What It Takes to be a Woman in Leadership, with Julie Quenneville

The Sydcast

Episode Summary:

Episode 112. Julie Quenneville is a path-breaking CEO whose personal journey reads like a greatest hits of modern challenges for women who want to make an impact. From being married to a partner that wanted her at home, to navigating multiple male-dominated professional settings, to bringing up children as a single Mom with a high-powered career, Julie has, and is, living her own life. Add in a dedication to mentoring other women, the ability to communicate her message in powerful ways, and a forthright honesty that comes through in our entire conversation, and Julie Quenneville’s story is a master class in the art of becoming the person you want to be.

Sydney Finkelstein

Syd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the Global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein’s research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life.

Julie Quenneville

Julie Quenneville is the President and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation. Her vast knowledge of philanthropy, business and government relations has made her a sought-after speaker on multiple platforms. Whether as a commentator, panelist or media expert, Julie communicates her message in a dynamic and engaging way. She is a change agent, passionate about the need for innovative research as a global responsibility. As someone who has excelled in her field, Julie offers her expertise to business, corporate, community, health care and government leaders. She is a proud mentor, particularly passionate about empowering young women. Julie has been named a TOP 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.

Insights from this Episode

• Julie’s journey into leadership
• Julie’s life philosophy
• The impact of mentorship on Julie’s professional career and as a woman
• Secrets to why the McGill University Health Centre has had such success
• Challenges the McGill University Health Centre has faced during Covid-19
• Challenges Julie faced as a working mom during Covid-19

Quotes from the Show:

• “Women bring diversity to executive teams, but the nature of that diversity is not simply that there are women sitting around the table, is their life experience, so often different than men’s life experience ”- Sydney Finkelstein [2:27]
• “[About women during covid] Many of these women have dropped out of the fast track, sometimes out of the entire workforce because so much of the responsibility to cope rests on women in most families”- Sydney Finkelstein [3:09]
• “When we choose a different kind of lifestyle to balance being a wife, a mother and a leader, there’s still a lot of judgement” - Julie Quenneville [2:42]
• “I was never satisfied just observing and watching, which is what journalist are supposed to do” - Julie Quenneville [11:33]
• “The turning point for me was living everyday like it’s my last, and when I returned to school I joined absolutely every extracurricular activity” - Julie Quenneville [12:50]
• “There’s absolutely no going back to pre-covid. The world is completely different” - Julie Quenneville [36:08]
• “[About sexual harassment in the work place] This is your workplace, these are not your friends, you have to maintain a certain level of professionalism” - Julie Quenneville [42:25]
• “I think the male leaders play a role in ensuring that the work place is professional” - Julie Quenneville [46:57]
• “I have been successful because of the mentors that I have had” - Julie Quenneville [48:56]
• “If you have the right partner and the right support network around you, there is absolutely no reason to turn down career opportunities” - Julie Quenneville [54:40]
• “I believe that my children are better today or stronger today, and much more resilient and agile because of their mom’s career” - Julie Quenneville [56:04]

Stay Connected:

Sydney Finkelstein

Website: http://thesydcast.com

LinkedIn: Sydney Finkelstein

Twitter: @sydfinkelstein

Facebook: The Sydcast

Instagram: The Sydcast

Julie Quenneville

LinkedIn: Julie Quenneville

Website :https://www.juliequenneville.com/

McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation

Website: https://muhcfoundation.com/

Twitter: MUHC Foundation

Facebook: MUHC Foundation

Instagram: MUHCFoundation

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.