Bridget King

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as the executive sponsor of Accenture Canada’s Mental Health Employee Resource Group, I am proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes mental well-being, breaks down stigma, and fosters a sense of belonging for all. Mental health is a crucial part of overall well-being, and it’s essential that we create a supportive and inclusive environment where every employee feels valued and supported. By providing access to mental health resources, offering flexible work arrangements, and fostering a culture of open conversation, we can build a more engaged, creative, and committed workforce. Not only is this the right thing to do for our team members, but a mentally healthy team is also more productive and innovative, leading to better outcomes for our clients and our business. At Accenture Canada, we have delivered a series of mental health workshops and first aid training to our managers and employees. This training equips our team with the skills to support their colleagues and themselves, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) includes more comprehensive mental health support, such as access to mental health professionals and online tools. These benefits are in addition to confidential counseling and resources to help employees manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Moreover, we aim to set a positive example for our industry and community, proudly championing the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Techminds and Being a Business Leader for Mental Health programs. This year, for Mental Health Awareness month, we are inviting everyone to “Reach Beyond” – beyond stigma, beyond silence, and beyond the usual spaces – to create a culture where everyone can thrive. We have a fantastic lineup of events and activities planned across for our employees across the country. Importantly, we recognize that mental health awareness cannot be a one-month effort. We run awareness campaigns throughout the year to educate our employees about mental health, provide resources, and encourage open conversations. I hope all our employees take advantage of the resources and support available. I also encourage other companies to foster a culture where mental health is a priority and where everyone feels safe and supported. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient, and more compassionate community. #MentalHealthMatters #MentalHealthAwareness #WellBeing #ReachBeyond  

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OpenText recently partnered with the Women in Computer Science (WiCS) at the University of Waterloo to host a Careers in AI panel featuring OpenText leaders Lise Lefaive (VP, IT Shared Services), Bita Houshmand Rabiee (Sr. Director, AI & Data Science), Michelle Kelly (VP, Digital Strategy), and Kirn Sanghera (Director, Digital Experience). 💡 Students gained valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of technology, career paths in this evolving space, and the importance of diverse perspectives in innovation. Thank you to WiCS and everyone who joined us for an inspiring conversation!

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Yesterday, IBM Canada hosted our signature event: "AI for All: Empowering women in the age of AI" We were joined at our York St. office by inspiring guests Pallavi Tripathi, Fariba Rawhani, Faezeh Khabbaz, Chitra S., & Monique Allen to discuss how AI is profoundly reshaping the workforce. All of these guest panelists are champions for women and AI. Using meaningful conversations, stories and networking, we hoped today's session encouraged women and allies to embrace AI and to unite a segment of women business and IT to redefine the leadership roles of the future. As generative AI disrupts workflows and demands organization-wide transformation, women now have a once-in-a-career opportunity to gain equal footing. The discussion allowed me to realize where we have impact: ✅ Having diverse perspectives in leadership positions is more important now than ever. Women who take leadership positions responsible for AI strategy today can advance their careers and be a change agents their organization needs. ✅ Male allies will accelerate the advancement of women in leadership and AI. More men than women in leadership roles means more opportunities for men to mentor, sponsor, and advocate for women in leadership and participation of women in AI specifically. ✅Women have the power to reduce inequality in AI. AI is only as good as the data it is trained on and in many cases this data can contain gender biases. By embracing AI, women can flag inequalities in model output and create trusted, fair, and equal AI for all. At IBM, we are creating an open dialogue of perspectives and opportunities for women to boost productivity and transform industries with generative AI. Many thanks to the support of our Canada leadership team: Deb Pimentel, Mike Novis, Mallory Chrysler; our moderator Tosha Henry-Adams..... all led by Aimee Houston, an incredible champion driving our Women+Ai focus! 💜

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It's an exciting week for IBM and Microsoft in Canada! Yesterday we launched IBM’s fifth #Microsoft Experience Zone (MEZ) globally in Montréal. This marks the latest milestone in #IBMConsulting and Microsoft’s strategic partnership globally and is part of IBM’s core mission to help transform the enterprises of the future underpinned by hybrid cloud and AI. The Montreal IBM-MEZ provides a hands-on environment where clients can work with IBM Consulting in technology zones, to co-create #GenAI-powered solutions using Microsoft and IBM Technology. Learn how to: • Use GenAI to streamline #processes • Enable your #employees using Microsoft co-pilot • Reduce technical debt (and save money) – a challenge many of our organizations face Reach out, and let's plan a visit! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gvXc8FhN Adam Porter Colette Cheung Mark Innes Matthew Simone Garmon Chow Noureen Syed Bina Mistry Ramesh Jeyaram Joe Kinch Neveen T.

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OpenText recently partnered with the Women in Computer Science (WiCS) at the University of Waterloo to host a Careers in AI panel featuring OpenText leaders Lise Lefaive (VP, IT Shared Services), Bita Houshmand Rabiee (Sr. Director, AI & Data Science), Michelle Kelly (VP, Digital Strategy), and Kirn Sanghera (Director, Digital Experience). 💡 Students gained valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of technology, career paths in this evolving space, and the importance of diverse perspectives in innovation. Thank you to WiCS and everyone who joined us for an inspiring conversation!

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Canada’s 2025 federal budget sends a clear signal on workforce skills. It’s not about large-scale training programs this time. The focus is on global talent attraction, targeted reskilling in disrupted sectors, and investment in AI and high-productivity industries. For business leaders, that means aligning your own skills strategy to the same levers: • Compete smartly for globally mobile talent. • Plug into reskilling where trade or sector shocks hit your workforce. • Position upskilling as part of your productivity and investment agenda, not as a discretionary cost.

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