Five of CFA Society Toronto’s charterholders are leading the future with distinctive career paths that are linked by their drive to innovate. Covering data analytics, start-ups, research, social finance, and entrepreneurship, these women are inspiring a whole generation in the “think” economy.

Rebecca Pang, CFA
Senior Director, Channel Strategy and Analytics, CIBC

Twitter handle: @rebeccapalpang
App you can’t live without: “CIBC Online Banking. I do use it every day!”
Tagline: Using analytics to drive business strategy

When asked about the value of a dynamic analytics group, Rebecca suggests its success is driven by how focused the team is on the end goals. It’s not enough to find patterns in data and show them in “fancy” charts, she says, adding that insights derived from data have to create value. “We keep asking ourselves and our partners: Does the analysis drive business value, or is it just interesting to know? At a time of unprecedented structural change in the financial industry, smart data analytics becomes even more important in order to stay competitive, innovative, and relevant in the new world, she says. “Aside from building a strong collaborative partnership with business owners, instilling or evangelizing an analytics test-versus-control culture is also important to ensure the analytics group is able to provide as much value as it can.”

Sandra Odendahl, CFA
Senior Director, Social Innovation, RBC

Twitter handle: @sandra_odendahl
App you can’t live without: “Can I have three? Open Table, GetAbstract, and The Weather Network!”
Tagline: Making business a force for good—good for the economy, communities, and the environment.

Sandra’s tagline is inspiring. When she talks about what drives her day in and day out, she says she’d like to see all sizes of businesses, in every sector, adopt the mandate that they exist not only to provide a desirable product or service but also to make the world a better place. “The manner in which each company might enrich the world will vary,” she says, “so every company can and should aspire to make positive change in whatever ways make the most sense for their business, employees, and communities.”

Asha Soares, CFA
Co-founder, Kabuk

Twitter handle: @KabukLaw
App you can’t live without: “It’s hard to pick just one. My most-used are Skype, which enables me to keep in constant contact with my team, and Google Maps, which has made life infinitely easier for the directionally challenged (like me).”
Tagline: Dedicated to innovation, passionate about results

The start-up path is a brave one, filled with highs and lows. Asha’s reason for creating Kabuk was to make getting the right legal advice simpler for everyone. “It hasn’t always been easy, but the experience of taking a start-up from idea to market is unlike any other,” she says. “Resources—both financial and human—are limited, so you quickly learn to be very creative with what you’ve got. Start-ups mean taking your existing skill sets and pushing them to the limit.”

At Kabuk, Asha still does a lot of financial work and market analysis but thrives on being involved in everything from sales and marketing, product management, social media strategy, quality assurance testing, and even some very basic coding. “While the experience [of creating a start-up] is certainly not for the faint of heart, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing that first prototype, receiving positive customer feedback, or making those early sales.”

Barbara Stewart, CFA
Portfolio Manager, Cumberland Private Wealth Management

Twitter handle: @RichThinkingB
App you can’t live without: “A year ago it would have been LinkedIn. But now Facebook is probably tied with it and about to move ahead. I’m finding more and more of my clients are sending me friend requests, and a surprising number of them are starting to communicate with me via Messenger. Twitter is on the list, but it’s a distant third.”
Tagline: Inspire women to invest and they’ll become your marketing department.

Barbara publishes research on women and finance in her Rich Thinking series of white papers (available at www.barbarastewart.ca). She has learned that, for women, actions speak louder than words. “Don’t watch what women say about money; watch what they do with their money,” she explains. And more women employed in an organization means more money, she adds. “Diversity makes companies more profitable, leading to higher share prices. Reaching out to the increasingly influential and financially powerful female audience will result in more money across all industries. Women learn through stories and also invest in causes and concerns that matter to them; however, women are risk-aware not risk-averse.”

In 2015, Barbara interviewed 50 global leaders, female and male, on how smart women are shaping the future of the financial industry. That paper will be launched globally in Stockholm at a gala event timed to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8.

Susan McLean, CFA
Director, Corporate Development, MaRS Discovery District

App you can’t live without: “UBER, UBER Eats, and Houzz (amazing resource for home renovations!)”
Tagline: Building synergies for a successful innovation ecosystem: industry, policy, strong entrepreneurs

Susan joined MaRS Discovery in early 2016, after having spent several years working for the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. Part of her decision to join MaRS was her collaborative approach to innovation. “Regions with the strongest innovation ecosystems have had the most success in building a knowledge-based economy,” she says. “At the heart of it, it takes great entrepreneurs, but we also need the support and alignment of large corporations, investors, and government to improve the conditions for them to thrive. I love working at the cross-section of the public and private sectors, building partnerships that help our start-ups grow. Successful start-ups turn innovative ideas into products and services that give us better healthcare, a cleaner living environment, and a higher quality of life while building the economy. It feels good to be a part of that.”