School of Business

Acadia University hosted the Second Annual Women in Finance Conference, February first and second. The conference consisted of talks and workshops hosted by women currently working in the finance industry. Speakers included Hannah Vaughn (Regional Manager, Corporate Citizenship at RBC), Holly Wong (Branch Manager at Scotiabank), Bethany Moffatt (Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking, Scotiabank Atlantic Region), Sally Swanburg Wallace (BSc, CFP, CEA), and keynote speaker Deborah Shaffner (CEO of Eastlink). There were also two panel discussions made up of both alumni and recent graduates including Josh Sampson (Business Analyst at JDI), Stephanie Johnston (Strategic Projects Coordinator at Irving Consumer Product), Kenneth MacInnes (Sales Account Manager at Midland Transportation), Brett VanBlarcom (Financial Advisor at Edward Jones) and Jeff Hanes (Financial Analyst, Reporting & Analytics at Sobeys) and Kristina King (Cabinet Advisor at the Executive Council, Province of Nova Scotia). Conference organizer Breton Whalen stated that she is "overjoyed with the support we received at this year’s conference. Women can face many challenges in the workplace, and may be reluctant to pursue a career in a male-dominated industry. It is very eye opening for the students to hear stories of great success from these female professionals." Former Finance Society president and current Dalhousie law student Ella Murphy (’18), who created the conference, was also in attendance. She stated in a speech that she was thrilled to see the conference continue and was impressed by its growth from the inaugural year. The Conference provides opportunities for current students in Atlantic Canada (both men and women) to learn about career opportunities in the industry and to participate in workshops lead by new graduates, professors, and industry professionals.