WBN corporate finalists (from left) Kim Dixon, Robin McIntyre and Caroline Crowe. (Photo courtesy Michelle Valberg)

The Women's Business Network has announced its finalists for the three categories of Businesswomen of the Year. This week, the OBJ spoke with the three finalists in the corporate category.

Most women want it all: A fulfilling personal life with a family along with the respect gained from a successful, high-profile position in the corporate world. These three women prove that it can be done.

Caroline Crowe is director of transitions and startups for EDS Canada and responsible for the implementation of large (greater than $100 million) new business initiatives. Previously, Ms. Crowe was the delivery director responsible for public sector and commercial clients in Ottawa, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

Kim Dixon is a skilled marketing and communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology sector. Prior to that, she worked as a technical officer and graphic artist with the Institute for Aerospace Research and the Astronaut Program with the National Research Council of Canada. She has also served as an executive officer within public and private companies.

Robin McIntyre has held the position of regional president at Rogers Communications Inc. since December 2004. In this role, she is responsible for video, Internet, and residential phone service for the Ottawa area. She has profit and loss accountability for technical operations, network planning and construction, consumer sales and the technical call centre.

The OBJ asked these dynamic women what they thought about changes to the corporate landscape, why they chose their profession and how they do what they do.

OBJ: Do you find the corporate climate is changing for women?

CROWE: Yes I do. I find that there is a much greater acceptance of different communication styles and personality traits and the workplace is becoming more inclusive. There is a broader understanding that diversity strengthens teams and drives more business. Our clients are diverse and we need to be able to build rapport.

Technology has provided options to allow work to be managed according to your schedule and employers are more flexible about alternative workplace arrangements. The workplace is a lot more flexible than when I first started.

DIXON: I've spent 17 years in the technology sector so as the song goes, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain." The corporate climate has thrown unpredictable storms and sunshine for both genders. We cannot deny the stats are much lower for women than men at executive levels within corporate Canada. That said, I have personally found opportunity within both the software and the telecom areas.

Within North America, I have encountered more women at the director level and above within the software segment. I believe that those of us who thrive and enjoy success at the senior level should be more visible in demonstrating that you can succeed. It's much more about delivering than gender, and the titles come with demanding requirements. It's a personal choice how hard you want to play.

McINTYRE: I am very optimistic about the future for women in corporate roles. Today, there are more women than when I started my career years ago. This gives me healthy role models and other women with similar aspirations to discuss experiences. However, there is still a long way to go. Women represent more than 50 per cent of graduates but are not being promoted at the same rate as men.

OBJ: What are some of the challenges you have faced in the corporate world?

CROWE: There is considerable pressure within the global technology industry to travel extensively and sometimes the most exciting projects are elsewhere. Sometimes there are clients who put a whole bunch of expectations on me, sometimes they are a little idealistic as to what can and cannot be done. But that's the attraction of the job: It's not easy, it's hard. It's the challenge that makes it fun and interesting.

DIXON: My challenges have always been classically business-based. They're the same ones that most senior managers have faced at one time or another: building and sustaining teams that work well together and keeping things on track when the going gets tough. Speaking from experience, there's a massive difference in responsibility and accountability between working as a vice-president versus the CEO role. Performing at a VP level is serious business, but your decisions at the CEO level affect the business and the destiny of all your employees at a level you can't really understand until you've been there. You think at a level far beyond anywhere you've been before. I liked it, even when my head hurt.

McINTYRE: Firstly, I want to focus on the tremendous opportunities I have had during my career. When I started my career with Rogers 15 years ago in Vancouver, I had the chance to manage people and large capital budgets even though I had minimal experience. People believed in my potential and gave me the chance to develop the confidence I needed to succeed.

Over the years, I have had people make inappropriate comments or tell me they wouldn't hire me because I was a female. However, I never chose to dwell on these behaviours but put my energy into improving my abilities and achieving results. Today my husband and I have identical challenges, managing a busy career, organizing the activities of our three children and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

OBJ: How did you choose your profession?

CROWE: At the time I finished school, these jobs didn't exist. I grew up on a farm and our family didn't have a lot of understanding as to what university was all about. I did well in school in math and sciences; those were the courses I was attracted to. But the guidance counsellor said, "Well, that's for boys." I remember the incident but I don't remember paying any attention to it. I studied maths, physics and chemistry at Toronto and have a master's degree in theoretical chemistry from Queen's.

I took my first job at DuPont because it was a chemical company. However, they were looking for computer analysts and I had considerable experience modelling, so I began in the computer industry. I took a second Master's degree in 2001 in organizational development because of the need I saw to understand better international strategic change.

DIXON: I chose art because I am passionate about all things creative. Because of my knowledge of art and graphics software, the technology sector chose me. After that, I was hooked on the speed of the industry, the opportunities and the capabilities that technology provides us.

McINTYRE: I love science, problem solving and motivating people and my position at Rogers gives me the opportunity to explore all of these areas. My work is to lead people to achieve aggressive company goals which is great fit because I am extremely achievement oriented myself. The most important aspect of my work is to coach, encourage and challenge people. Along the way, I have watched people accomplish some incredible feats and this has been very rewarding. One aspect I didn't consider when making a career choice was having more flexible hours to take time off when my children were younger.

OBJ: The idea of the "super mom" with kids and a highly demanding career is the dream of many young women starting out, what is your advice to them?

CROWE: Balancing requires a firm grip on reality and a clear understanding of your nature and values. For example, being an introvert, I am now pretty ruthless about setting time to unwind and think. I particularly need to re-energize with quiet time for processing and reflection. I become calmer and clearer about my choices. I have grown to understand that I can be happy now even though there are things I still want to change in my life.

DIXON: I'm living the dream and there isn't a whole lot of sleeping going on. I am a female arts graduate, excelling in a mainly male engineering sector. I am a woman who chose children and a career, managing rich and rewarding relationships in both. I'm succeeding at the executive level, often thriving in the danger zone. You must honour your values and be able to maintain focus no matter what you are doing. I burn the midnight oil when it's mission critical. I'm very accessible with my Blackberry, but I know when to turn it on, and when to turn it off. It's not easy but if it's right for you, there's nothing better than being motivated, capable and accomplished.

McINTYRE: Choose work you love, know yourself and develop a strong support system. Balance is hard to achieve with a demanding position whether you are a man or a woman, so you really need to love your work. There will be many hectic days but it is important to allocate your time and energy to the areas that matter the most. Set a good example for others, exercise and eat right because if you aren't healthy you won't have the energy to go to the Boston Marathon.