A BRIGHT FUTURE OF NEW BEGINNINGS FOR WXN
For Sherri Stevens, the past year has been a significant turning point for the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) and its members. “I’ve been so impressed by the achievements of women and the wonderful things they’ve done despite very challenging circumstances over the past year,” says the WXN owner and CEO.
Despite those challenges, WXN has seen its membership grow by 65 per cent over the past year, introduced new awards and programming, and initiated expansion efforts beyond Canadian borders for the first time.
That growth is noteworthy, says Stevens. “Women wanted to be connected during a time when there was a lot of pressure put on them. There is still much anxiety out there and fear of the unknown about what will happen to them professionally and personally.”
The Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards also hit a milestone in 2021, with BIPOC women, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community and women living with disabilities accounting for 51 per cent of the winners. “That was quite an achievement for us. In 2019, only 16 per cent of our winners were diverse,” she says. “That simply wasn’t good enough, so we increased our outreach to diverse associations and organizations.”
The past year has also provided ample opportunities for WXN to refine and enhance its awards, she says. The Women of Courage category, which was introduced in 2020, took hold and drew more nominations than expected. “We introduced it quietly to recognize three servicewomen who had fallen in the line of duty. This year we received so many nominations for this category, it was difficult to choose the winners.”
To further help women connect with employers, WXN launched a new Career Center this past June, where organizations and corporate partners can post positions and search resumes.
Throughout the year, Stevens has been working with partners and associates to plan a new and more expansive future for WXN. “I’m excited to be announcing a number of new initiatives for 2022 that will see our ranks grow exponentially,” she says.
A cornerstone project is a new Canadian Equity Diversity and Inclusion (CEDI) Awards program and Summit event celebrating the top women leaders who have made an impact on their organizations and communities when it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion.
“We know many organizations are lagging when it comes to getting more women on boards,” she explains. “Our 2020 Annual Report Card showed that women represent only 29 per cent of the membership on boards in Canada. We really want to put a deliberate focus on women out there who are directors of organizations and leading the way when it comes to equity on boards and directorships.”
The CEDI Awards program is a long-standing passion project for Stevens. “It is something I always wanted to do as a CEO. It’s the only way to shine a light on organizations that are doing the right things in equity, diversity and inclusion. I hope it encourages others to look at what they are not doing so they can change the policies and processes in their boardrooms.”
The CEDI Awards will also include an Ally of Excellence award that will celebrate men as well. “They are our allies, not the enemy,” she explains. “We can’t move forward without them helping and supporting us in this initiative.”
The CEDI Awards, which launch in May 2022, will recognize up to 15 winners across five categories. Already, it promises to become a key ingredient in WXN’S suite of events and programs. “We really want to make sure we put an equity, diversity and inclusion lens on everything we do, whether it’s our training programs, events, thought leadership or awards programs.”
Another addition to the WXN roster in 2022 is the RAW Courage Coaching Program. Stevens describes
it as a reinvention of the Wisdom Mentoring Program that WXN developed 12 years ago in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business.
RAW stands for Radically Authentic Women, a phrase Stevens says has been embraced by WXN’S members. “We wanted to create a more holistic program. As women, we’re not one-dimensional; our personal lives are interwoven into everything we do. We felt we needed a program that would focus on both women’s personal and professional growth and help break women free from the inner barriers that might hold them back.”
The six-month virtual program, launching in January 2022, will provide more than 40 hours of instruction, coaching, panel discussions and mentoring. Registration is open until the first week of January.
But that’s not all Stevens is excited about. She’s looking forward to WXN’S expansion into the U.S. in the new year as well. “It’s a natural progression to expand WXN to the U.S., where we’ll be including the RAW Courage Coaching Program, our Monday Mojo sessions and Virtual Book Club, along with other support.
We’re very excited about this new venture.”
The official launch for WXN USA will take place at a live one-day summit event on April 28, 2022, in Jackson, Mississippi, featuring keynote speaker and celebrity Judge Glenda Hatchett. From there, WXN plans to expand in the southeastern region across Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, says Stevens. “There isn’t anything like this in those regions. It’s an area, for the most part, that’s still a very patriarchal society. We believe women there need the support we offer. Our lofty goal is to have a Top 100 event for that region within five years.”
It’s all part of Stevens’ ongoing mission to create a supportive environment where women can achieve their full potential. “Every time I think about our future, I imagine how we can support and nurture women as they enter the leadership pipeline and rise into higher levels. If women can’t see themselves as powerful and empowered leaders today, how are they going to continue that journey to the top? We’re here to help show them what they’re truly capable of achieving.”