Illustration by Robert Carter
Stella Thompson is a businesswoman in every sense of the word. In her more than 40-year career, Thompson has cut a swath through the business world in marketing, strategic planning, information systems, finance, policy governance and more. Her experience has led to titles such as co-founder, chair and director, as well as positions on many boards.
Thompson's work as an oil executive with Petro-Canada led to her first board appointment: the Prime Minister's National Advisory Board on Science and Technology. She went on to be the first woman to sit on boards for Allstate Insurance, Agra Inc. and Laidlaw Inc.
After winding down her consulting company in 2008, Thompson turned her full attention to board commitments. She has served on the boards of Atomic Energy of Canada, Calgary Airport Authority, Genome Alberta, Talisman Energy and WaterSMART, among others. She currently lends her expertise to Connect First Credit Union.
Thompson, who has advocated to increase gender diversity in the boardroom and tackle gender issues in the workforce, has this advice for young women: "Don't take the forward movement for granted. Keep on fighting the fight."
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