AWiE 2025: Fostering success for women engineers
Canadian Consulting Engineer | July 2025
Nensi Baboci, Nensi Baboci, BASc, MEng, P.Eng., CAHP Intern | Associate
Advance Women in Engineering recently returned for its third
On June 19, Canadian Consulting Engineer hosted its third annual Advance Women in Engineering (AWiE) virtual summit, in advance of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. With a mix of keynote presentations and panel discussions, the event drew more than 230 registrants and nearly 150 live attendees. It was sponsored by Reliable Controls, Tulloch, Rheem, Viega, the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) and Eaton.
The sessions addressed research into fostering greater success for women engineers, how men can provide support as allies, inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and thriving through adversity.
Removing systemic barriers
First up was keynote speaker Denise Pothier, P.Eng. (pictured, top left), COO for the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB). As a Nova Scotian with French Acadian and Mi’kmaq heritage, she has committed herself to removing systemic barriers for Indigenous businesses—including burgeoning engineering firms—across Canada.
Pothier studied both engineering and business, then spent the bulk of her career at Stantec, rising from director of quality management to vice-president (VP) of practice services before turning her focus to Indigenous relations, which in turn led to joining CCIB in 2024. She also serves on the boards of directors for EfficiencyOne and Engineers Canada.
“To say I am proud to be an engineer is an understatement,” said Pothier. “Engineering is more than a career. It is a calling to make the world a better place for all, where integrity, honesty and diversity are welcomed and honoured.”
Pothier cited the seventh-generation principle, the Indigenous concept that emphasizes thinking about other people in the future when you are making decisions today.
“We are connected both to the first people who practised engineering and to future engineers who are not even born yet,” she said. “We take wisdom that came before us, improve upon it, protect it and pass it on.”