International Women’s Day: An Interview with Andrea Bolger
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Sprott School of Business sat down with an alumna who spent her career at the intersection of leadership, finance and governance: Andrea Bolger (BCom/80).
A seasoned financial services executive and former Executive Vice-President at RBC Royal Bank, Andrea now brings her expertise to several corporate boards, including Teranet Inc., Laurentian Bank, Equitable Life of Canada and Embark Student Foundation. She holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management, an MBA from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University.
Andrea recently established the Andrea Bolger Aspiring Women Business Leaders Fund, which supports the Sprott School of Business in generating opportunities for students who identify as women to see representation and to take on leadership roles in business or consider paths to entrepreneurship.
In this interview, Andrea reflects on her leadership journey, the importance of giving back and lessons learned in her career.
What influenced your decision to pursue business and finance as a career?
I like math, numbers and solving problems.
I also like seeing things built – whether that is a portfolio of investments, a real estate project, autos, pulp and paper. When I was quite young, I toured many manufacturing plants with my father and I loved hearing and seeing the passion from owners, entrepreneurs and managers.
How did you build your confidence to take on leadership roles of increasing responsibility throughout your career?
Confidence comes from knowing what you are doing and feeling good about your abilities. I think confidence grows over time. My confidence now is very different from when I started my career.
I built my confidence early on in my career by trying new things, hopefully succeeding at them, but whether succeeding or not, I would learn. I took on a role in IT and one in corporate strategy in a business line I knew very little about and in both cases those experiences gave me skills I use over and over – for example, project management, strategic thinking, team leadership – and which helped me be more confident no matter what the role.
Try things out early in your career to build a strong base of knowledge and experiences.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I am consultative, transparent, respectful and I care. I look for people who are smarter than me; people that fill the gaps in my knowledge and experience. I support my team and give people space to grow, own something and take accountability for action.
Were there moments in your career that shaped you as a leader?
I had a mentor that counselled me to try to work for great people and learn from them. I tried to do that as much as possible. But even working for a not-so-great leader is of benefit, as you learn what not to do!
How can we better support and uplift women in finance and business?
Be a mentor. Share knowledge, networks, connections. Support them. If you are in business, given women opportunities to learn, experience. Give them assignments that stretch and benefit them.
Support them in the unique ways women need, whether that be for pregnancy, maternity, family care, physical and mental health care that are different from men.
You serve on a number of boards. Why is it important to you to give back to the community?
My parents instilled in their kids that part of being on this planet is to give back, in whatever form that takes and to the degree that you can. For me, that means helping with education and sharing my skills and knowledge with others.
My board work is all about sharing what I know with small to medium sized businesses, which are the core of the Canadian economy. These companies need the most help and hopefully I have and will contribute to their ongoing success.
You have generously established a fund to support aspiring women business leaders at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business. What prompted your decision to support students in this way?
I have always been an active supporter of education and of women in business. I also believe in giving where there is the most need, so in talking with Carleton and getting your input, this was a good fit.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t worry so much about what others think. I really tried not to listen to those that said I couldn’t or shouldn’t try something. That was not always easy, but I wish I had ignored them more.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Women in business – and in so many environments – still face hurdles others do not, which is amazing and dismaying to me. We have come a long way but we – and I mean everyone – cannot stop standing up for what is right for women.
The Icelanders have a word “sprakkar” meaning extraordinary women. Let’s all be sprakkar today!