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Goddard Roundtable

Slide

About the Captain Nichola Goddard Women in Leadership Series

 The 5th Annual Captain Nichola Goddard Women in Leadership Series provides a forum for a sharing of ideas between the military and corporate worlds and features a moderated panel discussion with CAF members and Veterans discussing their experience as women leaders and what shaped them into the leaders they are today. The event provides a networking opportunity for like-minded individuals and supporters and is a great engagement and learning opportunity for your employees on the unique leadership skills and dealing in adverse and challenging situations that military members face regularly.

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Ottawa
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Ottawa
March 27, 2023
Lord Elgin Hotel
5:30 PM
Sponsorship Package
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Toronto
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Toronto
March 30, 2023
One King West Hotel
5:30PM
Sponsorship Package
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Vancouver
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Vancouver
April 4, 2023
Terminal City Club
5:30PM
Sponsorship Package
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Utensil Set
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Donate to the Captain
Nichola Goddard Fund
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Slide

Through the Captain Nichola Goddard Fund, True Patriot Love provides national funding to directly benefit community programs that support servicewomen, Veteran women, and their families. The Fund was established in memory of Captain Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian women soldier to die in a combat role.
Make a donation to the Captain Nichola Goddard Fund.

“We started the Captain Goddard Fund to celebrate and serve strong women like Nichola who have the courage to never take no for an answer. They are the servicewomen, female Veterans, and their families, who protect the values integral to Canada and stand on guard for those less fortunate around the world.”
Katherine Rusk, Sister of Captain Nichola Goddard


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Event Speakers

MAJOR-GENERAL M.H.L. BOURGON, CMM, MSC, CD
Toronto Speaker
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Chief Petty Offer 1st Class Tara White, MMM, CD
Toronto Speaker
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Heather Tobin
Managing Director
Toronto Speaker
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Karen Forward
Senior Executive at Accenture
Toronto Speaker
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CWO Paula Carpenter
Ottawa Speaker
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Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake, MSM, CD
Ottawa Speaker
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Susan Kudzman
Former Executive Vice-President, LBC
Ottawa Speaker
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France Hébert
Vice-President and General Manager, CAE Defence & Security
Ottawa Speaker
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Commander (Cdr) Nancy Setchell
Vancouver Speaker
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Event Sponsors

National Presenting Sponsors

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MAJOR-GENERAL M.H.L. BOURGON,CMM, MSC, CD

DEPUTY COMMANDER MILITARY PERSONNEL COMMAND

 

Major-General Lise Bourgon joined the military in 1987 under the ROTP training plan and was selected to attend Le College Militaire Royal de St-Jean where she graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.

Following wings training in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1994, she was posted to 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in Shearwater where she served on HMCS Preserver, NCSM Ville De Quebec and HMCS Toronto. In 1998, she was transferred to 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron, where she served as a pilot instructor.

Following her promotion to Major in 2001, she was posted to Ottawa in the Directorate of Air Requirements – Maritime as a Project Director working on projects such as the Maritime Helicopter Program and the Self-Defence Program.

She was posted back to 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in 2004 to serve as the Detachment Commander on HMCS Montreal. Following her deployment, she was appointed as the Wing Plans and Tasks Officer in 2005. She graduated from the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Force College in Toronto in 2007.

Following her promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel, she was appointed the Commanding Officer of 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron in 2007 and served in Shearwater, NS until July 2009 when she was chosen to be the Executive Assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff in Ottawa.

In June 2011, she was promoted to Colonel and posted as the NATO Liaison Officer at the NATO Air Headquarters in Ramstein, Germany. After only two years in Germany, she was appointed as the new 12 Wing Commander in Shearwater, Nova Scotia. Following her tour as Wing Commander, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-general and deployed as the Joint Task Force Commander for OP IMPACT. Upon her return from deployment, she was assigned to Canada Joint Operations Command (CJOC) as the Chief of Operations. In August 2016, she was transferred to the Strategic Joint Staff as Director General Operations. In 2018, she assumed the duties of Chief of Staff, Operations at the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC).

In 2021, she completed a one-year Defence Fellowship assignment with the Centre of International and Defense and Policy at Queens’ University. Since April 21, she is assigned as the Deputy Commander of Military Personnel Command. In addition to her daily job, Mgen Bourgon is the Canadian Armed Forces Women, Peace, and Security champion.

MGen Bourgon is a graduate of Air Warfare College, holds a Master Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and a Master in Public Administration from the Royal Military College of Canada. She is married and they have two lovely children.

Chief Petty Offer 1st Class Tara White, MMM, CD

 

Chief Petty Officer Tara White enrolled as a Boatswain in the Regular Force of the Canadian Armed Forces in March 1996 from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. She served at sea in Her Majesty Canadian Ships IROQUOIS, MONTREAL, PROVIDER, PRESERVER, HALIFAX, FREDERICTON and lastly as Chief Boatswain Mate in CHARLOTTETOWN. During her sea and shore time, she has conducted the following operational deployments: Op MEGAPHONE, NATO, Op APOLLO, Op LAMA and Op PERSISTENCE.

In her shore postings, she served in the Canadian Forces Naval Operations School as a Primary Leadership Qualification instructor and as the Boatswain and Clearance Diver Training Manager with Naval Personnel Training Group Headquarters. In 2016, she then moved to Ottawa with her service spouse and family, where she was posted to Chief of Naval staff, and was employed at Director of Naval Personnel in personnel policy. Tasked with a unique opportunity, she worked with the Journey Task Force within Chief of Military Personnel before continuing her career with a yearlong French course in Gatineau Quebec. She next transferred into the Directory of Military Careers as the Career Manager for the Boatswains and Clearance Diver occupations.

Chief Petty Officer White became a member of the Order of Military Merit in 2014 and holds a diploma in the Defence and Security Program through Algonquin College in Ontario. In 2020, Chief Petty Officer White was promoted and appointed as Occupation Manager
Boatswain & Clearance Diver and currently serves now as the unit Chief Petty Officer at Directorate of Naval Personnel.

Chief Petty Officer White is married, and together with her husband and 2 children, they enjoy spending time with family, camping and supporting events in their local community.

Heather Tobin

Managing Director, Head of Active Investment Management, Global Leadership Team, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

 

Heather leads the Active Investment Management (AIM) group within the Total Fund Management department at CPP Investments. AIM is responsible for managing the Active Portfolio of CPP Investments and for ensuring the Fund has the best possible combination of active investment programs. Prior to her current role, Heather held leadership positions across the organization including as Head of the Strategy & Operations team in Capital Markets and Factor Investing, and as Director, Office of the CEO. She joined CPP Investments in 2009 as member of the Infrastructure team.

Prior to joining CPP Investments, Heather worked at the World Bank in the Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals team at the International Finance Corporation in Washington, DC, and in investment banking at Morgan Stanley where she covered the Canadian energy sector. Heather holds a BComm from Dalhousie University and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children Vivienne (age 9) and George (age 6).

Karen Forward

 

Karen Forward is a Senior Executive at Accenture, a global company specializing in consulting and information technology services. She spends her time advising leaders across industries on talent strategies that support large scale business transformation from mergers and acquisitions to digital transformation and more recently sustainability. She is passionate about the future of work and firmly believe that people will always make the difference. That’s why she is proud to serve as Accenture’s Executive Sponsor for its Military Employee Resource Group where the overall goal is to help create a workplace environment that recognizes and values the unique skills and experience that military employees bring to the table, and to support their success within the organization. Prior to Joining Accenture she was a Partner at PwC.

 

Karen is married to James and moved to Canada in 2010 from the UK. They became proud citizens just before the pandemic!

CWO Paula Carpenter

 

Born in Strathroy, Ontario, at the age of 16, moved to London, ON where she joined the Reserves and began her military career in the Canadian Armed Forces in the fall of 91 as an Armoured Crewman. While going to school she completed a Co-op in accounting with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment (4RCR) and the 1st Hussars (1H) in their Finance section.

It was at that time she realized she would be better suited for a career as a Finance Clerk and requested a trade change. In 92, started Basic Training and consecutively all trade related courses. Upon graduating from high school she went to Lambton College for a year in the Business Administration program. Upon completion of her first year, she realized she wanted to pursue her career in the forces and opted for full time employment as a full-time reservist with 1H then 4RCR. CWO Carpenter’s component transfer to the Regular Force (Reg F) was sparked by a short deployment to Uganda in 96, Op Assurance. She then transferred June of 97 upon completion of a Class C contract and was posted to CFB Petawawa.

Throughout CWO Carpenter’s military career, she has had several rewarding experiences with all units with which she has served. At the time of her transfer to the Reg Force she was posted to the Base Pay Office where she was immersed learning all new processes when the Fin, Admin and CEP Tech trades amalgamated, and she became a Resource Management Support Clerk in 98. After many requests to deploy, her dream finally came true and in December 99 she was deployed to Kosovo on Op Kinetic with the National Support Element. It was an amazing opportunity to utilize all her skills in a rear echelon experience offering a detailed view into all things administrative and financial in a deployed setting and closeout operation finishing in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Upon redeployment CWO Carpenter was posted to 2CER (Combat Engineer Regiment) in Petawawa. During this posting she had amazing opportunities for training and exercises with the opportunity to truly grow as a logistician. She once again was given another opportunity to deploy and headed out to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2003 as part of Roto 0, Op Athena with 24 Field Squadron. She received amazing training opportunities and gained so much from this experience. Upon her return from that deployment, she realized she needed a new challenge and decided to take the plunge in 04 and apply for selection and was fortunate enough to be posted to JTF2 as a supporter.

After completing a 5-year posting with CANSOFCOM and a promotion to Sgt in 06, it was time for a new challenge and she opted to pursue an OUTCAN to Lisbon, Portugal where she worked at the NATO HQ in the Operations and Planning Branch. Once again, another great opportunity putting learned skills to the test with new challenges working with our allied nations. Within months of arriving at the HQ, the NATO Reaction Force (NRF) was stood up for Op Ocean Shield in the horn of Africa and she was part of the Joint Operational Planning Group (JOPG). This opportunity earned CWO Carpenter a Commanders Commendation for her efforts within the J5 Plans Branch, one of only two ever issued to an NCO at Joint Force Command Lisbon (JFCL), truly a proud and fond memory serving as an ambassador to one’s country.

On her return to Canada in 2011, she pursued a French language course and was promoted to the rank of WO. CWO Carpenter returned to the CANSOFCOM fold in 2012 as a senior administrator to stand up a new unit, Canadian Special Operations Training Centre (CSOTC). Throughout this posting she pursued Portuguese language testing in her mother tongue and was selected as a CAF and SOFCOM linguist.

In the fall of 2013, she was asked to return to Dwyer Hill Training Centre (DHTC) in 2014 where she spent the next 3 years as the Chief Clerk of JTF2. Her level of dedication and support to the unit was recognized by a Commanding Officers Commendation in her 1st year back at the unit.

In July of 2017 CWO Carpenter was promoted to the rank of MWO and posted to Director General Compensation and Benefits (DGCB) where she was challenged and educated by the bigger picture of the corporation side of the CAF, employed as the DSM and subsequently DCBA 2-2, CAF Relocation.

In July 2019 she was selected to return to DHTC as the Support Squadron Seargent Major enabling 1st to 4th line support.

Promoted Apr 22 to the rank of CWO and appointed as the 4CDSB, Pers Svcs RSM.

In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, reading, snowmobiling, and travelling. She also enjoys the outdoors, and chicken farming which she finds therapeutic.

Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake, MSM, CD

 

Raised in Churchill Falls, Labrador, Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2002 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

She has been immensely privileged to serve in all three Combat Engineer Regiments in Canada.

She began her career in 5 RGC as a Field Troop Comd, served as 2IC 23 Armd Sqn and Operations Officer at 1 CER and was Officer Commanding of 24 Fd Sqn and 25 Sp Sqn at 2 CER before returning to her current job as the Commanding Officer of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in Petawawa, ON.

Outside of Combat Engineer Regiments, LCol Lake served as an instructor at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, spent time as a HUMINT operator, worked in the Office of the Chief of the Defense Staff as the Senior Staff Officer and oversaw Engineer Operations and Plans at the Canadian Joint Operations Command.

She deployed to Afghanistan three times on Op ATHENA and on two domestic operations including as the JTF Comd for Op WINISK.

In March 2021, she assumed command of Operation UNIFIER Roto 11 which was the first woman-to-woman transfer in the history of Canadian deployed operations. She was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for her work as the Task Force Commander.

LCol Lake currently serves as the CAF Liaison Officer to Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security. She is a mom to a very spirited daughter named Avi.

Susan Kudzman

 

Susan Kudzman has recently retired as Executive Vice-President, Chief Risk Officer and Corporate Affairs at Laurentian Bank of Canada. She previously held the position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Ms. Kudzman is Chair of the Board of Yellow Pages Limited, and also serves on the boards of Medavie, Transat A.T. Inc, Financeit and Nomad Royalty Company. She is involved in many community and philanthropic activities. Ms. Kudzman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science and the titles of Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA), Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA).

France Hébert

 

France Hébert is Vice-President and General Manager, Defence & Security (D&S) Canada for CAE. France leads the D&S business in Canada, shaping the vision and the operational and commercial strategy for the division, which includes 16 sites across the country and a team of 700 employees, many of whom are embedded with military units. France is also the President of SkyAlyne and the President of CAE Military Aviation Training (CMAT). She currently sits on the boards of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) and True Patriot Love. France is CAE’s representative for D&S Canada with the federal Government and Canadians.

France has 35 years of experience working in defence and aerospace. Over the course of her career, France has held senior positions in strategy, business development and operations. She brings extensive leadership experience with a proven track record on complex billion-dollar programs. She successfully won business in Canada and abroad.

Through her varied career, she was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and worked for three companies playing major roles in Canada, namely: Bombardier, Nortel, and General Dynamics Mission Systems – Canada (GDMS-C). .

France is a Professional Engineer who holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada. She has also received a certificate in Business Administration from McGill University and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. .

Nancy Setchell

 

Commander (Cdr) Nancy Setchell was raised in Midland, ON. She enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1995 as a Naval Warfare Officer under the Regular Officer Training Plan and graduated in 1999 from the Royal Military College with a Bachelor of Arts in Honours English. On completion of her training, she sailed in the Pacific Fleet for seven years. Following the Operations Room Officer course, she sailed in the Atlantic Fleet. After completing the Joint Command and Staff College at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Cdr Setchell served as Executive Officer of HMCS Montréal from 2014-2016. Following staff positions ashore, Cdr Setchell took command of HMCS Charlottetown. She was the second woman to command a Halifax Class frigate, and thoroughly enjoyed her time as Captain of Charlottetown, including port visits to Reykjavik, Iceland, Fort Lauderdale, and New York City.

In 2019, she transferred to the Reserve Force and moved to Big White, BC, and in 2020 to Kelowna, BC. Her work as a Reservist includes External Operations for the Directorate to Employer Support Programmes and enjoys opportunities to oversee training for senior navigation and Command Development courses. She frequently advises senior leaders on issues involving CAF culture evolution, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In 2019, she transferred to the Reserve Force and moved to Big White, BC, and in 2020 to Kelowna, BC. Her work as a Reservist includes External Operations for the Directorate to Employer Support Programmes and enjoys opportunities to oversee training for senior navigation and Command Development courses. She frequently advises senior leaders on issues involving CAF culture evolution, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.