Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
Leadership at senior levels requires more than technical expertise. It demands the ability to influence decisions, navigate complexity, lead transformation, manage competing stakeholder interests, and create meaningful organizational impact. The Women's Leadership Certificate: From Influence to Impact is designed to help current and aspiring leaders develop the strategic, leadership, and governance capabilities needed to succeed in executive and board-level roles.
Through candid conversations with accomplished Canadian leaders, including Maureen Jensen (former Chair & CEO, Ontario Securities Commission), Candace Laing (President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce), and Deborah Rosati (Founder & CEO, Women Get On Board), participants will gain practical insights into the real-world leadership challenges women face as they advance their careers. Through applied exercises, leadership reflections, and a personalized Leadership Journal, participants will strengthen their ability to lead with influence, navigate organizational politics, drive change, make strategic decisions, build sponsorship networks, and prepare for future executive and governance opportunities.
Topics include influence, organizational transformation, stakeholder management, strategic decision-making, governance, board leadership, ESG and sustainability, resilience, sponsorship, confidence, and financial agency.
While designed primarily for women pursuing leadership opportunities, the program also highlights the shared responsibility all leaders have in creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces.
Early Bird Sale: Save $100 off this certificate by registering before October 28, 2026. Promotion cannot be combined with other offers. Access the Early Bird Sale by logging into your account.
Topics Include
Featuring Maureen Jensen, former Chair & CEO, Ontario Securities Commission
- Understand influence as the ability to inspire action without relying on formal authority.
- Build credibility through preparation, judgment, and trust.
- Make decisions confidently when information is incomplete.
- Develop executive presence and leadership influence.
- Recognize and address biases that can affect women leaders.
Featuring Atanaska Novakova, Executive Vice-President & Head, Simplii Financial
- Lead organizational transformation and large-scale change initiatives.
- Apply a 50/50 lens to balance current operations with future growth.
- Use structured listening to understand stakeholder needs.
- Create clarity during periods of uncertainty and change.
- Recognize common barriers facing women in transformation leadership roles.
Featuring Candace Laing, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Lead people effectively through uncertainty and change.
- Assess and leverage transferable leadership skills.
- Navigate complex stakeholder environments.
- Convene diverse perspectives to solve difficult problems.
- Build confidence by acting before feeling completely ready.
Featuring Claire Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, RBC Investor Services
- Understand how influence operates beyond organizational charts.
- Build effective stakeholder relationships.
- Distinguish between productive political engagement and distractions.
- Develop sponsorship networks and advocate for others.
- Learn to lead through relationships and organizational influence.
Featuring Sabrina Fitzgerald, National Tax Leader, PwC Canada
- Move from technical expert to enterprise leader.
- Separate facts from assumptions when making decisions.
- Strengthen strategic and enterprise-wide thinking.
- Communicate complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences.
- Build confidence speaking up in senior decision-making environments.
Featuring Angelica DeVos, FCPA, former CFO, Acting CEO & VP of Priority Initiatives, Karis Disability Services
- Align leadership decisions with purpose and organizational impact.
- Translate financial information into meaningful insights.
- Build trust through communication and transparency.
- Balance empathy with accountability.
- Define and strengthen a personal leadership purpose.
Featuring Dr. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, ICD.D, Founder & CEO, Women Get On Board
- Understand governance responsibilities and board leadership.
- Differentiate governance from management.
- Develop a board value proposition.
- Build readiness for board and governance opportunities.
- Sponsor and advocate for emerging leaders.
Featuring Nura Taef, Partner & ESG Reporting Advisory Leader, Deloitte Canada
- Understand the growing role of ESG and sustainability in leadership.
- Apply materiality and long-term value thinking.
- Navigate competing stakeholder priorities.
- Connect sustainability to strategy and organizational resilience.
- Develop future-focused leadership capabilities.
Featuring The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, former Senator of Canada
- Build resilience throughout periods of change and uncertainty.
- Differentiate adaptation from self-erasure.
- Lead authentically through career transitions and reinvention.
- Develop a long-term perspective on leadership growth and sustainability.
Featuring Wilma Ditchfield, Special Advisor, CIBC Wood Gundy & Private Wealth
- Build confidence through action and experience.
- Strengthen self-awareness, authenticity, and leadership identity.
- Develop financial agency and advocate for personal value.
- Build effective sponsorship and professional support networks.
- Create a personal leadership philosophy and capstone leadership manifesto.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this certificate, participants will be able to:
- Lead with influence, credibility, and executive presence in business transformation, change, and enterprise-wide initiatives.
- Lead with purpose while balancing organizational performance and long-term impact.
- Strengthen confidence, resilience, adaptability, and personal leadership identity.
- Navigate organizational politics, stakeholder dynamics, and complex decision-making.
- Apply strategic, governance, and risk-based thinking to leadership challenges.
- Build sponsorship networks and support the advancement of others.
- Develop a personalized leadership philosophy and actionable leadership development plan.
- Prepare for future leadership opportunities, including executive and board-level roles.
Earn a Digital Badge
Our new collection of digital badges can be earned through the completion of any of our certificate programs offered in our professional development catalogue. Collect these digital badges to add to your website, social profiles, email signature and more. These badges are an easy way to visually communicate your skills and accomplishments to your peers and network. Digital badges will be awarded based on course completion requirements.
Who Will Benefit
- CPAs and finance professionals seeking to expand their influence and leadership capabilities.
- C-suite leaders, directors, and executives seeking to strengthen enterprise leadership skills.
- Leaders responsible for organizational transformation, change management, and stakeholder engagement.
- Current and emerging leaders preparing for senior leadership positions.
- Professionals interested in board service, governance, and sponsorship.
- Organizations looking to develop inclusive, future-focused leadership capabilities within their teams.
How to Access the Course
New mobile learning! Download Blackboard Learn from your app store (iOS or Android). Learn more.
To access the course on your computer please visit our BlackBoard site, and log-in using the same login and password used for the Registration Portal.
Please allow up to 15 minutes after registration for the course to appear on your BlackBoard page.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
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Kelley Keehn is the CEO and co-founder of the Money Wise Institute, an award-winning author of 12 books, speaker, financial educator and one of Canada’s most trusted personal finance experts. Over more than two decades, she has worked with financial institutions, executives, advisors and organizations across North America, exploring not only the mechanics of money, but the psychology behind confidence, decision-making, leadership and financial well-being. |
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Maureen Jensen currently serves as a Chair of the Ombudsman for the Banking and Securities Industry Canada (OBSI), Director of Franco Nevada Corporation, Director of the Bank of Canada and is a public governor of FINRA in the US. Maureen was the Chair and CEO of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) from 2016-2020 and prior to that was the Executive Director and CAO from 2011 – 2016. Before joining the OSC she served as SVP, Surveillance and Compliance at the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC 2008-2011) and President and CEO (2006-2007) and VP regulation Eastern Region(2002-2006) for Market Regulation Services Inc., the market regulator for all Canadian equity markets. Prior to her work as a regulator, Maureen worked at the Toronto Stock Exchange (1998-2002) and had an earlier 20-year career in the mining exploration industry. |
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Wilma Ditchfield started her CIBC career in 1993, with Midland Walwyn, which was later acquired by Merrill Lynch in 1998 and by CIBC in 2001. Wilma has made a significant impact on Wood Gundy, Private Wealth, and CIBC. Her deep knowledge of the business, genuine ability to connect with people, and unwavering enthusiasm have defined a remarkable career built on profound contributions and enduring impact. Wilma began her career as a Branch Administrator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, advancing to Branch Manager and then Regional Director, before moving into senior executive roles at head office. Along the way, Wilma broke barriers as the first non-Investment Advisor Branch Manager in the organization and one of very few women to hold that role at the time - a trailblazing achievement that set the tone for everything that followed. |
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Atanaska Novakova joined CIBC in November 2022 and led the Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Development team. The team plays an integral role in building CIBC into a relationship-oriented bank for a modern world while fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation and collaboration. In November 2024, she became Head - Simplii Financial at CIBC, taking on a leadership role to lead the continued growth of the innovative digital banking business.In March 2026, she is appointed Head, Simplii Financial & Protection Solutions, adding strategic oversight of CIBC Insurance to her mandate. |
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Claire Johnson is Chief Executive Officer of RBC Investor Services, leading the asset servicing business of Canada's biggest bank. With over 25 years of executive leadership experience—including roles as President and CEO of TSX Trust and senior positions across strategy, finance, and relationship management at CIBC Mellon—she brings deep expertise in business transformation, stakeholder management, and operational excellence. A certified CPA, CA, Claire is committed to industry advancement and community impact, serving as a board member for the Securities Transfer Association of Canada and JA Canada, where she champions financial literacy for youth. She and her husband have been raising their five children in Mississauga, Ontario. |
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Candace Laing is the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Since taking on the role in late summer 2024, Candace has become a sought-after voice on matters of trade, whether U.S.-Canada, international or internal, and Canada’s economic sovereignty. In 2026, she was selected to be a member Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations. Notably, before joining the Canadian Chamber, Candace worked for more than ten years with Nutrien, where she led both the Sustainability and Human Resources functions and served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Candace is passionate about ensuring healthy organizations help build a strong economy that can support our societal needs. Her first book, Girl, You Got This! How to Thrive in Work and Life, published by Burman/G&D, will be released in October 2026. |
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Sabrina Fitzgerald is a Partner in PwC Canada’s Tax practice and PwC’s Global Private Tax Leader. She brings deep expertise advising family offices, high-net-worth families, and private businesses. A seasoned leader and frequent speaker on tax, governance, growth, and the future of business, she brings sharp insight and practical perspective to today’s discussion. |
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Angelica DeVos has served in the not-for-profit sector for more than three decades. She has leveraged her FCPA and Chartered Director designations to provide strategic leadership and governance expertise in the boardroom, representing both management teams and boards of directors. Angelica is committed to advancing good governance as a foundation for accountability, effectiveness, relevance, and lasting impact across the organizations she serves. |
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Over her 35-year career, Deborah Rosati, an award-winning entrepreneur and corporate director, has been described in three interconnected ways: as a champion of corporate governance, a catalyst for change, and a builder of community. As the founder and CEO of Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), a social purpose company founded in 2015, her mission is to connect, promote, and empower women to serve on corporate boards with confidence and courage. |
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Nura Taef, FCPA, FCA, is a Partner in Deloitte’s Assurance practice and leads the ESG Reporting Advisory in Canada, while also serving as part of Deloitte’s Global A&A Sustainability and Climate Services Leadership team. With more than 16 years of experience, she advises organizations on sustainability reporting, climate disclosures, and assurance readiness, helping clients navigate evolving stakeholder and regulatory expectations. Nura is a member of Deloitte’s Global Expert Advisory Panel on Sustainability Reporting and is recognized for combining deep sustainability expertise with a strong foundation in financial reporting, audit, and complex accounting matters. |
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Ratna Omidvar is one of Canada’s most respected voices on migration, inclusion, and belonging. She came to Canada in 1982 and reinvented herself repeatedly - from newcomer to community leader, to President of Maytree, to an independent Senator, and most recently a fellow at the Robert Bosch Foundation in Berlin. Across four decades and many sectors, her work has centred on a single, durable idea: that when immigrants succeed, Canada succeeds. She is admired as much for how she leads as for what she has achieved - adaptable, grounded, and clear that leadership is about ideas and engagement, not the title on the door. |
