London Inc. May 2024 - 25

While there seems to be no statistics on
the gender balance of leadership in Canadian
communications roles, in the United States, a
KPMG study called Mind the Gap: Women's
Leadership in Public Relations, conducted in
2019, asserts that up to 80 per cent of the top
public relations agencies are headed by men.
But let's consider who leads the comms shops at
most of the major public sector organizations in
London. Western University, the City of London,
London Hydro, London Police Service and more,
are all led by women. And many of the major
London-based private sector companies' communications
functions are also led by women.
Trying to nail down why this is the case is
like wearing a blindfold while trying to thread a
needle - it is elusive, to say the least. In speaking
with four of London's female communications
leaders, there are, however, some common traits
that emerge in leadership styles, the role of mentors,
the experience they bring to the table and
giving back.
These four women - Tania Testa, London
Health Sciences Centre's corporate communications
and public engagement executive;
Patricia Hoffer, chief communications officer at
St. Joseph's Healthcare London; Liisa Sheldrick,
global corporate communications director
at Solventum (formerly 3M Healthcare); and
Cheryl Weedmark, corporate communications
lead for the Thames Valley District School
Board (TVDSB) - all bring a wealth of varying
experience to their positions.
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After beginning her communications career in
industries that included education and economic
development, Hoffer had an 11-year career with
boutique firm Lashbrook Marketing & Public
Relations (before merging with marketing firm
RedRhino in 2019, Lashbrook Marketing was
operated for almost 30 years by distinguished
local PR and marketing specialist Laurie
Lashbrook, who now heads up communications
at Ivey Business School).
" At Lashbrook, the focus was very much on
healthcare and community development - so a
very non-profit, public-sector focus, " explains
Hoffer, noting that her experience at Lashbrook
helped her to establish a network of healthcare
and business contacts, something communicators
count as one of their most important assets.
" London is a very hard town to break into and you
know - and I'll be honest - when I first came to
London, I didn't think it would last very long. "
Like Hoffer at Lashbrook Marketing, Testa and
Sheldrick both worked for another of the city's
influential marketing icons, Robin Honey at
Honey Design (it merged with Arcane Digital in
2014), where they were afforded the opportunity
to build influential networks across various
sectors.
" We have a really great pipeline of women in
communications and a talent pool in this city
that many organizations benefit from, " says
Sheldrick, who spent the first decade of her career
in Toronto before returning to her hometown.
" I can point to so many strong, strong women
opposite from left:
Cheryl Weedmark,
Patricia Hoffer,
Tania Testa and
Liisa Sheldrick
MAY 2024 | londonincmagazine.ca | 25
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London Inc. May 2024

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