Having recently joined the Minerva team as Partnerships Assistant, I was excited that my first team meeting was with two of the newly appointed directors of the foundation. I have met with a few company directors in my career as a Marketer in Sri Lanka, but none as impressive as the two women I met at Minerva that day.
The first Director to be introduced to us was the vivacious Carol Chiang. A chartered accountant by profession, Carol has been working at KPMG for over 20 years and is now a Partner of the firm in Vancouver. She has been a part of the Minerva community for at least 10 years, initially as a participant in Minerva’s Learning to Lead™ and Follow a Leader™ programs, and more recently as a speaker at Women Leading the Way™.
Zahra Rasul was the next director to be introduced (pictured above). The owner and Director of Rasul Learning Group, an educational consulting and coaching firm, Zahra brings to the Minerva community a passion for activism with women’s organizations and Aboriginal communities, strengthened by her educational background in Education and Gender Studies. In 2005, she was recognized for her work with teen mothers in Downtown Eastside in Vancouver in the Tupper Young Parent program, which she continues when to date.
They are true advocates of what Minerva stands for and we are privileged to have them on the Board of Directors.
Sitting at the same table with the inspiring women of the Minerva team, with our names handwritten on placards, listening to each one explain the work they do for the women of BC, is one meeting I will remember wherever I go.
In addition to these two women, Christine Marks is another phenomenal leader that joined the Minerva Board in August this year. Armed with a Communications degree from Simon Fraser University, Christine is an international communications and marketing professional with experience in many industries; she is presently the Director, Corporate Communications at GoldCorp Inc. Speaking of Minerva, she says ‘just like authentic leadership, Minerva’s impact is deep, highly personal and creates positive ripple effects for generations.’ I greatly look forward to meeting her.
