Powerful Women Get the Job Done
By Kathy McCormick, Calgary Herald – December 5, 2009
Lesley Conway, president of Hopewell Residential Communities, has been named one of Canada's most powerful women in 2009 by the Women's Executive Network.
Conway is recipient of the 2009 Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards, one of Canada's most recognizable honours bestowed on the country's highest-achieving women leaders .
It's the second time the developer has been honoured with the award. The first was in 2006.
Recipients are selected by an independent advisory board.
Winners are from across Canada, with each proven achievers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Conway is one of the few female leaders in the residential construction industry, where she has made her mark.
She has won numerous other awards, including the 2004 Management Alumni Excellence Award from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, and the 2005 Global Woman of Vision honour.
In addition, her team has been named Developer of the Year at several past SAM (Sales and Marketing) Awards for the Calgary region.
Hopewell has built communities that include Elbow Valley west of the city. It is now developing Mahogany and Copperfield in Calgary's southeast, and Reunion in Airdrie.
Winners of the Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards were honoured at an annual awards gala dinner Monday in Toronto. The keynote speaker was Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines.
In addition, the winners, future leaders and Fortune 100 leaders will be honoured in their own communities — Jan. 26 for Alberta winners.
Besides Conway, other Alberta winners include: Sherri Brillon, executive vice-president of strategic planning and portfolio management, EnCana Corp.; Priscilla Ng, marketing consultant, Intact Insurance, Western division; Leslie O'Donoghue, chief legal officer, senior vice-president, business development, Agrium Inc.; Dr. Arlene Ponting, physician, Science Alberta Foundation; Lakshmi Raj, co-CEO, Replicon Inc.; Laurel Wood, executive vice-president, advisory services, Meyers Norris Penny LLP; JudyLynn Archer, president and CEO, Women Building Futures; and Indira Samarasekera, president and vice-chancellor, University of Alberta.
"We applaud the many accomplishments of our very deserving winners from across the country, all of whom achieved their successes in spite of this year's difficult financial climate," Pamela Jeffery, founder of Women's Executive Network (WXN), said in a news release.
"This year's winners are now part of an amazing group of women, many of whom will go on to become mentors in our WXNWisdom programs. We thank them for their contributions and hope they will continue to inspire others through hard work and mentorship."
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