MRU chancellor Dawn Farrell honoured for lifetime achievement in 2022 Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards

Annual ceremony recognizes the drive, success and business leadership of women in corporate Calgary

Mount Royal University chancellor Dawn Farrell.

Dawn Farrell was named MRU’s first chancellor in 2020.

Mount Royal University chancellor Dawn Farrell has been named the Lifetime Achievement Award winner at this year’s Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) Awards.

Axis Connects and its 2022 Awards Selection Committee announced this year’s honourees on Feb. 23. Shining a spotlight on influential business leaders in Calgary, recipients will be recognized and celebrated at a live and in-person CIWB Awards Gala on April 27.

“What an honour! To be recognized by senior women leaders here in Calgary is very meaningful and touching,” Farrell said.

“These awards help women from all walks of life know that they, too, can achieve their life purpose. Whether they are ambitious to lead in business, the community, government, education, or the many non-profit organizations that weave the fabric of our society, women honouring women creates a vision of a future where women take their natural place as leaders in our society,”

Farrell, who was named MRU’s first chancellor in 2020, will also be the featured presenter at the March 8 Bissett School of Business International Women’s Day event, where she will lead a panel discussion with influential women business leaders about universities and “gender” leadership, and how we aspire to a place where men and women lead together.

Axis Connects is a not-for-profit committed to elevating women professionals into decision-making roles. Nominations from organizations and individuals across Calgary were submitted for consideration in six award categories before being reviewed by a committee of 30 esteemed business executives. Honourees were chosen based on their professional accomplishments, advocating for advancing women, influence and business community involvement.

“We cannot wait to celebrate six incredible leaders in our city at our in-person awards gala in April,” said Heather Culbert, board chair, Axis Connects and the CIWB Awards. “Numerous studies point to the kind of impact that professional development and informal networks have on the success of an individual’s career and the awards recognize and celebrate the individuals that are role models for and champion these women.”

Also named as an award winner in the Small and Medium Enterprise category is Eleanor Chiu, CFO of The Trico Group/Trico Homes and MRU donor (Trico Changemakers Studio).


Dawn Farrell gives thumbs up to MRU graduates.

Accomplished business and community leader Dawn Farrell gives thumbs up to the graduates.

Farrell was president and chief executive officer of TransAlta Corporation from 2012 until her retirement in March of 2021 after three decades in the electricity industry. She continues her work in industry as a member of numerous boards of directors, including her current directors’ seats with Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and The Chemours Company. Her community service includes contributing to the United Way Calgary and Area and the Calgary Stampede in addition to being a member of the Trilateral Commission — a non-governmental and policy-oriented forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia.

Farrell’s history with Mount Royal goes back to 1986, when she taught an economics course. She returned to serve on the University’s board of governors and the Foundation’s board of directors, supporting the institution’s transition from a college to a university. Farrell has seen first-hand Mount Royal’s exceptional commitment to teaching and learning, and cites this as the reason behind her long relationship with the institution. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by MRU in 2019. As chancellor, she  is the ceremonial head of MRU and represents the public interest in the University.

“All of the awards granted by the Calgary Influential Women in Business organization inspire women to seek out work that makes a difference in who we are as Calgarians and as Canadians,” Farrell said. “My hope is that the many young women who attend Mount Royal University will reach beyond their dreams and stretch their limits. It can be done and we are making it so.”

2022 CIWB Award recipients:

  • Lifetime Achievement presented by TD Bank Group: Dawn Farrell, Independent Director and Chancellor, Mount Royal University
  • Large Enterprise presented by RBC: Jana Mosley, President, ENMAX Power
  • Professional Services presented by Nutrien: Cheryl Sandercock, Managing Director and Co-Head Energy A&D Advisory, BMO Capital Markets
  • Social Enterprise presented by PwC Canada: Kim Ruse, CEO, Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter
  • Small and Medium Enterprise presented by TC Energy: Eleanor Chiu, CFO, The Trico Group/ Trico Homes
  • Male Champion presented by CIBC: Jim Dewald, Dean and Professor, Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary

 

Join us to celebrate International Women’s Day. Presented by the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies, listen to leaders from the Calgary community and beyond engage in open and honest conversations about gender equity in the workplace and what it looks like to turn talk into action.

 

Check out the conversations and featured panelists

 

 

Feb. 23, 2022 — Peter Glenn

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