WiDS Remarkable Leaders

NEW STARTING IN 2025: The WiDS Executive Committee listened to your feedback and with the support of our sponsor, Leonardo, we have changed the name of our Emerging Leader program to our Remarkable Leader program to be more inclusive of women at any point in their career. From junior levels to senior executives, all women deserve recognition for their positive contribution and impact to the Canadian defence and security industry.

WiDS works to provide women with a network that empowers them to be their whole selves - because we know that a more diverse and inclusive community makes us all stronger. Nominated annually at our Awards Breakfast by participating organizations, the WiDS Remarkable Leaders campaign celebrates the value women bring to Canada’s Defence and Security community.

 
Who is a Remarkable Leader?

Any person who identifies as a woman who is at any stage of their career and is doing great things. It is a person who is inspiring change, blazing a trail, creating trends and setting an example for other young women to follow. It is a person who deserves to be recognized for her contribution to her work. 

How do you submit someone for recognition as a Remarkable Leader?

The Remarkable Leader campaign is associated with the Annual Awards Breakfast. Therefore, any company or department who purchases an in-person table or 10 virtual tickets to the WiDS flagship event, can submit a Remarkable Leader for recognition at the Breakfast. The link to submit a Remarkable Leader will be sent to the individual who purchased the tickets shortly after the purchase is complete. All submissions will be required two weeks before the Breakfast in order to have the Remarkable Leader recognized at the Annual Awards Breakfast. 

Thank you to our 2025 Remarkable Leaders Sponsor:

Join us in recognizing our 2025 Remarkable Leaders!

Nour Acheson
Director, Research and Development Innovation Integration
Department of National Defence
Veronika Achor
Policy Analyst, Border Policy
Public Safety Canada
Katherine Arnot
Program Manager
BMT
Priyanka Batra
Software Developer in Test
Thales Canada
Colonel Marie Eve Bégin
Canadian Armed Forces
Leslie Blades
Director Space-based Technologies and Airborne Radio communication via Satellite Procurement (D STARS)
Department of National Defence
Lisa Bramall
Sr. Business Partner/Financial Controller for Canada Defence and Security
Dell Technologies
Valerie Brandenburg
Seaspan Victoria Shipyards
Paint Chargehand & Site Safety Steering Committee Chair
Edie Brenning
Senior Manager Protective Services
Royal Canadian Mint
Bethany Brown
Project Manager
Accenture
Joanne Brunette
Manager
L3 Technologies MAS
Caroline Cameron
Director
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Jeanne Carey
HR Generalist
Raytheon ELCAN
Carol Caughlin
Partner
Deloitte
Melanie Cave
Software Configuration Management Analyst
General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada
Daniella Cerqua
Systems Engineer
Leonardo Canada-Electronics
Micheline Chaar
Finance Director
Thales Canada, Defence and Security
Leah Chaudhari
Capability Manager - Electrical Engineering
BMT
Linda Chen
Supply Chain Lead
BAE Systems (Canada) Inc.
Caitie Clapp
Captain
Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Holly Clayton
Senior Proposal Specialist
AECOM
Lexxi Clement
Defence Account Manager, Federal Sector
Esri Canada
Erika Coghill
WiDS VP, Community Relations
L3Harris
Kirsten Cox
Real Property Advisor
CF RP Ops Gp - Central
Tricia Cox
Canadian Coast Guard
Project Manager
Kristina Cruz
Acting Manager Innovation and Climate Resilience
Canadian Coast Guard
Kristina Davis
Lead Public Affairs Counsellor
Compass Rose Group
Joanne Desrochers
Contracts Manager
Canadian Commercial Corporation
Megan Dewar
Lead, Tutte Institute for Mathematics and Computing
Communications Security Establishment Canada
Angélique Drouin
Manager, National Security Screening
Canada Border Services Agency
Toni Bri Edmonds
Commanding Officer
Department of National Defence
Maha El-Badaoui
Superintendent, Greater Toronto Area Region
Canada Border Services Agency
Janick Farmer
HR Manager
CAE
Janet Ferreira
Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnerships
DND - ADM(DRDC)
Karen Forward
Accenture
Marie Germa
Senior Policy Advisor, Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence
Public Safety Canada
Jennifer Glofcheski
Sr. HR Manager
Leonardo DRS
Chelsea Gougeon
A/Supervisor
DEW Engineering and Development
Lizann Grant
Executive Assistant, Director General R & D Policy and Advice
DND - ADM(DRDC)
Major Major Emmanuëlle Gratton
Search and Rescue (SAR) desk officer / Section Head Domestic Plans
Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Armed Forces
Alicia Greeley
Manager, Cryptographic Key Management Systems & Operations
CSE
Emily Greenfield
Senior Design Coordinator
Correctional Service Canada
Julie Hains
Regional VP Federal Government
Cisco
Tanya Hall
Stoneworks Technologies
Director, Partner Programs
Patti-Lynn Hankinson
Area Manager
Genoa Design International
Heidi Harms
Director of Commercial
MDA Space
Meaghan Hart
Operations Lead and BA, Digital Identity Governance
Communications Security Establishment
Anita Hayford
Project Controller/Office Manager/ACSO
Vard Marine Inc.
Jamie Hodge
Self Employed
Amanda Howes
Operations Manager
Tulmar Safety Systems Inc.
Ellie Hubschmid
Human Resources Business Partner
BMT
Aren Hunter
Dr.
Defence Research Development Centre
Rhiannon Iles
President
HFI Pyrotechnics Inc.
Robin Jahn
A/ Senior Advisor
Canadian Coast Guard
Aimee Jones
---
DND - ADM(IE)
Samar Fahmy Juteau
Senior Manager, Operations
Communications Security Establishment
Stéphanie Kamgnia Wonkap
Data & AI Specialist
ITI Canada Inc.
Mary Karpavicius
Director Municipal Transfers and Project Development
Department of National Defence
Natalie Keenan
Senior Solution Architect, Aerospace & Defense
IFS
Ariane Khanizadeh
Senior Research Analyst
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Juliana Kim
Business Development
Hanwha Defense USA
Stephanie Konrad
CSC Ship CPT – Modelling/ Arrangements – Topside Lead
Lockheed Martin Canada
Marija Kopac
Weapons Engineering - Team Lead
Babcock Canada
Gladys Koskas
Operations Director of Thales' National Digital Excellence Centre
Thales Canada, Defence and Security
Kim L
Public Safety Canada
Lisa Landry
Deputy Chief of Staff - Administrative Services
Department of National Defence
Isabelle Langevin
Canadian Military
Communications and Electronics Branch
Dina Latoche
Staff Officer
Department of National Defence
Stéphanie Lavigne
Sgt
Canadian Armed Forces
Breena Law
Sales and Marketing
Purelogic IT Solutions
Emily Lemay
General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada
Master Warrant Officer Pascale Lepage
Department of National Defence
Vanessa Lewis
Supervisor, Mission Systems & Operations, Robotics and Space Operations
MDA Space
Rachel Lim
Manager, SIOP & Planning
L3Harris Wescam
Gisèle Lizée
LC5ISR SoS Architecture
General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada
Wendy Luciani
Assistant Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture
Department of National Defence
Michelle Marshall
Project Management Specialist
Boeing Canada Operations Ltd.
Stacey McKinnon
Business Architecture Senior Manager
Accenture
Larissa Meli
Compliance Officer and Secretary of the Board
Leonardo Canada
Valérie Michaud
Modern Workplace Architect
ITI Canada
Melanie Miles
Director, Risk Governance and Learning
Bank of Canada
Ariane Morin
Customer Success Manager / Project Manager
Microsoft Canada
Telah Morrison
Co-Chair
Women Veterans Council Veteran Affairs Canada
Simonne Moscovitz
Manager, Cyber Security Policy
Public Safety Canada
Adrienne Motas
Saab Canada, Inc.
Rejana Muci
Director, Operations Excellence
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLp
Julianne Nezgoda
Director, Shipyards Facilities & Maintenance
Seaspan
Ciara P.
Communications Officer
Communications Security Establishment
Stacey Parks
Ethics Officer, Enterprise Operations and International Ethics
Lockheed Martin Canada
Alexa Pasha
RCL Dominion Command Service Officer
Royal Canadian Legion
Holly Pearce
DND
Graciela Pelayo
Project Manager
General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada
Leanne Pelley
Housing Operations General Manager
Department of National Defence
Rachel Peppiatt
Technical Integration Leader
CAE
Richelle Perkins
Intelligence Officer, Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division Prairie Region
Canada Border Services Agency
Lisa Petrenko
Area Manager, Canadian ACSV Program
General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada
Aliénor Peyrefitte
Chief of Staff
Samuel Associates
Iro Pitoglou
Program Manager
CCX Technologies
Caitlin Powers
Project Manager
Canadian Coast Guard
Major Gabrielle Rawling
2IC, Industrial and Supply Chain Security
Department of National Defence
Gail Roberts
CWO
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
Hannah Rosen
Add to List
Chief Professional Conduct and Culture, DND
Fauziyah Salaudeen
Communications & Marketing Manager
CADSI
Jasmine Senécal-Guzman
Financial Analyst
L3Harris Technologies
Asma Shams
Senior Cyber Security Analyst
Treasury Board Secretariat
Kate Shaver
Business Manager - Defence and Intel
Stoneworks Technologies Inc...
Geneviève Sirois
Senior Planning Officer
Chief Military Personnel
Natacha St-Onge
Protection Manager
Parliamentary Protective Service
Sarah Stephens
Superintendent
Canada Border Services Agency
Vivienne Stewart
Co-Chair
Women Veterans Council Veterans Affairs Canada
Natasha Szpakowski
Inspector
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Karine Taillefer
Manager, Program Evolution
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
Marie-Michèle Théorêt
Senior Manager, Operations
CSE
Maria Tkacheva
Chief Operating Officer
Roshel Inc
Qiu Tong
Assistant Director, Resiliency Partnerships
Bank of Canada
Andrea Valois
Site Security and Facilities Manager
Thales Canada Inc.
Ilona Vasileva
Software Developer
CCX Technologies
Adrienne Vickery
Supt.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Sgt Rachelle Warren
RCAF Reserve Recruiter
Royal Canadian Air Force
Amy Wellings
Manager, Human Resources
ADGA Group
Jennifer Whiteley
Owner/Consultant
Akkodis Canada
Kerri-Anne Whittaker
Canada Border Services Agency
Suzanne Wilkinson
Canadian Commercial Corporation
Director, DPSA • U.S. Government Relations
Mary-Kate Williamson
Manager Functional Consultants, Aerospace & Defense, IFS
IFS
Lindsey Winship
Senior Specialist, International Programs
General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada
Heather Wolczanski
Senior Geoscientist
BluMetric Environmental
Kira Yakimovich
Engineering Manager
Thales Canada, Defence and Security
Angela Zimmer
Director, Human Resources Operations
Marshall Aerospace Canada Inc

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Patron Sponsor
Parent Organization and Strategic Partner