“Education changed my life,” says Kathleen (Katie) Taylor, who, after a distinguished career in business, now sits on the boards of Element Fleet Management, Altas Partners, and The Hospital for Sick Children. She grew up with four siblings and “not a lot of guardrails” in blue-collar Oshawa at a time when women could be one of five things: a mom, an executive assistant, a teacher, a nurse, or a nun. The first in her family to attend university, Katie enrolled at the University of Toronto with the intention of becoming a teacher. However, “Once I got to university, I saw that opportunities for women were a lot broader than I had first anticipated. By my second year I switched out of the idea of becoming a teacher and started studying political science and economics,” she says.
Katie went on to earn both an MBA and JD and rise to the rank of President and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Very competitive and often the only woman in a room throughout her career, Katie refers to herself as “a little bit of a purple squirrel.” She is quick to note that although she didn’t have a lot of female role models, she did have “huge, huge support from male mentors and sponsors all along the way. They helped my career and pushed me to places even I didn’t think I could go.“
Katie reflects on her mother’s influence modeling ever-important soft skills. “She had what I came to learn was extremely high emotional intelligence, something that she passed on to all of us. She always had great wisdom around difficult and thorny issues and had a wonderful, wonderful touch on how to treat people no matter the circumstances,” Katie says.
After leaving the corporate world, “the mainstay of my philanthropy work has been sickness.” She lost her brother Chris to cancer while she was in graduate school, and “our family’s ties to Sick Kids were immeasurable,” she says. “I started as Director, became Chair of the foundation, and I currently serve as Chair of the hospital board. It’s been 20 of the most fulfilling years of my life,” she says.
Encouraging others to volunteer, Katie says, “Pick a place where you think you can have impact [and] where you can be passionate about the work. These are also endeavors where you can…develop, deepen, and broaden your networks, and in many cases develop truly lifelong friendships.”
A trailblazer and unrelenting advocate for women’s advancement, particularly within executive and corporate leadership across Canada, Katie’s ongoing advocacy and dedication inspire and drive progress toward a more inclusive and representative world.
To hear from these gender equity and DEI champions attend Catalyst Honours on 7 October, 2024.
Highlights
- Trailblazing Across Industries: Katie was the first woman to chair the board of a major Canadian bank, guiding RBC and its board through a significant period of growth and international expansion. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership and governance skills as well as multifaceted business expertise across industries.
- Advocating for Working Mothers: As a Founding Visionary of The Prosperity Project, Katie’s advocacy was instrumental in garnering support for national daycare initiatives, further enhancing women’s workforce participation.
- Honors & Awards: Katie’s impact has been recognized through numerous accolades, including her appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada, induction into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends, and as the recipient of several honorary degrees.