provide our broader membership base with a greater opportunity to network and participate in our events.
As part of IWIRC Ontario’s initiative to give back to the community, in May 2015 we organized a team of female insolvency practitioners to participate in a charity walk, which raised funds for local women’s mental health programs. The format of the event facilitated an excellent networking opportunity, and supporting this great cause was well received by all of the participants. We plan to participate in another charity walk next year.
On September 16, 2015, we have a fabulous evening of networking and artistic discovery planned at Toronto’s art museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). After gathering for an opening reception, there will be a guided tour of the AGO’s galleries focused on the “Muse, Mistress, Mother, Model and Maker” – the evolution of the role of women in art from muse and model to creator – followed by an elegant dinner. If you are in Toronto on September 16th, please join us for this unique and exciting event.
Regional Programs
Canada has four IWIRC networks – Western Canada, Atlantic Canada, Montreal and Ontario. The geographic distance between the networks makes it difficult for the members of the networks to meet in person for regional events. In order to provide cross-Canada networking opportunities, for the last two years the Canadian networks have partnered with a successful and well-attended Canadian conference – the Annual Review of Insolvency Law (ARIL) – which is held annually. In February 2015, in conjunction with the ARIL conference, IWIRC Ontario hosted a kick-off reception prior to the main conference reception. IWIRC members from the four networks and non-members from across Canada attended our reception. We are also currently brainstorming with the other Canadian networks on further regional programs, including programs that may be accommodated through videoconferencing.
Other Restructuring Groups
In the past year, we supported or held events in conjunction with other restructuring groups in Ontario, including:
Turnaround Management Association Toronto – IWIRC Ontario members participated in The Spring Gala: An Evening Honouring Women in Restructuring, a black-tie event that profiles women in the turnaround and restructuring practice in Toronto and raises funds for a Toronto-based charity that focuses on making a difference in the lives of women. IWIRC Ontario and TMA Toronto member Maria Konyukhova, a partner at the Toronto law firm Stikeman Elliott LLP, received an “Emerging Talent” award at the Spring Gala, recognizing her exceptional contribution to the turnaround and restructuring community within the first ten years of her practice. In addition, IWIRC Ontario made a donation to the Spring Gala’s chosen charity.
Turnaround Management Association International – IWIRC Ontario hosted a successful dinner in conjunction with last year’s TMA Annual Conference, which was held in Toronto in September 2014.