AMEX EMERGING LEADERS

The Amex Emerging Leaders Award celebrates the professional achievements of women aged 30 to 40 (inclusive) who are at the mid-level stage of their careers. This category recognizes leaders whose organizations are actively supporting their progression toward executive leadership. These women hold significant management responsibility within their organizations and are recognized internally as future executive leaders with the capacity to influence strategy, Performance, and culture. This category represents a pipeline to Executive Leadership, recognizing women who already lead teams, initiatives, or functions and are poised for advancement within corporate and commercial organizations.

To qualify, the nominee must be nominated by their organization. You cannot self-nominate for this award category. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: 
To qualify, nominees must:

• Be 30 to 40 years of age as of December 31, 2025
• Have been employed by their current organization for a minimum of two consecutive years as of December 31, 2025
• Hold a role such as Senior Manager, Director, Senior Director, or AVP with demonstrated people-leadership, budgetary responsibility, or accountability for strategic outcomes
• Be employed within a corporate or commercial organization

Entrepreneurs or leaders with their own companies are not eligible for this category. Academic, educational, not-for-profit, or government-funded institutions are not eligible for this category.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Leadership Impact
  • How has the nominee demonstrated leadership responsibility within her organization, including team leadership, initiative ownership, or functional accountability?
• Organizational Contribution
  • How have her contributions supported business performance, growth, or transformation within her organization?
• Strategic Potential
  • How has the nominee been identified and supported as a future executive leader within her organization?
• Innovation and Learning
  • How does the nominee demonstrate adaptability, continuous learning, and the ability to navigate change?

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

• Is the nominee’s organization aware of and supportive of this nomination as part of her leadership development orsuccession planning? (Nomination must be received by nominee’s organization. A nominee cannot self-nominate in
  this category).
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the nominee employed by a corporate or commercial organization (not entrepreneur, academic, educational, not-for-profit, or government-funded)?
  
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
    
• Does the nominee hold a successive leadership role (Senior Manager, Director, Senior Director, AVP, or equivalent) with people or functional responsibility?
  
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
    

• Has the nominee been employed by her current organization for a minimum of two consecutive years as of December 31, 2025?

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

The Entrepreneurs Award recognizes women leaders who hold meaningful ownership and senior operating responsibility in established, revenue-generating businesses. These women are accountable for growth, performance, and organizational decision-making, and lead commercial enterprises of demonstrated scale and complexity. This category is intended for women who own and operate businesses as economic enterprises, not early-stage ventures or subsidized organizations.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
To qualify, nominees must:

• Actively manage the daily affairs of the business as a senior executive with day-to-day operational responsibility
• Hold a controlling ownership interest in a privately held company, defined as at least 51% ownership, with corresponding operating authority and decision-making control
• Must provide proof of ownership
• Hold a material equity stake of at least 5% in a publicly traded company and serve in a senior executive role with operational responsibility
• Lead a commercial enterprise generating approximately $3 million or more in annual revenue. Will be required to provide recent financials.

Not-for-profit organizations and enterprises primarily supported by government or grant funding are not eligible for this category.

 THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

 Business Scale and Performance

• • How has the Nominee grown a revenue-generating enterprise and delivered measurable commercial results?
• Leadership and Operations
  
  • How has the Nominee built and led an organization capable of sustained growth and execution?
• Strategic Vision
  
  • How does the Nominee set direction, manage risk, and position the business for long-term success?

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

• Does the Nominee actively manage the daily affairs at their current organization?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Does the Nominee own at least 51% of their private company or have at least 5% shares in their public company? (Nominee will be asked to provide proof of ownership in nomination package)
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
    
• Does the Nominee’s organization generate $3 million or more in annual revenue? (Nominee will be asked to provide financial metrics for the last three years, as well as their most recent financial statements)
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the nominee’s organization a not-for-profit and/or primarily government or grant-funded?
  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Was the Nominee actively in her role on and before December 31, 2025
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

What makes a great leader? Passion. Open-mindedness. Ambition. Communication. Accountability. Creativity. Innovation. A drive to achieve ever-higher goals. A desire to help others along the way. Women want to be great leaders – and they do it well. They’ve made steady progress moving into positions of leadership across many sectors and industries. Although it’s still an uphill battle, there’s momentum: as more women step into these roles, they inspire others to do the same. The CN Executive Leaders Award recognizes women who not only exemplify what it means to be a great leader in their organizations and communities, but also build confidence, champion equality and break down barriers for the next generation of leaders to come. This category recognizes executive leaders with enterprise-wide responsibility and accountability for organizational performance. Nominees must hold senior executive positions within Canada’s publicly traded or privately owned companies.

Nominees may not be a CEO, Founder, or Entrepreneur. Academic, educational, not-for-profit, or government-funded institutions are not eligible for this category.

This award is open to individuals of all ages.

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

 Corporate Performance

• • How did the Nominee contribute to the financial performance of her organization in the most recent fiscal year?
    
• Management Role
  
  • How does the Nominee contribute to the management and strategic direction of her organization?
    
• Community Service
  
  • How does the Nominee demonstrate her commitment to the community?
    
• Strategic Vision and Leadership
  
  • How has the Nominee demonstrated strategic vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?
    
  • What mentoring and other initiatives has the Nominee undertaken to assist women in the workplace throughserving as a role model?
    

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

• Is the Nominee a CEO, Founder, or Entrepreneur?
  
  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
    
• Does the nominee work for an Academic, educational, not-for-profit, or government-funded institution?
  
  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
    
• Does the Nominee hold a senior executive position within a publicly traded or privately owned company? (Examples: C-Suite, Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Division President, Country President, Group/Regional Head)
  
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category. 
    
• Is the nominee’s organization a not-for-profit and/or primarily government or grant-funded?
  
  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
    
• Was the Nominee actively in her role on and before December 31, 2025?
  
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
    

Through expertise, judgment, and professional practice, women in regulated and credentialed professions drive real-world outcomes and shape the standards of their fields. The Professionals Award recognizes women who are distinguished practitioners and leaders within their professions and organizations. This category celebrates women whose advanced credentials, experience, and leadership influence strategy, performance, and professional standards — whether within firms, institutions, or professional practice environments. Nominees are recognized not only for professional excellence, but for their impact, authority, and contribution to the advancement of their profession.

Professional refers to a vocation requiring advanced education, formal accreditation, and regulated practice. Eligible professions may include, but are not limited to: law, accounting, actuarial science, architecture, engineering, aviation, and regulated medical and clinical professions. Nominees must hold senior professional or practice-based roles within publicly traded or privately owned companies, the public sector, or not-for-profit organizations, and must be actively practicing or leading within their profession. Nominees must hold roles with professional accountability and leadership responsibility. Program-based, administrative, or student roles are not eligible.

Nominees will be required to provide proof of their professional designation. (e.g. diploma, degree, proof of certification, etc.).

THE CRITERIA:
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Professional Leadership
  • How does the Nominee influence professional standards, decision-making, or strategic direction within her organization or field?
• Practice Excellence
  • How has the Nominee demonstrated distinction, judgment, and expertise within her professional practice?
• Organizational Impact
  • How has the Nominee contributed to organizational outcomes, performance, or advancement through her professional role?
• Contribution to Profession
  • How does the Nominee contribute to the development, mentorship, or advancement of others within her profession?

 QUALIFYING QUESTIONS: 

• Does the Nominee hold an active professional designation or credential required for practice in her field? (Nominees will be required to provide proof of professional designation).

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

• Does the Nominee currently practice or lead within her profession with decision-making or leadership accountability (not administrative or program-only)?

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Was the Nominee actively in her role on and before December 31, 2025?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

The AI & Technology Award recognizes women who are shaping how artificial intelligence and technology are implemented, scaled, and governed within organizations today. This category celebrates women whose work moves technology beyond theory, influencing real-world outcomes through product development, platform strategy, data systems, automation, and enterprise technology adoption. These leaders play a critical role in how organizations operate, compete, and grow in an increasingly technology-driven economy. Recipients are recognized for their impact, accountability, and influence within organizations where AI and technology drive decision-making, performance, and customer experience.

Nominees typically hold senior technology, data, or product leadership roles with enterprise accountability, such as: 

• CIO, CTO or CDO
• Vice President or Senior Vice President of Technology, Engineering, Data, or AI
• Head of Technology, Data, Product, or Platform

Titles may vary, but nominees must hold decision-making authority over the implementation, deployment, or governance of technology within their organization. This category recognizes applied, enterprise technology influence, not study, advocacy, or experimentation alone.

Not eligible for this category:

• Students or academic roles without commercial deployment
• Not-for-profit or government-funded positions
• Advisory, consulting-only, or board-only roles

 THE CRITERIA: 
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Technology Impact

  • How has the Nominee influenced the implementation or scaling of AI or technology to drive measurable organizational outcomes?

• Execution & Accountability

  • What responsibility does the Nominee hold for translating technology strategy into operational or commercial results?

• Innovation in Practice

  • How has the Nominee advanced how technology is used within her organization by improving systems, decision-making, efficiency, or customer experience?

• Influence and Leadership

  • How does the Nominee influence teams, stakeholders, or organizational direction through her technology leadership?

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS: 

• Does the Nominee hold a senior technology, data, product, or AI-related role with decision-making authority within a for-profit organization?

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

• Is the Nominee accountable for the implementation, deployment, or governance of AI or technology within her organization (not research or advisory only)?

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee employed in an academic, student, not-for-profit, government-funded, or research-only role?
  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Was the Nominee actively in her role on and before December 31, 2025?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

The overall industry sector and skilled trades workforce is, and has always been, predominantly male. In fact, women represent only three to five per cent and this is unacceptable. Balancing the gender ratio is important because it brings many additional skills and fresh innovative perspectives, while creating a stronger and more diversified economy. The CPKC Skilled Trades Award recognizes outstanding women who contribute immense value and demonstrate excellence in skilled trades, product or service innovation and community involvement. To qualify, a Nominee must be on a career path that requires hands-on and specialty knowledge in manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, construction, fisheries, forestry or mining. The candidate may come from any industry background or trade and may include Forewomen, Journeypersons, and Tradeswomen; however, she cannot be a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader, Construction Manager, Plant or Project Manager, or Entrepreneur/Owner.

 THE CRITERIA: 
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Empowerment Agent

  • How does the Nominee increase awareness of careers in this category sector for women in her workplace and community?

• Difference Maker

  • How does the Nominee respond to this sector’s deficit in Canada through advocacy and build employability and marketability skills in female youth?

• Breaking New Ground or Traditional Barriers
  • How has the Nominee broken new ground or traditional barriers?
• Vision and Leadership
  • How has the Nominee demonstrated vision and leadership at her current organization and throughout her career?

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

• Is the Nominee a Corporate or Not-For-Profit President, CEO, C-Suite, Executive Leader, Construction Manager, Plant or Project Manager, or Entrepreneur/Owner?

  • If answering Yes, they are not eligible for this award category.

• Does the Nominee actively work in the skilled trades industry? (Examples: Hands-on and specialty knowledge in manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, construction, fisheries, forestry or mining; from any industry background or trade and may include Forewomen, Journeypersons, and Tradeswomen)

  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Was the Nominee actively in her role on and before December 31, 2025?
  • If answering No they are not eligible for this award category.

Strong boards start with strong women. The Board of Directors Award recognizes and celebrates standout women who bring transformative vision and leadership to the highest levels of governance. These bold leaders drive strategies, policies, and programs that achieve measurable and meaningful business outcomes. They set a powerful tone for their company’s culture and create opportunities for other women to rise. Through their influence and actions, they set an example that inspires other leaders and employees every day.

To qualify, nominees must actively hold a board position (e.g. Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, or Secretary, or Director) at a publicly held company on the FP500 or TSX60 or a privately held for-profit company for a minimum of one year as of December 31, 2025.

 THE CRITERIA: 
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:

• Leadership
  • How has the nominee shaped the strategic direction of their company with bold, forward-thinking vision and leadership?
• Impact and Excellence

  • What measurable, meaningful, and sustainable impact have they delivered to boost business growth and company performance?

• Influence

  • How has the nominee significantly influenced company policies and procedures, including the support and advancement of women within their company, and in turn, how has this influenced the organization?

• Outcomes and Achievements
  • What game-changing initiatives has the nominee championed, and what outcomes resulted from them?

 QUALIFYING QUESTIONS:

• Is the Nominee a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, or in another position on a Board?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Is the Nominee’s board position on the FP500, TSX, or another For-Profit Board?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.
• Has the Nominee held their board position for a minimum of one year, as of December 31, 2025?
  • If answering No, they are not eligible for this award category.

All information provided during the nomination process is confidential to ensure that the privacy of those individuals and the companies they represent is upheld. The detailed financial information provided in the Nomination Package is shared only with the two to three WXN GAIL members reviewing candidates in one category and the WXN GAIL Chair. All of these individuals have signed a confidentiality agreement in accordance with the Nomination process to ensure that the privacy of each Nominee is upheld. If a Nominee is selected as a Top 100 Award Winner, all private information (financials, contact details etc.) provided in the Nomination Package will remain confidential. The awards portal is one of the most secure platforms which uses best practice security measures to protect entrants, judges and their personal data. The platform operates their own high-resilience Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). All application stack physical infrastructure and data storage is within Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres in the EU. AWS data centre and network architecture are built to comply with stringent global standards and meet the requirements of the most security-sensitive organizations.

The internal reference letter may be provided by anyone within the organization of the Nominee including a member of the organization’s board of directors. If the Nominee is self-employed, the internal reference letter may be provided by someone who works closely with the Nominee, for example, someone from their leadership team or a board member. A Nominator (not a self-Nominator) may provide the reference letter providing they meet the stipulations required in order to speak to the capabilities, qualities and accomplishments of the Nominee. The judges will note who provides the references.

Please email Top100@wxnetwork.com and we will get back to you with a response within 24 hours. If I am nominating someone, do I set up the account in my name or the name of the person I am nominating? If you are nominating an individual, you will need to set up the account in your own name, and set up your own username and password. During the beginning of the nomination process, you will be asked if you are self-nominating or if you are nominating someone else. From there, all questions will be set according to your answer.

You will have an opportunity to provide up to 5 additional pieces of information that you feel may enhance the judges’ understanding of your skills and achievements. You will also have an opportunity to provide any links to videos or websites. The judges will not be required to view anything longer than two pages.

Financial Data and/or a detailed dossier - Required only for Entrepreneurs and Canada’s Most Powerful CEOs categories. Financial data will be for the last three years. A detailed dossier includes, but is not limited to: financial statements, ratios, highlights, capital structure, auditors report, etc.
Ownership Position Letter - This is a letter under the signature of the organization's CFO or outside accounting firm verifying Nominee’s ownership position (Required only for Entrepreneurs category).
Proof of Professional Designation - E.g. diploma, degree, proof of certification, transcripts, etc. (Required for Professionals category only)

Once the online Nomination Package has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. You will not be able to edit your nomination package once it has been submitted. If you think you will want to go back in to review or make changes it is recommended that you hold off on submitting your nomination package until the deadline of Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 11:55 AM EDT. If you are nominating someone else, that Nominee will have an additional 7 days past the deadline to ensure they have time to review and resubmit their package. Their final re-submission/ acceptance deadline for those nominated by someone else is Tuesday, May 19, 2026. The date that Winners will be contacted by Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

No. The entire Top 100 Nomination Package must be submitted online, through our Awards Portal: https://top100women.wxnetwork.com/.

All Nominations must be received by 11:55 AM EDT on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
If nominated by someone else, the Nominee will receive notification to review and resubmit. The resubmission must be received by 11:55 AM EDT on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Deadline Example 1: Joanne from ABC Company is nominating herself. This is a ‘self-nomination’. Joanne has until Tuesday, May 12 at 11:55 AM EDT to submit her nomination. Upon submitting her nomination, Joanne receives an email confirmation of her nomination being received. No further steps need to be taken by Joanne. She may view her nomination at any time but can no longer edit it once submitted.

Deadline Example 2: Bob from XYZ Co is nominating Sally from WRV Co. Bob has until Tuesday, May 12 at 11:55 AM EDT to submit his nomination for Sally. Upon submission, Bob receives an email confirmation of his nomination being received. Bob must contact Sally to be sure that she received an email about her nomination. If she hasn’t Bob should contact Top100@wxnetwork.com. Sally receives an email on May 12 (or sooner) alerting her that Bob has nominated her for a Top 100 award. Sally has until Tuesday, May 19, at 11:55 AM EDT to review her nomination, make any changes or additions, and accept or decline the nomination. The nomination will not go to judging until Sally accepts her nomination.

Yes, we recognize and support the vast identities and expression on the spectrum of gender, and acknowledge those who identify as women in our Top 100 Awards.

There is no nomination fee. No nomination fee means we can attract a more diverse background of candidates from all industries.

Absolutely! Individuals can submit a self-nomination for any category except Amex Emerging Leaders. That category must be a nomination from the organization.

No. You may not nominate the same woman in more than one category.

Only one nomination per individual can be sent through the judging process. All duplicate entries are identified in the system. We will contact the Nominator(s)/Nominee of each duplicate submission to determine which application is to be used as the primary application in the judging process. The final decision will be made by the Nominee.

Yes. Employers range in size from over 40,000 employees to one in the case of a self-employed individual.

Yes. All powerful women are eligible.

The WXN GAIL Members will receive from WXN a maximum of three Nominations from the same organization within the same category, regardless of the Nominator. If WXN receives more than three employee Nominations from the same organization within the same category, WXN will contact the organization and ask them to withdraw one or more Nominations so only three are received. These three Nominations (per category) are then brought forward to the WXN GAIL Members. You may nominate any number of individuals outside of your organization. If you are nominating an individual that is outside of your organization please be sure to reach out to that organization to ensure they haven’t completed and submitted their maximum of three nominations.

Only one nomination per individual can be sent through the judging process. All duplicate entries are identified in the system. We will contact the Nominator(s)/Nominee of each duplicate submission to determine which application is to be used as the primary application in the judging process. The final decision will be made by the Nominee.

Yes. An individual may win the Top 100 Award up to three times. If an individual is nominated a fourth time, the WXN GAIL Members may choose to award the individual through an induction into Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ Hall of Fame. Please note that if someone is a previous Top 100 Award winner, there is space in the nomination package for them to describe what has changed since they were last awarded. This section is mandatory for previous Top 100 Award winners.

An individual may win a Top 100 Award up to three times. If she is nominated a fourth time, the WXN GAIL Members may choose to recommend her induction to Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ Hall of Fame.

No, the selection process reviews the nominee’s lifetime actions and achievements, previous to January 1, 2026.

Unless stipulated otherwise in the category criteria, Nominees must be in the role for which they have been nominated as of the end of the most recent calendar year.

Nominees are not required to be Canadian citizens, but her achievements must be making a significant contribution in Canada. Canadian citizens do not have to be working in Canada at the present time, allowing women to be honoured for their achievements who happen to be on a global assignment.

Yes.

Our vetting process is completed by our WXN Global Alliance for Inclusive Leadership (GAIL). Our WXN GAIL members serve as brand ambassadors and act as an advisory board to help our organization impact change in Canada with respect to gender diversity, equity-seeking groups such as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, persons living with disabilities and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Women’s Executive Network reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to decline a nomination and/or extract an Award from a Top 100 Award Winner in the cases of criminal investigation, allegations, accusations or charges.

We review each Nomination Package to verify that the Nominee meets the selection criteria for the category in which they were nominated. WXN will contact the Nominator if we require any clarification. In selecting the Award Winners, our WXN GAIL Members consider the Nominee’s achievements in the context of the Selection Criteria of the category in which the Nominee has been nominated

Nominees will be contacted by Tuesday, July 21, 2026 and advised if their Nomination was successful or not. Nominators will also be contacted and advised if their Nominee has been selected or not.

The 2026 Top 100 Award Winners list will be made public Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 12:00 pm EDT. The Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards Gala will take place in November 2026 in Toronto.