| Job Title: | Senior Vice President, Global Government and Industry Relations |
| Employer: | Maple Leaf Foods |
| Grad Year: | 2002 |
| Degree(s): | M.A. Political Science |
| Major(s): | Political Science |
| Expertise: | International Affairs |
| Industry: | Government Relations, Public Service |
What makes you a good mentor?
I want to see more engagement across generations. Now that I have crossed the bridge into my 40s, I feel like I learn the most and am inspired the most when I have conversations about leadership, future of work and the global economy with people who are under 30 and over 55. I would love to see more conversations happening among generations. We have a lot to learn from each other and if we were intentional about harvesting those experiences, the impact would be significant. I also believe that the now popular catch-phrase, "you can't be what you can't see" is true. If I can inspire or motivate someone who is looking to enter into the world of international relations, then I am happy to do so.
About Nadia Theodore
Ms. Theodore is Senior Vice President, Global Government and Industry Relations with Maple Leaf Foods. In this role, Ms. Theodore leads Maple Leaf Foods’ global government relations and public policy functions, collaborating across the organization in developing and implementing the company’s government and industry relations strategy.
Prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, Nadia spent over 20 years in the Canadian federal public service where she built a reputation for forging strong partnerships with government and business leaders, managing complex, priority trade files and leading multi-disciplinary teams. She has held senior leadership roles on several international trade negotiations and directly prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, served as Canada’s Consul General to the Southeast USA, based in Atlanta.
Ms. Theodore has been profiled for her work in publications such as the Rosenzweig Report on Women in Leadership and OnBoard Georgia and serves on several non-profit boards including the Carter Center Advisory Board, CIFAL Atlanta (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) Advisory Board and as a Global Advisor for G(irls)20.
Ms. Theodore holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Master of Arts in Political Science, both from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Laws from University of London.
Personal quote: “A failure to tackle the structural barriers and persisting negative (and often unconscious) perceptions associated with diverse leadership will continue to keep women and minorities out of senior roles. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, there remains a widely held view that a focus on diversity across an organization – but especially in senior leadership – means compromising skill or qualifications.”