March 7, 2023

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today we acknowledge women industry professionals making an impact in the electrical and automation space.

Around the world, meaningful conversations are being sparked by people of all ethnicities and identities and, especially today, by women who believe we can challenge the status quo and better our communities. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is fully #EmbraceEquity. This emphasizes that highlighting the differences between equality and equity is critical. As Susan K Gardner, Dean, OSU, expresses, “Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.” Click here to learn the differences. Regardless of how you #EmbraceEquity today and beyond, all IWD activities are valid; that makes IWD inclusive.

EFC has curated a spotlight edition to acknowledge how the electrical community has “Embraced Equity” by developing and empowering passionate, intelligent, progressive, and hardworking individuals to succeed in their careers and positively impact their team, peers, and community. The bonus factor is that they all happen to be women!

Thank you to all the WN committee members, chairs, and team leads for embracing this project. Each regional committee recruited and interviewed our industry professionals to learn more about what they do, their impact, and their perspectives.

In the Atlantic region, the following individuals have been spotlighted:

Bobbie Kester, ELP Marketing Ltd.
Hello, I’m Bobbie Kester an Inside Sales/Customer Care/Expeditor/Claims at ELP Marketing Ltd. ELP Marketing took a chance on me 13 years ago with minimal industry knowledge. Over the years, I have learned to do a little of everything, enabling me to serve our customers appropriately. I take pride in caring for our customers and knowing that I can make a real difference in the outcome of their projects. There is always something new to learn, and I am here for it. I hope to spend another 13 years learning with ELP.
Bobbie described 2-3 issues she wants to see fixed for girls and women.
1. Respect. To be respected in the workplace, home, and anywhere else we have a presence. We are making strides every day, but it’s important to be reminded of this need to respect people regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity.
2. Woman’s Health. As we continue to focus on understanding women’s health, it will help us better serve women’s health needs in the workplace or at home. Women are built differently than men, and that requires an equity approach.
3. Equal opportunity. Our industry recognizes this need and has been embracing it. But we women need to believe in ourselves that we can too. Being a girl shouldn’t stop you from becoming the person you want to become.
Monica Bagley, IPEX

Hi, I’m Monica Bagley an Outside Electrical Sales Rep for Atlantic Canada. I have been a Sales representative in the Electrical industry for 26 years, working with various distributors. As an Ipex manufacturer Rep, I work with wholesalers, contractors, engineering consultants, and end users to promote IPEX products and build strategic partnerships.
Monica chose to explain what traits she thinks bring out the best in herself/or others. I’m incredibly passionate about building relationships, and having solid and meaningful relationships with distributors and customers helps me understand their needs. Thinking of this in the context of IWD allows me to validate that embracing equity regardless of race, gender, or other factors helps me identify the needs of my customers and adjust accordingly to achieve the best outcome for all parties. Everyone deserves equality, but equity brings it one step further. Identifying these needs allows me to offer opportunities to help them resolve issues and brings out the best in them for the project and in me as a Salesperson.
Claudette Hewitson, Graybar Canada

I’m in Inside Sales at Graybar Canada. I began my electrical career with Graybar in 1995. Back then, we were known as Harris & Roome Ltd. I started as an Office Administrator and did this for roughly 13 years. Then an opportunity arose for an Inside Sales role for contractor accounts. I decided to take the leap and apply for it, and I got it! I’ve been working in this role for the past 15 years. Although I have gained experience, it presents new challenges and a position I truly enjoy.
We asked Claudette to name a female leader that inspires her. A woman who inspires me is Huberte Gautreau. She is a New Brunswicker who started her career as a nurse. Huberte has worked as a women’s equality activist in NB and other parts of the world. She also is an activist for human rights. In NB, she was one of the co-founders of Crossroads for Women. She was Chair of the NB Coalition for Pay Equity. She was a key organizer for 150 NB women participating in the first World March of Women in 2000. The qualities of Huberte Gautreau that I admire are her passion for supporting less fortunate women and people in general. She is a voice for the women who have suffered. She would be a very compassionate person with abundant drive and dedication to helping women who struggle to speak for themselves in both a pay equity and human rights situation.

In the Ontario region, the following individuals have been spotlighted:

Paola Gava, Roney Marketing

Hi, I’m Paola Gava, and I have been a part of the Roney Marketing team for 20 years and in the electrical industry for over 30 years. I began my career right out of college, working in the heart of Toronto’s design district at Sescolite Lighting. My entry-level position was as an Order Entry Specialist, and through hard work and a passion for the industry, I worked my way up to Office Supervisor. After ten years at Sescolite, I left the business to take on my next challenge: supporting a family and raising my two children. When both my kids were in school full-time, I decided it was time to get back into the industry and joined the Roney Marketing team. My previous experience in the lighting industry inspired my appreciation for how light can showcase a building, provide aesthetics to any home, and create ambiance in any room you enter.
My primary roles at Roney Marketing are to provide the highest level of customer service and manage inside sales. Every day I strive to solve and meet the needs of my customers by recommending the best in product selection. Although challenging at times, my daily goal is to provide customers with a high level of professionalism and product understanding, to meet the needs of their specialized projects.
We asked Paola, what does embracing equity mean to you? As a customer service representative, embracing equity in the workplace requires the utmost effort to treat all my customers with fairness and respect. One way I achieve this is by actively listening to customers and seeking to understand their needs and concerns during each interaction. I strive to create a welcoming and respectful environment to develop positive customer relationships by prioritizing equity and inclusivity in all interactions. This allows me to build stronger connections and provide more personalized and effective service.
Linda Conejo, LEDVANCE

Hi, I am Linda Conejo, and I have been with LEDVANCE for 21 years. I am their Business Development Manager focusing on National & Key Accounts. I have been married for 27 years with two children and one granddaughter. Before joining LEDVANCE (then known as OSRAM SYLVANIA in 2001), I knew nothing about lighting, but after my first lighting essentials course, I was hooked! I started in Sales Operations as their Bilingual Quotations Specialist and became an Account Manager in Central Ontario, where I have worked with several distributor partners over the years. Since 2013 I have been Lighting Certified under the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions and a member of the IES Toronto Chapter. When we became LEDVANCE in 2016, I was also the National Luminaire Sales Manager focusing on increasing luminaire sales for the company. Today I sit on our company product council, reviewing product needs and sharing the voice of the customer with our product development team. Over the years, I have made incredible connections within the industry and enjoy being a part of the lighting community!
We asked Linda what she is most proud of in her career: I am proud to be seen as a trusted lighting professional. I have been fortunate to have colleagues who encouraged and supported me to join the trade sales team. At the time, I was the first female account manager to support our electrical distribution partners within OSRAM SYLVANIA. I am happy that I took on the challenge and excelled in the position. It was wonderful to work for a company that saw the potential in women in sales within a male-dominated industry. We had several female account managers in other divisions within the organization, including automotive, OEM, and retail, and the company continues to embrace female equity today.
Christy Morrison, WESCO

Hi, I’m Christy Morrison, VP of Sales EES Wesco Ontario. As many can relate, my career in this industry started by accident. I first started working as an electrical apprentice and, after a few years, ended up working for a Wire and Cable Distributor as an Inside Sales Rep. I have worked in many positions over the years, and today I am proud to be the VP of Sales for Wesco EES Business Unit in Ontario. It is a challenging and rewarding position, and over the last few years between Covid and the merger with Anixter, I have learned something new every day.
We asked Christy to describe a few issues she would like fixed for girls and women. The one thing I would like to see “fixed” for young girls and women is for them to understand the value that they bring. I want women to have confidence in themselves, their ideas, and their abilities without succumbing to the inner critic that tells them they are not good enough. How do we do that? I don’t have an easy answer, but I think it starts with recognizing that your ideas and voice matter.
Christy also shared how her organization builds a more equitable workplace. Wesco has done an incredible job working towards improving diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. Establishing our different Business Resource Groups has genuinely helped create a better awareness throughout the entire organization. Through these groups, voices are now heard throughout the company, which will help us continue building a more equitable workplace.

In the Quebec region, the following individuals have been spotlighted:

Julie Marineau, Leviton Canada
Vanessa Ricard & Corinne Galarneau-Ricard, Agence Ricard

We, Vanessa Ricard & Corinne Galarneau-Ricard, from Agencie Ricard, are two women driven by entrepreneurship and forward thinkers united through the family. Together, we lead an electrical agency, Agence Ricard, in Quebec and Eastern Ontario. We focus on building long-lasting customer relationships by providing an innovative and tailored approach to every project.
We asked Vanessa and Corinne what embracing equity means to them. And how have they embraced equity?
Embracing equity means preaching by example; someone who works hard and is passionate about their work will succeed because any good leader (and people along the way) will recognize that in them. They will guide them to gain the knowledge and experience they need to thrive, and they will gain the confidence and know-how as a professional in their field—a notion our families have valued generationally. As young female leaders, we have a passion for elevating the business to new heights and supporting the industry, which truly is a place where anyone can advance.

BCEA’s Women’s Network THRIVE Summit EFC is a Proud Change Agent Sponsor

April 20, 2023 | From 8:30 am – 5:00 pm | Sandman Signature Suites, Langley

In 2019, EFC implemented a three-tier strategy to address diversity within the membership, which includes Executive Communication, Incorporating Diversity into the HR Network, and Female Empowerment through the Women’s Network, which succeeded in its three-year milestone in January.

EFC member companies employ over 42,000 workers from coast-to-coast in Canada. Women represent approximately 24% of this total workforce. The average percentage of women in the workforce in Canada is 44%. To help address this gender gap, empowering women to advance and join the industry is critical.

We proudly support BCEA’s Thrive Summit on April 20^thas a Change Agent Sponsor. Since 2015, BCEA has hosted the THRIVE Summitt as a place for women to make an impact and support diversity within the electrical industry. BCEA developed a strong speaker series with topics on Advancing Women in Leadership, Industry Journeys & Experiences, Skills for Building Resilience, and more! Join your industry peers in the BC region on April 20th! Download the event pamphlet | Register here

Helping Women ‘Power Up’ in the Canadian Electrical Industry Professional Development. Empowerment. Lifestyle.

What is EFC’s Women’s Network?

This program provides a comfortable, collaborative environment for women in the electrical workforce to connect to build bridges between men and women of all ages and backgrounds, develop their personal brand and grow their careers through personal development, educational and wellness opportunities.
EFC’s Women’s Network centres on three core strategic pillars:
EFC coordinates a series of seminars, webinars and important resources to help women in the industry champion their professional careers and personal lives.
Connect with the Women’s Network in Your Region:

Atlantic Region Team Leads:
Dennis Potharst & Julie Mills
Chair: Julie Mills, ABB
Vice chair: Bobbie Kester, ELP Marketing Ltd.
Alberta Region Team Lead:
Tara Ternes, AEA Women’s Network
British Columbia Region Team Lead:
Barbette Igonia, BCEA Women’s Network
BCEA Women’s Network Chair:
Laura Dempsey, EB Horsman & Son
Ontario Region Team Lead:
Nathalie Lajoie
Chair: Lori Bagazzoli, LEDVANCE
Vice Chair: Sandra Tomassi, Ouellet
Quebec Region Team Lead:
vacant; contact Daniela De Marco for questions
Co-Chair: Sylvie Comeau, Franklin Empire
Co-Chair: Anne Kudirka, Leviton Canada
Who Can Participate?
Join this Network Today!

There is no cost to join (however, event participation fees may apply).
Click on the link below to participate in this growing network and explore the many ways your involvement can help drive change!
The strength of this network and your involvement will help shape the future of the industry and steer it towards a more inclusive environment that promotes equal opportunities for all Canadians!
Questions? Contact info@electrofed.com
Join Today!