BMO Celebrating Women: BMO Recognizes Outstanding Women in Winnipeg through National Program

WINNIPEG, May 15, 2019 /CNW/ - The annual BMO Celebrating Women event in Winnipeg honoured three women for their remarkable contributions to business and the community.

The program honours female leaders in local communities as part of BMO's commitment to drive the advancement of women and recognizes contributions in one of three categories: Trailblazers & Innovators; Community & Charitable Giving; and Expansion & Growth in Business.

Bernadette Smith, MLA, Point Douglas; Kristen Kennedy, BMO Financial Group; Leah Weatherill, BMO Financial Group; Tafaline Wall, BMO Financial Group; Margaret Von Lau; Carmyn Aleshka – Community & Charitable Giving Honourees; Ruth Loeppky – Expansion & Growth in Business Honouree; Tara Maltman-Just – Trailblazers & Innovators Honouree; Giovanna Minenna; Anne Fountain, BMO Financial Group; Anthony Moros, BMO Financial Group; Travis Kirton, BMO Financial Group. (CNW Group/BMO Financial Group)

The following honourees were recognized:

• Trailblazer & Innovators: Tara Maltman-Just, B.Sc.(Pharm.), MS, ABAAHP, FMNM. As the award-winning founder and executive clinician of Vitality Integrative Medicine, Ms. Maltman-Just's extensive training in integrative medicine and passion for patient care has helped Manitobans live more balanced lives. Founded in 2013, Ms. Maltman-Just's practice combines her training as a pharmacist with integrative medicine and therapeutic planning to deliver tailored, in-depth health consultations.
  
  
• Community & Charitable Giving: Carmyn Aleshka. Championing visionary, philanthropic entrepreneurs, Ms. Aleshka founded the Upside Down Tree to help smaller charities achieve their goals by connecting them with business expertise, mentorship and networking opportunities. Since 2014, the Upside Down Tree has raised over $1.25 million to help Canadian charities make a difference across Canada and worldwide. In addition to serving as president of Paradigm Insurance and as a member of the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba's Board of Directors, Ms. Aleshka founded KidThink Children's Mental Health Centre, a mental health treatment center and outreach program to help children access mental health treatment across the province.
  
  
• Expansion & Growth in Business: Ruth Loeppky. Driven by her determination to continue her husband's legacy and provide for her four children, Ms. Loeppky oversees and manages Rolling Prairie Farms Inc., a 3,200-acre mixed grain farm in Niverville, Manitoba. Under her guidance as owner and president, Rolling Prairie Farms Inc.'s revenues grew from 7 per cent in 2017 to 30 per cent in 2018. The family business recently expanded with the acquisition of an additional 40 acres of land and a grain dryer.

"Through their boundless drive and creativity, our honourees develop and deploy innovative solutions as business developers and community leaders," said Kristen Kennedy, Regional Vice-President (Winnipeg) and BMO for Women Council Member, BMO Financial Group. "BMO is honoured to recognize these leaders for their individual contributions and roles in the advancement of women in Manitoba." 

BMO has developed products to address the needs of its female clients, including the recent Women in Leadership Mutual Fund – the first impact-investing mutual fund focused on gender diversity to be offered by a Canadian bank. In April 2019, CEO Darryl White signed the UN Women's Empowerment Principles (WEP) on behalf of the bank, making BMO the first Canadian financial institution to sign the WEPs.

For more information about BMO Celebrating Women, please visit bmoforwomen.com and join the social conversation using #BMOforWomen.

About BMO for Women
BMO is committed to supporting initiatives that empower women within its workforce and the communities the bank serves. BMO has partnered with organizations such as the Women's Presidents Organization, GroYourBiz, #movethedial, and Women Get On Board to provide expertise, leadership, knowledge, and opportunities for women to network and learn. In 2018, BMO announced it is making $3 billion in capital available over the next three years for Canadian businesses owned by women. Through the only bank-owned recognition program for women in North America – BMO Celebrating Women – BMO celebrates successful women who have given back to their communities or achieved success in business. Since 2012, BMO Celebrating Women has honoured more than 100 women in communities across Canada and the United States.   

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

Media Contact: Kim Johnson, Toronto - [email protected], 416-867-3996