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WiAF Spotlight: Janice Boulet


SG - October 28, 2021 - Featured Content Area


 

Janice Boulet, Senior Vice-president, Centralized Services: CWB National Leasing

What brought you to the asset-based finance and leasing industry?

I started with CWB National Leasing as a summer student and was offered a full time position after graduation from the University of Manitoba.  I worked with a young, up and coming account executive by the name of Angela Armstrong (some of you may know her!).  We were very small at that time (less than 20 employees), so it felt like I would have a great opportunity to learn and grow.  I found the leasing business to be fast paced, never dull and full of challenges.  Being a new graduate, I quickly learned that things did not always happen the way text books told us it should.  I feel that leasing provided insight into many areas of business, including sales, credit, administration, collections.  Exposure to these different areas helped to round out my leasing knowledge and experience.  As it turns out, I would start my career in the leasing industry after university and never leave!

 

What does it mean to you to be a leader and how do you lead others in your organization?

I am extremely honoured to be a leader within CWB National Leasing.  It is a responsibility that I have taken very seriously and to which I am very committed.  Not only to help make our vision become a reality, but to ensure success and growth for the company along with success and growth for all of our employees.  I try to encourage and develop an environment where people feel safe.  Where people can bring their best selves to work each and every day.  It’s so important to support all those around you, whether it’s someone on your team, your colleagues or even your manager.  It’s this support and trust that empowers people to excel in their roles, to not be afraid to speak up, to take on new challenges and to not be afraid to make a mistake.  I do not only listen to my teams, but try to really hear what they are saying or need in that moment.  I respect the diverse opinions, knowledge and experience that I have within my teams.  This helps us to continue to strive to be better!

 

What is your greatest achievement?

I would have to choose a personal achievement as my greatest one, and that is my son and my daughter.  As a working mother, it was not always easy to be 100% at work and then 100% at home.  I was extremely lucky to have a spouse who shared in the parenting duties and also to work for a company who believed in a work/life balance.  This allowed me to be present when my children needed me and to celebrate those moments and milestones that all seemed to happen so fast.  Now in their early twenties, I am so proud that they are both independent, confident and forging their own paths in this world.  Most importantly, they respect others and they care.  They care about the environment, their family and friends, their community and those who are less fortunate.  The conversations around the dinner table are engaging and enlightening.  I feel that the tables have turned and now I am learning so much from them.

 

What is your favourite part of your job?

I would say the favourite part of my job is our people.  Whether it is helping to develop someone’s skills, mentoring a potential future leader, providing a sounding board to a colleague or just a water cooler conversation with a group of people, I truly enjoy connecting with everyone.  This is something that I have missed dearly during the pandemic.  Our award winning, amazing culture is the result of all the incredible people working for CWB National Leasing.  People really care about the company and their co-workers and we celebrate our successes, big or small.  I also love seeing our staff grow and succeed.  One of my previous leaders always told us that our main job was to prepare all employees for their next role, whether or not it is within our company.  When someone takes on a new challenge and succeeds in that role, I could not be happier for them.  The people working here have been a big reason why I have stayed with the company all these years.


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