Corina Moore is proud of what she has accomplished as CEO of a transportation company based in northern Ontario.
Moore, president, and chief executive officer of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission admits that female CEO's are few and far between in her industry.
Named one of Canada's top 100 most powerful women in 2021, Moore hopes one day to make a list like that without any connection to gender.
She also looks forward to a day when there will no longer be a need for International Women's Day, which took place on Tuesday.
"We should not need a day to recognize and the day we don't will be the day that we have success but until then we are really far off that day with the number and percentage of women certainly in the transportation industry," said Moore.
"Obviously, I am really proud of our female participation rate which is 22 per cent which is 9 per cent higher than the rail transportation industry participation rate and 10 per cent higher than the truck and transportation industry so although we are doing well and making great strides, we have a lot more room to move so we are pushing for gender equity and we want to raise awareness; not just the many jobs that we have posted right now but that Ontario Northland is a workplace that values diverse people and diverse perspectives."
Moore, a graduate of Waterloo University in Systems Design Engineering and Business Administration and Management, says she is proud to hear from women at the ONR that they believe there is a path to senior-level positions as Moore and Donna Jacques, ONR General Counsel make up 50 per cent of the senior level positions within the crown corporation.
"I feel that it is a competitive advantage that we have that diversity around the table because it is better brainstorming, it is better planning, it is better service delivery. It is all the things we need to be great," she said.
See related: North Bay's Corina Moore among Canada's top 100 most powerful women
She has this advice for young women with big dreams.
"Young women need to be strong, capable and worthy," said Moore.
"Do not give up who your authentic self is to try to blend in. We need that authenticity, we need that perspective. There are still gender biases, they still exist and you are going to come up against them and they are going to need the confidence and the support of people around them to make sure that they are successful. I would just say I am so encouraged by the younger women generation because they have the confidence they need to strive to these positions and that's exciting and all I want to say is look for these positions. You can drive a bus, you can operate a train, you can repair huge equipment, you could be the next CEO, all these things are at your doorstep right now so just know that you are worthy and have the confidence to reach for the stars."
