The 2018 Women in the IT Channel Appreciation Luncheon was held on August 23, 2018 at the Guild Inn Estate, a beautifully refurbished historic site on the Scarborough waterfront surrounded by acres of lush gardens.

The luncheon – was one of the most exciting networking opportunities in the Channel this year – is sponsored once again by Ingram Micro Canada. The theme of the event is Resilience – a tip of the hat to the women in the ever-changing Channel who fight through adversity to thrive and inspire others.

In addition to our traditional awards honouring worthy industry veterans, were are looking for nominations for the Rising Star Award, which recognizing a bright up- and-comer, and a Mentor of the Year Award.

Guest Speaker

This year’s guest speaker Lisa Lisson, President of FedEx Canada and author of the book Resilence: Navigating Life, Loss and the Road to Success.

As President of FedEx Canada, Lisson is responsible for 5,700 employees and eight airport hubs feeding into a worldwide network that handles 8 million shipments a day in 220 countries. While she has reached the upper echelons in her profession life, the journey has not been an easy one. In August 2007, her husband and high school sweetheart Patrick, suffered a massive heart attack that left him in a vegetative state for more than two years. There were some dark times for the 38-years-old mother of four young children, but she cared for her husband and continued to work full -time in an executive position. Many co-workers in her office never even knew her husband was sick. Almost a year to the day after Patrick died, she was named the President of FedEx Canada.

She will share her inspirational story at the Women in the IT Channel Appreciation luncheon in the hope that by telling her story she can provide inspiration and motivation to others that that life goes on and you can overcome hardships no matter what they may be. READ MORE

2017

The 2017 Women in the IT Channel held on August 17, 2017 at the stunningly beautiful Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ontario.

The luncheon – was one of the most exciting networking opportunities in the Channel this year – sponsored by Ingram Micro Canada.  The theme of the event is FIND YOUR TRIBE –  an effort to underscore the importance of community in the channel ecosystem.

In addition to our traditional awards honouring worthy industry veterans, and the Rising Star Award recognizing a bright up- and-comer, VMware Canada presented a Mentor of the Year Award, and Rogers held a workshop session, Digital Transformation and the Customer Experience.

Guest Speaker

This year’s guest speaker Barb Stegemann, an author and social entrepreneur ranked as one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women, as well as one of Profit Guide’s top 30 Cool and Fabulous entrepreneurs.

Barb’s entrepreneurial vision was formed after her best friend—a soldier—was severely wounded in Afghanistan. Understanding that supporting Afghanistan’s economy was key to building stability for its people, Stegemann created The 7 Virtues, a company that sources organic oils from countries experiencing turmoil (such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Rwanda). Addressing complex global matters in her talks, Stegemann uses humour to explain how individuals can use business for good and effect change, both at home and worlds away.

2016