Last week, Massey Henry and VersaFi co-hosted a panel at Massey College, bringing together senior financial services leaders for a candid discussion on how women can best position themselves for success at the executive and board levels in the years ahead.
Moderated by Tanya van Biesen, the discussion featured perspectives from industry leaders Nancy Nazer, Chief Human Resources Officer of OMERS, Beth Tyndall, Chief People Officer of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and our firm’s Managing Partner, Michael Henry.
Key Takeaways
1. Enterprise thinking is the new leadership baseline
Beyond functional expertise, leaders are increasingly expected to operate with an enterprise-wide mindset — connecting decisions to long-term strategy, risk, and value creation.
2. Belonging is the evolution of inclusion
The conversation reinforced the distinction between diversity, inclusion, and belonging — with belonging emerging as a key driver of performance, engagement, and retention.
3. Curiosity is a defining leadership behaviour
Curiosity — about people, strategy, and technology — is becoming essential for leaders navigating complexity and change.
4. Human capabilities are increasing in importance in the age of AI
Critical thinking, judgment, empathy, and decisiveness are not being displaced — they are becoming more valuable.
5. Purpose continues to shape leadership progression
Advancement is increasingly tied to alignment with organizational purpose, not just capability or experience.
Executive and Board Implications
What this means for women leaders:
- Develop an enterprise lens beyond functional depth
- Build credibility through judgment
- Demonstrate curiosity across disciplines
What this means for organizations:
- Prioritize belonging as a driver of performance and retention
- Redefine leadership criteria to reflect evolving capability needs
- Ensure succession pipelines reflect enterprise leadership potential
About VersaFi
As Canada’s largest network of women in finance, VersaFi is dedicated to providing a voice and platform for networking, mentorship, and development opportunities for its community of more than 4,000 members.
About Massey Henry
Executive Search, Coaching, Assessment, and Advisory Services
Ranked among Canada’s Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail, Massey Henry is one of North America’s leading executive search and board advisory firms focused exclusively on the financial services sector. With an experienced team of industry leaders and executive recruitment specialists, the firm combines innovation with sector expertise to provide clients with full-scope talent assessment, coaching, succession planning, and executive search services.
Michael Henry
Managing Partner, Massey Henry
John Sanders
Senior Partner, Board & CEO Services
Lisa Newey
Partner
Carmen Jefferey
Principal