TORONTO, ON – Packed with powerful women, the line-up at the fourth annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit, hosted by Trucking HR Canada, will focus on the recruitment and retention of women in the trucking industry.

Executive Director of Catalyst Canada, Tanya van Biesen will give a State of Women in Business address, as the March summit’s keynote speaker. Catalyst is a nonprofit working with organizations to accelerate progress for women in boardrooms across the country. van Biesen brings more than two decades of corporate leadership and diversity experience to the discussion.

Three panels will round out the day at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel. The Power Panel, will feature successful entrepreneurs – including some recently featured in Profit Magazine’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs of 2016 – Margaret Hogg of JG Drapeau, Margaret Spady of Spady Transport, and Louise Vonk of Messenger Freight, who will be offering advice to all genders about how to replicate their success.

The Leadership Panel will feature executives sharing practical insights and strategies for taking a leadership role in recruiting women into companies in the industry. Panelists Trevor Bent, CEO of Eassons Transport, Genevieve Gagnon, president of XTL, Louisa McAlpine, owner and president of Snowbird Transportation Systems, and Grant Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer – North America of the RTL-Westcan Group of Companies, will talk about the lessons they learned while seeking to increase the number of women represented in their companies.

Finally, the Outside In panel will discuss how company branding can help with hiring. Panelists Lauren LaRose, senior employer Bbrand consultant at LinkedIn, Angela Payne, senior vice president and general manager at Monster Canada, and Andrea Ziegler, president at Workopolis will talk about how the perception of the industry affects recruitment of women and non-traditional groups, and how trucking can better promote itself to prospective job seekers.

The summit will conclude with a networking reception for all speakers and attendees. Those wanting more information or to register can contact Trucking HR Canada.