Judy Thomson, Director
Women's Enterprise Centre

Judy Thomson, Director

Judy Thomson is a chartered accountant, trainer and speaker whose career spans both the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds. She has held executive positions with global companies in Canada and Asia including being the director of administration and human resources in Hong Kong for an office of 800 employees. She was also part of the senior management team involved in the successful start-up of the world famous Rocky Mountaineer Railtours, which is where her entrepreneurial spirit began.
               
Judy is the co-author of WORK THE POND! Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life (Prentice Hall Press) which she wrote with Darcy Rezac, the Managing Director of The VancouverBoard of Trade and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac. This best-selling book has a message that resonates with people around the world—when you meet people it’s not all about what they can do for you, instead ‘it’s discovering what you can do for others.’ This trademarked style of networking, called Positive Networking®, has been described as ‘the world’s best definition.’ Their book has been translated and published in China, Russia and Korea.

As someone who did not have women mentors in her career, Judy is passionate about supporting women in business. She is a frequent speaker for women’s groups such as the Women's Series at Microsoft, Connections--the TELUS women’s network, Women’s Executive Network (WXN), The Pampered Chef, Young Women in Business, and OWIT (Organization of Women in International Trade). She and her partners have given hundreds of presentations and workshops on networking, engaged leadership, the art of conversation and storytelling to corporations, associations, governments and graduate schools of business around the world.

Judy is the chief operating officer of Shepa Learning Company (a privately-held training and development company she co-founded in 1999). She is also the vice-chair of The Vancouver Board of Trade’s Women’s Leadership Circle® advisory board, a group of women leaders focused on helping women become more engaged with the business community. Judy also sits on the board of directors of a publicly traded mining exploration company based in Toronto.

Judy holds a Bachelor of Arts, Commerce Major (Honors) from Simon Fraser University (1978) and obtained her CA designation in 1981.

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