DFS Vancouver Presents Kirsten Sutton at Inaugural Success Luncheon October 30th, 2013

Dress for Success is pleased to welcome Kirsten Sutton, VP & Managing Director of SAP Labs Canada, as one of four speakers at the Inaugural Success Luncheon on Wednesday, October 30th at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

About Kirsten

 

Kirsten Sutton, VP & Managing Director
of SAP Labs Canada

Kirsten Sutton was appointed Managing Director of SAP Labs Canada on January 3, 2012. Previously the Managing Director of SAP Labs Vancouver where she served as external and internal liaison for the Vancouver Lab and represented Vancouver across the global SAP Labs network, Kirsten’s role has expanded to include management of all the SAP Labs facilities across Canada.

 

An integral part of SAP’s global research and development network, the SAP Labs Canada organization spans the country including Vancouver, Toronto, Waterloo and Montreal. SAP Labs Vancouver was established in 1984 and is the birthplace of SAP’s robust Business Intelligence platform. SAP Labs Montreal was established in 1998 and is a key development center for applications running on SAP HANA, and Mobility. SAP Labs Toronto was established in 2005 and has responsibility for development of Retail and Service industry solutions. SAP Labs Waterloo was established in 1981 and is a center of excellence for SAP HANA, database and mobility platform.

Prior to her appointment as Managing Director for SAP Labs Vancouver, Kirsten was Global Director of Technology Development Operations for SAP, as well as Chair of the Vancouver Leadership Team. Previous to this she was Global Director of Translation where she incorporated leading edge technologies and progressive processes in the centralization of translation services across the organization. 

Further to her very full career with SAP, Kirsten is a Director on both the Board of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women as well as the BCTIA (British Columbia Technology Industry Association). Kirsten is also a playwright and a French chef; two skills that lend to her artistic and social flair and give new meaning to the notion of “dinner theatre”. 

Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Creative Writing from Western Washington University, and BA Honors in English from the University of California at Irvine. She is based out of the SAP Vancouver office in Yaletown.

About Dress for Success Vancouver
Dress for Success Vancouver is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.  Since its inception in 1999, Dress for Success Vancouver has helped more than 17,000 women towards self-sufficiency. 

Event Details
Get your tickets at www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver
Enjoy a 3 course lunch and the opportunity to network with other prominent business contacts across all sectors.  

All proceeds are in support of Dress for Success Vancouver!

Mentor Spotlight, Karen Willis

Name: Karen Willis

How long have you been mentoring at Dress for Success Vancouver?  About 2 ½ years. I started working in Dressing Services along with my daughter … we thought it was a great way to spend a Saturday combining our love of clothes with helping others and getting some mother/daughter bonding time. Last October, on the suggestion of a colleague who is a mentor, I attended a DFS Professional Women’s Group meeting to see what it was all about. I was inspired by the energy, sense of community, and support for one another that was generated by the amazing women that are part of that group, and since then I have been offering my services as a mentor.

What is the best thing about mentoring with DFS? Memorable moments?  The best thing for me is getting to know these incredibly strong, resilient women who have come to PWG to learn, grow and advance … they come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures and it is so interesting to learn more about them. One of my most memorable moments was when one of the women I had helped fine tune her resume told me she had been offered a great job with an organization she was keenly interested in working for. I was so happy and excited for her … it was a great moment.

What do you do when you aren't mentoring?  I love to travel and would be a vagabond if I had the time and funds to support it. I also have a passion for decorating and seem to be constantly renovating some area of my home … I like the creative process.

Who is your style icon? Audrey Hepburn represents the classic style I like.

What is your dream vacation? Having a minimum of six months of uninterrupted time to explore all the countries on my bucket list. 

What is your motto?  Carpe diem! (Seize the Day!)

DFS Vancouver Presents Laurie Schultz at Inaugural Success Luncheon October 30th, 2013

Dress for Success Vancouver is thrilled to host Laurie Schultz, President and CEO of ACL Services for our Inaugural Success Luncheon Series on October 30th. 

Laurie Schultz, President and CEO, is responsible for leading the successful execution of ACL's strategic growth plans.

With over 12 years of software experience with Intuit and Sage, Laurie has led 10 different software businesses spanning personal finance through small business accounting and mid market ERP solutions. Prior to joining ACL, Laurie was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sage North America’s mid market ERP portfolio where she was accountable for seven products sold in over 100 countries through a reseller channel of 2,000 partners and an employee base of 600. Prior to her time with Intuit and Sage, Laurie worked for KPMG in their Marketing and Business Development Consulting Practice, and for Telus in Product Management.  She is a recognized industry leader and was recently featured as one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in the IT Channel and in the Top 100 Women in North American Channel. Laurie holds a MBA and Bachelor of Commerce degree, both from the University of Alberta. She acts on the Board of Dress For Success Vancouver, a not for profit organization committed to helping low or no income women to transition into the workforce, and also serves on the Board of the British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA), an industry-funded organization committed to growing BC’s technology industry.

Be sure to catch Laurie speak on Wednesday, Oct. 30th, 2013:

Get your tickets at www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver

Enjoy a 3 course lunch and the opportunity to network with other prominent business contacts across all sectors.  All proceeds are in support of Dress for Success Vancouver!

About Dress for Success Vancouver

Dress for Success Vancouver is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.  Since its inception in 1999, Dress for Success Vancouver has helped more than 17,000 women towards self-sufficiency. 

Employee Spotlight, Jennifer Halinda, Executive Director

Name: Jennifer Halinda 

Role at DFS Vancouver: Executive Director 

How long have you been working at DFS Vancouver? 5 years as a volunteer stylist, full time position since March 2013. 

What is the best thing about working here? Any memorable moments? The best thing- our mission! To help women become successful in work and life. The amazing volunteers, the wonderful donors and supporters, and our clients. Memorable moments: seeing women's confidence build, a sparkle in their eye, a smile at the end of a visit. Hearing about their successes with getting a new job! 

What do you do with your time outside of the 9-5 with DFS Vancouver? Currently, enjoying the many festivals around the city. I am a Food Network fan and love ethnic cafe's, food carts, and cooking. I also collect original art and have a library of Art Gallery books from around the world. They are great souvenirs from my travels. 

Who is your style icon? Audrey Hepburn. Daniel Craig. Couple: Victoria and David Beckham. 

Dream vacation? Greece seems to be calling. I see it everywhere. Hopefully next year. 

What is your motto? Be yourself. Everyone else is taken :)