InBC Acknowledges International Women’s Day with its Influential Leadership Team

Today is International Women’s Day, an initiative started over a century ago in 1911, to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. 

As of today, more than 82% of women aged 25 to 54 participate in Canada’s workforce, yet they are still underrepresented in leadership roles. A 2021 study by the Canadian Venture Capital Association found that women represent only 19% of venture capital partners and only 9% of private equity partners.  

With approximately 18% of women in c-suite executive roles, Canada still has a long way to reach equity in women leadership, but we are working to change things, here, at InBC Investment Corp. 

In acknowledgement of International Women’s Day and “breaking the bias”, we want to highlight some of our prominent and diverse women leaders and showcase our internal progress in helping to shatter the glass ceiling in BC. Review our full executive leadership team and board chair below. 

Jill Earthy, CEO 

Before assuming her position as Chief Executive Officer at InBC, Jill was the CEO of WeBC (formerly Women’s Enterprise Centre), a non-profit organization that supports women entrepreneurs with loans, education, mentorship and advisory services in BC. Prior to that, Jill was the Head of Female Funders, which works to empower women leaders to invest in early-stage companies. In addition to building and selling two companies and sitting on two separate boards, Jill remains an active mentor and community contributor for the last several years. In 2019, she was recognized as an Influential Woman in Business by BIV and one of the Top 100 most powerful women in Canada by WXN. Learn more about Jill and her background here. 

Leah Nguyen, CIO 

Newly appointed as the Chief Investment Officer for InBC, Leah brings over 17 years of experience in building high-performing teams that leverage technology and innovation to drive sustainable, inclusive solutions. With her former role as the Investment Director for the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good – one of the world’s largest corporate impact funds – Leah is also passionate about the start-up and investor ecosystem. She dedicates her time to mentoring entrepreneurs and aspiring VCs, and supports individuals of diverse backgrounds, while giving back to her local communities. Learn more about Leah and her background here. 

Juvarya Veltkamp, CSO 

InBC’s latest hire, Juvarya, comes to us with years of experience as a sustainable economist, with prior ESG experience, and a strong background in strategy and operations. With an MBA under her belt, she spent 10 years at the Vancouver Economic Commission as Manager of Green Economy Initiatives and will be transitioning from her current role as Director of The Canada Climate Law Initiative at UBC. Prior to this, she also created and executed the City of Vancouver’s green economy strategy has advised both industry and government on green buildings, economic development, and climate risk. Juvarya will resume her role as Chief of Strategy and Operations on April 4, 2022. 

David Mortimer, CFO 

Since its inception, David has been a key player to the leadership team at InBC. With over 14 years of public finance experience, he has a wealth of knowledge in public sector including financial operations, financial planning and procurement, as well we experience in the Province of BC’s investment and venture capital programs. David holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Victoria, attained his Chartered Professional Account, CA designation in 2008 and is a CFA charterholder.   

“Our StrongerBC Economic Plan addresses long-standing challenges like inequality and climate change by growing an economy that works for everyone. InBC is one of Canada’s largest investment funds run by women and will play a critical role in addressing these challenges while helping more businesses reach their full potential,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “On International Women’s Day, we’re proud to recognize the women leaders of InBC including CEO Jill Earthy, newly appointed CIO Leah Nguyen and CSO Juvarya Veltkamp, board chair, Christine Bergeron and board member Carole James.”

Unique to InBC, seven of our nine board members are women, led by Christine Bergeron, Board Chair. Review our full board here. 

Christine Bergeron, Board Chair at InBC 

Current CEO for Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union, Christine is heading the nine-person board at InBC Investment Corp. With several achievements in finance, impact investing, cleantech and sustainability sectors, Christine has been nominated for the Influential Women in Business Award by BIV for 2022. Learn more about Christine Bergeron here. 

During a time where women leaders and leadership are commended and truly recognized for their impacts on society, we’re thrilled to have a diverse portfolio of accomplished women on our team.  

We hope you are acknowledging the work that is yet to be done while celebrating the progress we have made. Happy International Women’s Day from InBC! #IWD2022