LISA KIMMEL

EDELMAN TORONTO

A natural team builder and collaborator, Lisa Kimmel is responsible for the recruitment and retention of talent, client servicing, new business development and reputation management. Under her leadership, the Toronto office has almost doubled in size — a direct reflection of a work environment that inspires creativity and learning.

“I’m most proud of leading a complete cultural transformation in my office, resulting in several consecutive highprofile best employer awards.”

“It’s common for women to be passed over for promotion when they are either pregnant or it is assumed that they will have another child. I advocated to be promoted leading up to my maternity leave with my first child and, fortunately, my (male) boss at the time concurred. This had never happened in my office before. And then again, immediately upon returning to work following my second maternity leave, I was promoted again. Now, when women in my office are deserving of a promotion — regardless of their status — I encourage upward mobility.”

“The historic figure who inspires me is Marie Curie. As the only woman to have won two Nobel Prizes, she is a woman who epitomized determination, curiosity, intelligence and perseverance, and who sought to innovate at a time in history when innovation and thinking ‘outside the box’ wasn’t necessarily encouraged or supported. In addition to her meaningful contributions professionally, she was also a devoted mother, demonstrating the great possibilities we can achieve as working mothers. The Honourable Céline Hervieux-Payette has also been a supportive role model and mentor to me for many years. She is a Canadian senator and a former federal minister, telecommunications executive, lawyer and champion of women. Notably, she pursued her studies and a career in law after raising her three children. I admire her greatly because she is bold, savvy, determined, compassionate and courageous.”

General Manager