While working as a sales executive for a Fortune 500 company, Canadian entrepreneur Heather Odendaal noticed there were few women in senior executive positions. She hoped to further develop her skills by attending a leadership conference, geared towards women on the senior executive path. As she searched, she quickly realized there was a lack of events and conferences that fell into this category.
After lengthy conversations with her husband, Mike Odendaal (WNORTH’s Co-Founder), they both concluded they should take matters into their own hands. There was a need for change in the business world and they had the expertise to bridge the corporate gender gap. Their overall mission? Develop more women to leading positions in business. WNORTH was born.
In the Spring of 2015, the inaugural WNORTH Conference took place, and was a massive success. “I did not expect this type of response our first year,” Heather explains. “That’s when I realized we had created a really special experience and there was a need for more events and resources for women in business seeking ‘C-suite’ positions.”
Now in its sixth year, WNORTH has grown into a global organization for women who support each others’ rise to corporate leadership. WNORTH has since hosted incredible speakers from Google, IBM, Lyft, PwC, Cisco, and TELUS, to name a few. Driving the organization’s worldwide reach is The Members’ Club, WNORTH’s exclusive global network that connects ambitious and driven leaders through six city chapters: Toronto, London, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and New York.
“I am thrilled that WNORTH has such a global reach, and that we are able to help women achieve their dreams and create a long-lasting legacy,” says Heather. “This is why it is fitting that we chose ‘Cultivating Legacy’ as the central theme of our 2020 conference.”
The 2020 WNORTH Conference is set to take place at the picturesque Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, B.C., from October 28-30, 2020. During this time, 170 women will attend three days of high-level leadership training, networking and discourse hosted by well-known business leaders such as the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould (member of parliament for Vancouver Granville), Esther Wojcicki (Author of “How to Raise Successful People” and mother of CEO of YouTube and the Co-Founder of 23andMe), and Rola Dagher (President of Cisco Canada).
A woman of many trades, she also runs a boutique event and wedding planning business and takes on global clients under the umbrella of Bluebird Strategy, and is a Director on the board of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce.
How does Heather manage all of these business ventures and make time for her family? “The key is to stay extremely organized and focused. Most of my team is remote, so setting weekly calls and communicating daily via email or Slack is essential” she says. “I am lucky to be able to work from home, which allows for more family time. However, I cannot stress enough the importance of putting yourself out there. Attend all of the networking events and conferences you can. In-person contact is invaluable.”
Heather was recently recognized as one of Canada’s most influential event pros by BizBash. “I am honored to be featured alongside some of the most talented professionals in the events industry,” she says. “My journey has not been easy. I am still learning everyday and I cannot thank my family enough for supporting my mission.”
She was also nominated for the Whistler Excellence Awards Rising Star (2015 and 2016) and Innovative Business of the Year (2018) and has been featured in top tier publications such as Huffington Post, Chatelaine, and The Globe and Mail.
In her spare time, she hits the slopes on Whistler with her husband, and enjoys family outings with their two children.
