIBC Women's Network, CIBC's largest affinity group with over 650 members in Canada and the US.

Heather-Anne Irwin

Heather-Anne Irwin has been involved in the finance industry for 25 years, 17 in capital markets and six years as a finance professor. She started her career with Citibank in fixed income, then investment banking and equity capital markets with Nesbitt Burns Inc. and TD Securities Inc. Heather-Anne has been teaching Finance at the Rotman School since 2003 and has had the honour of twice being named MBA Professor of the Year. She is also the Executive Director of the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation. Heather-Anne is the founding President of Women in Capital Markets, after chairing the steering committee that established the association. She continues to co-chair the WCM Mentorship program and is also involved in the Heather L. Main Memorial Scholarship Fund. Heather-Anne has an MBA from Schulich at York University and Hons B.Sc. Engineering from Queen's University in Engineering Chemistry.

For further information:

Kerry Breeze, WCM Director, Marketing & Communications, [phone], [email protected]