SOLD OUT

Mark your calendars, dust off your favourite evening shoes, and get ready to join us for an incredible night May 4th, 2022 from 5 – 8 PM. Hosted at the Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Toronto, we look forward to welcoming you in-person for our first Women of Inspiration event.

Across North American WISE chapters, the Women of Inspiration event recognizes women leaders in the business of sports, events, entertainment who serve as role models and mentors for other women in their respective communities.

Open to members and not-yet-members alike, we hope you'll JOIN US as we pay tribute to two talented game changers, shining a light on their leadership, and the significant contributions they’ve made to the sport and entertainment industry in Canada.

We’ll share the room as they pass along lessons they've lived by, how they’ve overcome adversity, climbed some of the highest mountains and, we'll look forward, delving into what they have their sights set on next. Yes, it’ll be a magical night honouring two exceptional women, hosted by a legend in the broadcast world, include networking with industry leaders AND a triumphant toast to our return to live.

HONOURING Sarah Nurse and Mary DePaoli

ABOUT SARAH NURSE
Sarah Nurse is a member of the Canadian Women's National Team and the Toronto region Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA) team. She is a two-time Olympian, winning Olympic Gold in 2022 and a 2021 IIHF World Championship. She set the Olympic record for most points and most assists in a single women's tournament and her 13 assists set the Olympic record for men and women dating back to 1960 at Beijing 2022. She has emerged as one of the most recognized Canadian athletes extending her influence beyond the ice as an ambassador for brands such as Adidas, Canadian Tire Corporation, CCM Hockey, Chevrolet, Cheerios/General Mills, EA Sports, Loreal Matrix, RBC, Revlon, Sobeys, Tim Hortons including the launch of a limited-edition Barbie featuring her likeness. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a B.B.A. in Business Administration - Marketing.

Her impact also extends off the ice as Sarah uses her voice and platform to help lead the conversation around diversity, representation and advancing inclusion in the sport of hockey. The first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in hockey, she serves as a member of the NHL Player Inclusion Committee and is a board member and spokesperson for the PWHPA. Beyond her own playing career in the PWHPA, Sarah appeared as an Analyst on Sportsnet Hockey Central during the NHL regular season in 2020-21.

ABOUT MARY DEPAOLI
As RBC’s Executive Vice President & CMO – Mary DePaoli leads an international team of over 500 professionals in building RBC’s brand and reputation globally, and serves as Chair of the Board responsible for overseeing RBC Foundation, one of Canada’s largest corporate donors. Since joining the Bank in 2015, Mary’s strategic vision has been instrumental in establishing RBC as a market leader among young Canadians, Canada’s most valuable brand, and among the top100 brands globally.

Under her leadership, the Bank launched the RBCxMusic platform and forged a unique partnership with Live Nation to deliver innovative programming, including the Canadian Open Concert Series and First Up - a national initiative dedicated to supporting emerging Canadian artists with funding, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Mary has been a prime mover in expanding RBC’s partnership with TIFF to champion the often under-represented voices of women in film through the RBC Female Creator Initiative, and Women in Film series profiling female directors. She is also recognized as one of the most powerful people in Canadian sport for her vital role in securing a premier spot for the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour schedule, and in recruiting a diverse mix of the world’s best players to represent Team RBC. She has also taken the lead in making the sport more inclusive and accessible with the launch of RBC Community Junior Golf, which is expected to provide over 10,000 Canadian youth with affordable access to the game by 2023. In addition, Mary and her team have expanded RBC Training Ground to help discover and support of Canada’s next generation of Olympic hopefuls, with 13 of the program’s graduates competing at the recent Tokyo and Beijing Games, and bringing home a collective 7 medals.

A member of the TIFF Board of Directors and founding board member of WISE Toronto, over the years Mary has been named Strategy Magazine’s Marketer of the Year and one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in addition to earning a spot among the Women Executive Network’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. Throughout her career, she’s supported many worthy causes including The Hospital for Sick Children Leaders Program and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

HOSTED BY: Christine Simpson
Boasting more than 20 years of broadcast expertise and a lifetime of hockey knowledge, Christine Simpson has been the face of Sportsnet features and event coverage since the network’s inception in 1998.  Simpson currently works as a reporter for the NHL on Sportsnet, appearing on Hockey Night in Canada and Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey.  As the host of The Big Picture her interviews shine a light on the human impact stories and personalities shaping the Game.  Throughout her career she has covered the NHL on SN, ABC, ESPN, Versus, NHL Network and during the 2010 Olympic Winter Olympics she hosted Centre Ice with Christine Simpson at the Molson Canadian Hockey House. Prior to her successful career in broadcasting, Christine worked in Public Relations with Roots, was the Marketing Manager with the Hockey Hall of Fame and served as in-arena host for the Toronto Maple Leafs

As powerful off the camera as on, she’s played a leading role in the boardroom as a key driver behind gender equity advancing firsts for the broadcaster, in her work on the WISE Toronto board, and as an active member on the Conn Smythe Sports Celebrities Dinner committee in support of Easter Seals.

You do not want to miss this night that promises to energize, empower, and motivate our future Women of Inspiration. Save the date, and do not wait. This event will sell out!