BURLINGTON, ON, June 14, 2019 /CNW/ - The annual BMO Celebrating
Women event in Burlington, Ontario
honoured four women for their remarkable contributions to business
and the community.
The program honours female leaders in local communities as part
of BMO's commitment to drive the advancement of women and
recognizes contributions in one of three categories: Trailblazers
& Innovators; Community & Charitable Giving; and Expansion
& Growth in Business.
The following honourees were recognized:
- Trailblazers & Innovators: Amy
Leask. With more than 10 years of experience as an
educator, curriculum developer and children's media producer, Ms.
Leask understood great thinkers of all ages needed to realize the
power in their ideas. Co-founding Enable Education in 2006, she and
her team develop education and training materials for educators,
employers and industry professionals across various fields
including academic institutions and science, technology,
engineering and mathematic (STEM) disciplines. Committed to
revolutionizing education through improving knowledge-sharing
vehicles, Enable Education's content is accessible through various
mediums, including online, mobile apps and virtual and augmented
reality. In addition to serving as vice-president of Enable
Education, Ms. Leask founded Red T Media in 2016, developing
multimedia content to encourage young minds to explore big
questions.
- Community & Charitable Giving: Dorothy Borovich. Ms. Borovich has been a
dedicated community leader for more than 20 years. In 1990, she
founded the Burlington Rehab Services, where she developed a
one-on-one treatment designed to ensure patients receive injury
education, understand the treatment program and receive guidance
and encouragement throughout the recovery process. Following her
battle with breast cancer in 2008, Ms. Borovich founded Healthy
Reflections to provide financial assistance for breast cancer
patients requiring treatments or products not covered by OHIP or
insurance. She later co-founded numerous community organizations
including YouthFest, an annual event connecting young people with
meaningful volunteer opportunities and the Halton Hero's Gala, a
fundraiser in support of police officers who were injured or killed
in the line of duty and their families. Recognized for her
dedication to community involvement, Ms. Borovich was honoured with
the Citizen of the Year Award and the Burlington 150 Award in 2017. Last year, she
was the first woman to receive the Burlington Foundation's
Distinguished Philanthropist of the Year Award.
- Expansion & Growth in Business: Sherri Tawfik and Miranda Tawfik. Sisters, pharmacists and
co-owners of Origins Pharmacies, Miranda
and Sherri Tawfik are committed patient advocates, focusing
on bridging the gaps in healthcare delivery for patients in their
communities. In 2015 and 2016, the sisters won the bid for the
ownership of the outpatient pharmacy at the Oakville Trafalgar
Memorial Hospital and Milton District Hospital. Early in their
career, the Tawfik sisters learned the value of patient-centered
approaches. By moving beyond dispensary counters and working with
healthcare providers in hospitals and communities, they deliver
novel, comprehensive healthcare solutions. In addition, they
established a compounding lab to provide the hospital and community
compounding medications otherwise not commercially available.
"Our honourees are community and business leaders who share
the same drive and passion that make them formidable champions of
change in their respective communities," said Julie
Barker-Merz, Regional President, Southwestern Ontario, BMO Financial Group.
"Recognizing strength in diversity, it is BMO's pleasure to
recognize their investments toward the advancement of women in
Southwestern Ontario and
nationwide. These initiatives are core to the bank's Purpose to
Boldly Grow the Good in Business and Life and its commitment to
support women entrepreneurs."
BMO has developed products to address the needs of its female
clients, including the recent Women in Leadership Mutual Fund – the
first impact-investing mutual fund focused on gender diversity to
be offered by a Canadian bank. In April
2019, CEO Darryl White signed
the UN Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) on behalf of the bank,
making BMO the first Canadian financial institution to sign the
WEPs.
For more information about BMO Celebrating Women, please visit
bmoforwomen.com and join the social conversation using
#BMOforWomen.
About BMO for Women
BMO is committed to supporting
initiatives that empower women within its workforce and the
communities the bank serves. BMO has partnered with organizations
such as the Women's Presidents Organization, GroYourBiz,
#movethedial, and Women Get On Board to provide expertise,
leadership, knowledge, and opportunities for women to network and
learn. In 2018, BMO announced it is making $3 billion in capital available over the next
three years for Canadian businesses owned by women. Through the
only bank-owned recognition program for women in North America – BMO Celebrating Women – BMO
celebrates successful women who have given back to their
communities or achieved success in business. Since 2012, BMO
Celebrating Women has honoured more than 100 women in communities
across Canada and the United
States.
SOURCE BMO Financial Group