Building Brands in BC

May 30, 2012

Vancouver Canucks. TELUS. Laughing Stock. VANOC. Clearly Contacts. Aritzia.

We know these brands as some of the most recognized in Canada and we love that they live right here in British Columbia.

Join Y.E.S! Vancouver for our fifth annual Speaker Series to gain insight from some of Vancouver’s most influential business leaders. Panelists will share their past experiences, strategies for building a successful brand, and why their organizations thrive on the west coast and beyond.

Your ticket includes complimentary wine and snacks. Take part in our mystery auction featuring coveted items essential for every busy Vancouver professional. Feel good about giving back to our community. All proceeds go directly to Dress for Success*.

Not yet a Y.E.S! member? Click here to discover more.

*Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Meet the Panel

	Aaron Magness – Vice President, Marketing – Coastal Contacts, Inc. Aaron has worked in retail for over 10 years with brands that put a focus on customer service.  He is a proven leader with oversight of Marketing, PR, Social Media and Business Development.  He received his BBA from University of Wisconsin – Madison with a double major of Marketing and Management & Human Resources. He ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain only five weeks before his wedding day.  Luckily, he made it out alive.  He is also an endurance athlete, though he’s not sure why he puts himself through the pain.
	Cynthia Enns – Owner & Vineyard Manager, Laughing Stock Vineyards Many people would think that naming a winery Laughing Stock Vineyardswould be suicide in a competitive wine industry. However, since launching the winery in 2003, Cynthia Enns and her husband, David, wake up everyday with the motivation of not living up to the name. This calculated risk has succeeded as the winery is well established and their early success has been in part thanks to the business acumen of Cynthia’s solid background in marketing and finance. Prior to moving to Penticton, Cynthia worked in advertising for a Toronto ad agency and then as a marketing and research consultant in the investment industry in Vancouver.  Laughing Stock Vineyards, founded in 2003, is the second business she and her husband have started together.  Recent accolades include being a Finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 (Cynthia was the only woman on the podium that day out of 35 entrepreneurs). Cynthia holds a B.A. Commerce from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland. Not sure if having all the letters after her name is as important anymore as having a green thumb in the vineyard these days. Cynthia contributes to various industry associations including the External Community Advisory Council for UBC-Okanagan, Start-Up Canada – BC Steering Committee and the Naramata Bench Winery Association.
	Dennis Kim – Director, Media – Aritzia As Senior Director, Digital Media for Aritzia, Dennis is an experienced marketing professional, with a passion for strategic brand marketing and innovative consumer activations. He has worked in senior marketing leadership roles with the Canadian Olympic Team, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organizing Committee (VANOC) and the Vancouver Canucks. Recently relocated back to Vancouver from Toronto, where as Executive Director, Brand Marketing for the Canadian Olympic Team, led the rebranding project which was recognized by FastCo.Design as the third best global rebrand design in 2011, behind the XL Group and Starbucks. Dennis developed and led the strategic marketing plan for the retail licensing and merchandise program for Vancouver 2010 which delivered more than $500 million in gross retail sales; the country’s largest ever sporting event merchandise program and the most successful Olympic Winter Games program. This program included the execution of the largest ever Canadian Olympic consumer product fundraising initiative: the Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens; a program that sold an unprecedented 3.5 million units and delivered over $14 million for Canadian Athletes. After graduating from the University of British Columbia (Bachelor of Arts), he landed a job with the Vancouver Canucks, where he had an incredible six years and finished as Director, Merchandise. His most notable memory while with the Canucks was leading the charge to bring back the Vintage 1970’s uniforms back in the 2003-2004 season, which is now used as their primary team colours.
	Juggy Sihota – Vice President, Client Experience Strategy and Development – Telus As Vice President, Client Experience Strategy and Development, Juggy Sihota leads the national development, governance, management and execution of the Client Experience strategy for consumer services such as TV, High Speed Internet, landline and wireless. She leads a team of 150 professionals across Canada as well as leading multimillion dollar capital transformation programs that affect over 7,000 TELUS team members across 15 call centres globally. Client Experience strategy drives the performance and engagement of the business to increase client loyalty, profitability and satisfaction. TELUS is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada with over 40,000 employees, $10.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million customer connections including 7.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines and 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 450,000 TELUS TV customers. Since joining TELUS in 1995, Juggy has enjoyed a very fulfilling and rewarding career dealing with emerging technologies and services.  She has a well-established reputation for building and leading high performing teams.  She has led unprecedented, ground-breaking service development initiatives and has gained invaluable practical experience in strategy, marketing and operations management with this organisation overseeing many different portfolios throughout her tenure. Juggy’s leadership story centres on three key themes: Corporate Leadership (VP Client Experience Strategy and Development – TELUS) Community Service  (Board Director for the Vancouver Community Board 2008-2011, Chair of the     Governor General Leadership Conference 2008, Board Director for Coastal Sound Music Academy 2005 – 2007) Educational Development (Past UBC Guest Lecturer) In addition, Juggy has a passion for healthcare transformation, music, art and being involved in the global community. Juggy has completed Executive Development programs at Harvard, INSEAD, and the Kellogg School of Management. She holds an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Join Y.E.S! Vancouver for an evening of cuisine & conversation at ensemble Tap, Vancouver’s newest urban eatery, opened by the recent winner of Top Chef Canada, Dale MacKay.

Meet Chef MacKay as he speaks of his experience on Top Chef Canada and his many professional accomplishments at the top of the food chain, including ensemble, serving sophisticated modern French cuisine, and ensemble Tap, a casual neighbourhood taphouse.

Exclusively for Y.E.S!, ensemble Tap will be sampling artfully-presented canapés while you mingle with other professional and fabulous women.

As aways, all proceeds benefit Dress for Success Vancouver.
Not yet a Y.E.S! member? Click here to discover more.

Y.E.S! Vancouver – Where business and philanthropy meet…in style!

*Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Saturday May 12th, 2012

To learn more, please visit the Dress for Success Vancouver website.

Details still to come. We look forward to seeing all of you soon!

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

In honour of Valentine’s Day, join us for our Love your BFF mingler at the Keg Yaletown. Bring your best girlfriends, sip a glass of red from the Keg’s outstanding wine list and mingle with other fabulous, friendly professional women.

Enter to win a door prize from Adina Neufeld of Stella & Dot.

Feel good about giving back to our community: all proceeds go directly to Dress for Success*.

Does your closet need a clean out? Dress for Success Vancouver is in need of business savvy clothing and Y.E.S! is making it easy – bring your donation on Feb 8th and your name will be entered to win a fabulous secret prize!

Y.E.S! Vancouver – where business and philanthropy meet in style.

Not yet a Y.E.S! member? Click here to discover more.

Y.E.S! Vancouver – Where business and philanthropy meet…in style!

*Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

The evening presents a mix of philanthropy and entertainment, where guests have the chance to win special door prizes, bid on exciting live auction packages, an irresistible raffle prize, all while enjoy fine wines and hors d’oeuvres, and hear inspirational stories from the women of Dress for Success Vancouver.

* A tax receipt of $75 for each ticket sold will be provided to the contact name provided. Please provide your home address for tax purposes. Please note that only one tax receipt is issued per transaction.

After all the positive feedback we received about the 2011 goal setting seminar we held with Lululemon, we brought back this stellar event to kick off 2012. Our Y.E.S! ladies joined the goal setting team at Lululemon who helped them determine the right goals for the new year, and then taught them how to set and achieve these personal and professional goals.

If you were unable to make the event, Lululemon has been so kind as to provide the handouts and worksheets that they used with the Y.E.S! ladies during the event.

To download them, please click here!

January 12th, 2012
SOLD OUT

After the feedback from the 2011 goal setting seminar we held with Lululemon we have brought this sought after event back to kick off 2012. Join the goal setting team at Lululemon who will lead you through how to first determine the right goals for you, and how to set and achieve personal and professional goals.

This event will give you the tools and motivation to make time in your busy schedule to get started on your most powerful 2012.

The Lululemon Lab will be open exclusively to Y.E.S! because we all know how new gear helps keep those fitness goals alive.

Be sure to bring paper or a book and a pen to record your goals in.

Space is limited. Sign up for this event here.

Not yet a Y.E.S! member? Click here to discover more.

Y.E.S! Vancouver – Where business and philanthropy meet…in style!

*Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

SOLD OUT
November 17th, 2011

Networking can be daunting. It’s not easy to put yourself out there, even in your best “power” suit. Enter Y.E.S! Vancouver’s Speed-Networking, our ever-popular event that will teach you how to work a room and introduce you to 26 other professional women in only 90 minutes!

Hear industry insights from guest speaker Joan Kalacis, Vice-President of Business Development for DBM, an international agency that provides career transition and talent development support.

Enjoy our very own $6 drink special, the ‘Network-tini’, and enter to win a fabulous Stella and Dot door prize. You will leave with a stack of new contacts and valuable networking skills!

Not yet a Y.E.S! member? Click here to discover more.

Y.E.S! Vancouver – Where business and philanthropy meet…in style!

*Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.