Coast Capital’s Chief Operating Officer, Kathy McGarrigle, has been named a winner of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) 2016 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award for her visionary and transformative business leadership style that has resulted in exceptional results for the credit union, the development of up and coming business leaders, and positive contributions to the greater community.

Recognized in the Corporate Executives category at WXN’s event in Toronto Thursday night, McGarrigle is one of four women currently sitting on Coast Capital’s nine-member Executive Team. The credit union’s Board of Directors also boasts a ratio of women to men that is more than double the Canadian average of 15.9 percent, with four of its 10 members being women.

The make-up of both of these leadership groups reaffirms Coast Capital’s commitment to fostering a culture that gives women the opportunity to thrive and succeed in the traditionally male-dominated financial services industry.

“Kathy is one of the most motivated, hard-working, and creative leaders that I have met in my 20-plus years of working in the financial services industry,” says Don Coulter, Coast Capital Savings president and CEO. “Kathy’s work ethic is matched by her dedication to give back to our communities, and the ongoing success that Coast Capital has enjoyed in improving the financial well-being of Canadians is the direct result of her leadership of our retail and investment teams.”

The Top 100 Awards serve to recognize talented leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors and to inspire the current and next generation to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

“With each year that passes, women are pushing forward and upward, closing the gender gap in education and at the highest levels of business and industry. These awards are a celebration of this important achievement,” says McGarrigle. “I’m truly honoured to be counted among this group of remarkable women, and I extend my congratulations to those who I share this distinction with.”

McGarrigle writes a financial column – Money Matters – for The Leader.

She joins a prestigious community of past award winners, including some of Canada’s most iconic women trailblazers, such as Margaret Atwood, best-selling author, and Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada.

The full list of WXN’s 2016 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners can be found at https://www.wxnetwork.com/top-100/top-100-winners/.