Women’s leadership in Canada is at a pivotal time.
Women remain underrepresented in management roles in Canada. Yet, over 70 percent of the Great Wealth Transfer is expected to fall into women’s hands over the next 20 years. In workplaces across the globe, a suite of AI platforms and new technology is transforming businesses. The next era of leadership requires adaptability, empathy and inclusion.
Through it all, a question emerges: how do you empower women in the leadership pipeline to lead through this significant change?
“Women need to take ourselves out of the noise,” says Heather Odendaal, the founder and CEO of WNORTH, a membership network of over 1,700 women leaders, changemakers and entrepreneurs in North America. WNORTH’s flagship event, an annual leadership conference, invites women in corporate, entrepreneurial and public sectors from across Canada to the Whistler mountains to learn, connect and accelerate their growth.
“There is something really important about bringing women’s voices together into one room to keep them inspired and motivated to stay in this work.” Indeed, 2023 saw record numbers of women leaving the workforce, and recent studies from 2025 show that trend continuing. Of the women who left the workforce, 58 percent did so voluntarily, according to a study by Catalyst. “We’re not going to see any major shifts in power unless we continue to nurture these women in the leadership pipeline,” she says.
The theme of this year’s conference is exactly that: “The Power Shift: Leading Through Change, Creating What’s Next.” The timely conference will “ensure that women who will be in executive leadership positions in the next five to 15 years have the tools to build companies that unite inclusion, empathy and the bottom line so that they can scale with purpose and profit,” Odendaal says.
Growing connections at WNORTH
The WNORTH Conference returns to the Four Seasons Resort Whistler from May 6 to 8, bringing together 300 women to dig into that challenge.
“This is a business imperative for women leaders,” explains Odendaal. 70 percent of WNORTH Conference attendees’ tickets are paid for by their companies. “I really believe that you need to take women out of their everyday lives and immerse them in this type of experience.”
Over the three days, attendees will participate in programming on topics like scaling and growing business, economic and financial empowerment and executive leadership presence. “What’s unique about WNORTH is that we are non-industry specific, so no one is trying to sell you anything,” she says.
This year marks the conference’s 11th anniversary, and will feature trailblazing speakers like Joanna Griffiths (founder of Knix) and Katie Telford (chief of staff to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau). “The conversations that are had on stage are very real, very vulnerable,” says Odendaal. But, she adds, the speakers don’t just present; they are immersed in the programming. Both featured guests will each also host their own smaller-group Connect Dinner on May 7.
“We also have several cool experiences that have the conference cross over into a retreat-type model,” adds Odendaal. These “Après” activities will range from forest bathing to hiking to painting—all helping to keep this highly inspired community connected beyond WNORTH’s year-round virtual programming.
“When I started WNORTH 11 years ago, much of the conversation focused on the lack of diversity in the C-suite. How many Johns, Michaels and Davids were at the top,” she says. “But far less attention was being paid to how we actually support and elevate women through the leadership pipeline, so there are more women ready for those roles in the future. For me, the longevity of WNORTH comes from staying true to that objective: keeping women motivated to stay in the game, while actively building a stronger, more representative pipeline of leaders.”
Register for the 2026 WNORTH Conference and save $150 with code BCBIZ. Early Bird ends Monday, March 30.
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