In this episode of A WINning Perspective: The WIN Canada Podcast, panel host Riccardo Cossentino sits down with three nominees of The Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) Canada WIN Awards: Divya Shah, Tamara Vrooman, and Kimberly Doran. Despite working in senior roles in a male-dominated industry not designed for them, the panelists have achieved success and professional recognition. They share valuable insights and advice for transforming the industry from dry to progressive, and pose the question: Is it a dumb question or the next revolution in the industry? Along with expanding professional networks and securing sponsorships, these three leaders in major programmes share their hopes and actionables for women, and allies, in the industry. “We're just talking about infrastructure, which is about design and about building things and about the future. Yet, we really need to design our organizations for that future. And what I find is a lot of the time we're trying to put women, particularly I agree with you, mid-career, but that mid-career is what leads to senior career, into roles that were not designed for us…We have to change the way that we design our organizations so that they're fit for the purpose that we want them to serve, which is to get more diverse people, including women into leadership roles, particularly in an area like infrastructure.” — Tamara Vrooman Key Takeaways:The hesitancy of failing, the importance of taking risks as a woman in megaprojectsHow do we empower women to get into decision-making roles; rewriting roles designed for men Divya Shah is the Managing Director at the Canada Infrastructure Bank, leading investments in trade, transportation, and critical minerals. With 18 years in project finance, Divya shapes investment strategies, oversees business development, and manages financial structuring to asset management. She began her career at Infrastructure Ontario during its early days of public-private partnerships, marking her start in transformative infrastructure projects.Tamara Vrooman serves as the President and CEO of Vancouver International Airport, the second-largest international airport in Canada and home to the largest building in British Columbia. With a rich background in banking and finance, Tamara has financed numerous public and private infrastructure projects. Her extensive experience includes roles as the Chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank board and Deputy Minister of Finance for British Columbia, overseeing Partnerships BC.Kimberly Doran is the Vice President and Geotechnical Practice Lead at AtkinsRéalis. As a passionate advocate for gender parity, she co-founded and chairs the ExcELLEnce Employee Resource Group, dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive culture. Outside of her corporate responsibilities, Kimberly is deeply involved in her field, serving as the Finance Director for the Regina Geotechnical Group and participating in the Transportation Committee of the Saskatchewan Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEC-SK). If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a five star review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. The conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community: Join over the 2,500 women in the Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN)Learn more about the 2024 WIN AwardsConverse with women in your industry on LinkedInFollow Divya Shah on LinkedInFollow Tamara Vrooman on Linkedin Follow Kimberly Doran on LinkedInWomen’s Infrastructure Network on IGWomen’s Infrastructure Network on XConnect with our panel moderator and podcast host, Riccardo Cosentino on LinkedInListen to the Navigating Major Programmes podcast Music: "Rise Of Liberty" by Dope Cat. Licensed through PremiumBeat.DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Disenyo.co LLC and its employees.
