Our Board

Abbie is an experienced banking professional who applies expert knowledge, industry experience, and relentless energy to serving clients. A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a degree in social sciences, she began her career in the non-profit industry and federal government as a researcher and policy analyst. Within a few years, she joined the banking industry, quickly progressing to a wealth management firm, where in her role she ranked 1st in total volume of sales across Canada.

In 2021, Abbie joined BMO’s Business Banking team where she provides tailored business banking solutions such as financing, treasury and payments, and deposit solutions for Small to Medium sized diversified enterprises, health care professionals, and commercial real estate. As a key point of contact for her clients, she is supported by an experienced team of professionals, consisting of a Client Service Officer, Treasury and Payments Specialist, and Financial Planners.

Through her 3-years of volunteer board experience with the WBN, she has proved herself a dynamic leader. She oversees the organization's operations, human resources, finances, strategic planning, marketing, membership engagement, sponsorships, and event management. Abbie is the 40th, and youngest, President of the Women's Business Network of the National Capital Region.

Abbie has been nominated for several prestigious awards recognizing her achievements as a financial advisor, community involvement, and leadership. In 2019, the WBN awarded her with the ‘Emerging Leader Award’ for her outstanding contributions to the network.

A new resident within Stittsville’s Crossing Bridge neighbourhood, Abbie is a big believer in shopping local. In her spare time, she enjoys ballroom dancing, reading, hiking with her dog Frank, traveling, and trying new food with her fiancé Jayson.

Great River connects clients with powerful marketing, media and publishing strategies. Based in Ottawa, Great River produces respected, market-leading local print, digital and event products. The Ottawa Business Journal has been owned and produced by Great River Media since 2010.

The OBJ is a leading media brand in the Ottawa Region, providing news, business resources, local events and marketing opportunities to Ottawa's B2B community.

Jenny Chen is a Regional Sales Manager for BMO InvestorLine, BMO Wealth Management. She grew up in Ottawa and began her career with BMO in 2008, holding various roles in Personal Banking, including Financial Planner. She is a two-time honouree for BMO’s most highly coveted Annual Best of the Best Award. In her three years as a Financial Planner, she received the FP Award of Excellence twice for Eastern Ontario Division, and catapulted herself to the top 10% of Financial Planners in Canada.

She has held various leadership positions, most notably serving as chair for the Ottawa chapter of BMO Alliance For Women, a BMO-led Employee Resource Group that champions the inclusion, connection, development, advancement, and support of women for the betterment of BMO's business, communities, & culture. She is a member of BMO InvestorLine Diversity & Inclusion Board of Directors, and the BMO Wealth Management Inclusion, Engagement & Belonging Strategy Board.

Jenny specializes in helping women professionals & entrepreneurs succeed by understanding their unique needs, supporting causes important to women, and developing tools and resources to help women realize their financial goals. She is also actively involved in her community, supporting or sponsoring organizations such as Ottawa Food Bank, Kids Help Phone, Bruyere Hospital Foundation, various mental health organizations, and Canada Army Run.

Jenny has been nominated for the Women's Business Network (WBN) Business Woman of the Year Award in the Professional category for 2018 and 2019. She credits her success to the unwavering support of her family, mentors and leaders.

Soula is a Membership and Networking Strategist with over 10 years of experience. Her professional attributes have earned her many accolades for client satisfaction. Her experience includes work with solopreneurs, executives, the Nepean Chamber of Commerce, Collab Space and the Hellenic Community of Ottawa.

Soula’s passion is people. She is known for her strong communication skills, friendliness and creating a positive experience.

With a solid foundation in business law, Taylor handles highly sensitive and confidential employee/labour relations issues. Taylor is called upon by our clients to provide advice and guidance on accommodations and return to work programs, HR compliance audits, WSIB cases, discipline, performance matters and general employee relations.

At Bard Consulting we offer senior professionals with a record of driving business process management and operational excellence. Our goal is to help businesses achieve process standards and create positive change to increase profitability.

I have worked in the Airline industry in Europe for most of my career in Project Management, Continuous Improvement and Kaizen/Lean process management. After 20 years living in Switzerland, my husband I moved to Ottawa last fall, to be closer to family and to foster the Canadian roots in our children. I enjoy meeting people, building relationships and giving back to the community, which is why I have joined the WBN.

Darlene is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, new managers, executives and their teams to realize their full potential as leaders.
She enjoys helping them to uncover their unique authentic brand of leadership and to lead in alignment with their core values to achieve superior results for themselves and their organizations.

Darlene brings over 20 years of experience as both an accomplished entrepreneur/business owner and executive in the technology sector to her work as a business and leadership coach to organizations. She has first-hand knowledge of the challenges leaders are facing and a proven approach to help her clients realize their full impact as leaders. Uncovering those courageous conversations that result in meaningful and lasting change for her clients is central to her work as a coach.

Darlene holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree as well as her designation as a Chartered Public Accountant (CPA). Darlene was honored as a Fellow of the accounting profession (FCPA), its highest honour, in recognition of her outstanding career, as a leader both in business and in the community. Darlene is a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and is certified on the Leadership Circle Profile (360 leadership assessment) as well as the Birkman Personality Assessment.

Background:
Laura is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Regions East Global Mobility Services (GMS) practice. Laura has over 13 years’ experience in Canadian and US personal tax and expatriate taxation. Laura is based out of KPMG’s Ottawa office but has primary responsibility for clients all over Eastern Canada.

Professional and Industry Experience:
Laura assists companies and their employees who are travelling cross-border. She works with employees who are on foreign assignment, travelling internationally on business, or relocating cross-border.
Laura has managed the Canadian/US expatriate programs for numerous multinational organizations, including overseeing several programs that have hundreds of Canadian-touching assignees annually. Laura advises on the management of international assignment programs; considers the tax and payroll aspects of international assignments; works with corporate tax colleagues to address the international corporate tax implications of those assignments; and works with immigration professionals to consider both the tax and immigration implications of cross-border travel. She also has experience working with international executives in high touch situations.
In addition to mobility program clients, Laura works with individuals who are US citizens residing in Canada, are Canadians spending time in the US, or have cross-border investments.

Laura also advises on Canadian and US issues related to compensation and benefit plans, including various types of equity and retirement plans.
A graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Master of Accounting program, Laura is a Canadian trained CPA, CA and also holds her US CPA designation.

Community Involvement:
Laura has been involved in organizing events for the Alzheimer Society and has volunteered her time in an accounting and finance role for the Tumaini Children’s Project, a non-profit organization. She also co-leads the KPMG Ottawa women’s network “Thrive” and is an active member of the Ottawa Women’s Business Network (WBN), including chair of the Mentorship Program Committee.