Lead Her Forward is Paying it Forward by Inspiring Women in the Workplace

The management consulting firm McKinsey & Company releases an annual report on Women in the Workplace. Despite progress over recent decades, the 2024 study indicates that caucasian women will need 22 years to achieve parity with male counterparts at the senior vice president level. For women of colour, this gap extends to 48 years.

It’s a staggering number, considering the decades-long struggle for gender parity in the workplace. This is particularly notable in a city such as Ottawa, where the federal public service boasts an entire department committed to employment diversity and inclusion. It may be that the department has pivoted away from the barriers women face in the workforce and has instead widened their focus to include inclusivity issues for all genders and minorities, leaving the “sis-gendered” issues at the back of the bus.

Whatever the reason, two women with a huge connection to Ottawa are collaborating to empower women across Canada. Their initiative, Lead Her Forward, has been created to help women overcome obstacles and establish their own networks. The duo hosted an inaugural ‘coming together’ on October 17 in Ottawa.

The idea for Lead Her Forward is a concept Anaida (Ana) Poilievre has been thinking about for a long time. The spouse of the leader of Canada’s official opposition greeted all the women at the launch of Lead Her Forward Canada, saying while she, of course, hopes her husband wins the next election, the initiative is apolitical, “. . . it’s about women first and foremost”.

Ana Poilievre is the kind of person you would describe as a firecracker, a bright light and someone with an infectious personality. She is authentic, intelligent and passionate about her beliefs, and this project in particular.

Poilievre says that she is in a unique position thanks to her husband’s role, where she explains, “I’ve been meeting wonderful people because of this opportunity, and I want to share those connections with women and elevate them as much as I can.” And that best sums up the goal of Lead Her Forward: It’s about bringing women together to share stories, experiences, and networks.

Her partner in the initiative and co-host for the event, Vanessa Mulroney, may also share a well-known surname but is an accomplished businesswoman in her own right. The Swiss-born Mulroney managed the London bureau of Condé Naste before moving to Canada to raise a family with her husband, Marc. A mother of five children, Vanessa is a philanthropist, has a strong, composed presence and exudes kindness—a trait all too underrated.

Mulroney recounts the meeting of the two women through their husbands at Stornoway, where they formed an instant connection. Their friendship deepened when Ana (as she calls herself) shared her concept for the initiative Lead Her Forward. Mulroney knew right away that she could support the cause and was confident about a collaboration because the two women share “the same values — of family and love and of being positive and looking to the future”.

Vanessa described Lead Her Forward as giving “women the connection to someone that can inspire them, elevate them, (and) help them on their path.”

ABOVE (Left to right): Vanessa Mulroney, Fiorella, and Anaida (Ana) Poilievere at the inaugural Lead Her Forward networking event. 

The kickoff event for Lead Her Forward, held at Lollo in the ByWard Market, was a cosy and intimate affair that brought together women entrepreneurs, young women on the cusp of their careers, and at least one seasoned political staffer. The guest speaker for the evening was Fiorella, co-owner of Salon Fiorella, a well-known business on George Street in the ByWard Market.

Fiorella shared the story of how her career in the beauty business began. When a friend asked about her ideal workplace, she replied, “I want to work in the best possible place where I can grow”. As luck would have it, while having dinner at Mezonnote, she had a chance introduction to the late Rinaldo Canonico, owner of the iconic Ottawa hair salon Rinaldo’s. Coincidentally, Rinaldo’s rose to prominence as Ottawa’s preferred salon after it became known that he was styling Mila Mulroney’s bob. Canonico invited Fiorella to meet him at his salon, and he hired her on the spot.

After years at Rinaldo’s, Fiorella eventually left to open her own salon. She recounted how she worked hard to build a clientele, something she encourages all young stylists entering the business to do. She explains that in her business, “The more clients you have, the more likely you will be fine if you decide to move on.”

It’s a concept that Kevin Kelly, the co-founder of Wired, advises entrepreneurs to embrace in his book 1000 True Fans. Ana calls it building a “community”. She chimed in that “1000 fans that really believe in you, that follow you, and that’s all you need, really.”

Fiorella spoke about the mistakes she made along the way, some of the hardships she endured, work-life balance, and the importance of having the right partner in business and life. She credits her success to a loving and supportive family, but no doubt her work ethic, professionalism and down-to-earth personality also deserve applause.

The room then broke into small groups to exchange questions and share contact details. The evening unfolded without any airs of pretension—a frequent, albeit uninvited, presence at many Ottawa events—allowing for an atmosphere devoid of judgment.

Despite long-term gender parity goals, reframing networking with forums like Lead Her Forward are places where women can find true empowerment.

The group breaks down barriers, and everyone, from entry-level positions to c-panel jobs, is first a woman. Keep an eye out for Lead Her Forward networking events across the country where supporting each other, generating enthusiasm for each other’s ideas and making connections is the only focus.

For more information on Lead Her Forward, visit their Instagram page @leadherforward.

“I always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success.” – Gloria Vanderbilt