LANGLEY, B.C. – Two First West Credit Union female leaders were recognized on BCBusiness’ fifth annual B.C.’s Most Influential Women list, which honoured dozens of women making a difference in the finance industry. Launi Skinner, CEO of First West Credit Union and Kristi Miller, founder and national managing director of First West Capital, a subsidiary of First West Credit Union, were among the notable women lauded for their significant accomplishments and contributions to the industry.
As the world marks International Women’s Day today, it is fitting to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women both globally, and within B.C’s local communities. Notably, BCBusiness’ list encompasses a broad range of roles, from CEOs to entrepreneurs to bank executives and money managers, with a goal of recognizing the achievements of female leaders at different career stages and showcasing the impact they are making as a whole in the industry.
“It’s a great honour to be named one of B.C.’s Most Influential Women of 2019, especially alongside Kristi Miller who leads our First West Capital team,” says Skinner. “And fittingly so close to International Women’s Day where the focus still lands on building a gender-balanced world. I’m proud to work amongst so many phenomenal women leaders both within First West, and the financial services industry. We’ve come a long way, but we know there’s still so much more to be done in terms of gender-balance within our industry and beyond.”
Miller shares the same sentiment and believes that mentorship and accessibility to role models are also key to getting more women interested in finance and fostering gender equality. “Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to cultivate many impactful relationships with other professional women through mentoring and our ability to provide capital and support to female entrepreneurs. I truly believe it’s all of our responsibilities to support each other, and build a strong network of women supporting women. I’m very honoured to be recognized on BCBusiness’ Most Influential Women in Finance list and so pleased to see such a variety of leaders represented this year.”
For more information about BCBusiness’ Influential Women in Business Award, visit bcbusiness.ca/BCs-Most-Influential-Women-in-Finance.