Articles Inspiring Conversation – Lindsay Sill

Lindsay Sill – Entrepreneur and Executive | Universal Women Network National Ambassador | @LindsaySill

Lindsay is an Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. She is skilled in Strategic Partnerships, Management, Leadership, Team Leadership, and Project Management. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Victoria. Prior to over a decade-long career at WestGrid, she worked as a Laboratory Manager in the Department of Medicine for the University of Calgary where she did research on gene therapy and immunology, which eventually lead to a publication in Nature. Lindsay was also an Advisory Board member of the first international and Canadian chapter of the non-profit organization Women in HPC, which works to improve the gender balance in advanced research computing. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Kelowna Ultimate Players society, as ultimate frisbee is one of her many passions. She lives in Kelowna, BC with her husband and two sons.

UWN: Every woman has a story. Tell us about your story!

LS: I grew up in small town BC and had a lot of “negative inspiration” that was actually inspiring. For example, my first job was at a gas station. I was inspired to go to university and have a career after a few summers there.  Working with people whose lives consisted of waking up, going to work, watching TV and repeat was not a life I envisioned for myself. I wanted to travel, see the world, and get an education. Although now I see that gas stations are an essential service, I didn’t feel like it served the purpose that I was put on earth for. I grew up in a loving and caring home, but was surrounded by many family issues that helped me become the gritty, persistent and successful leader that I am today including: narcissism, mental health disorders, alcoholism, and divorce, to name a few negative inspirations. When your parents sit you down when you are 14 and have you choose which parent you’d like to live with after the divorce, it makes you mature way quicker than your peers. It also results in years of resentment and guilt.

After having an incredibly inspirational Biology teacher in high school, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Upon graduating, I worked in the department of forestry and then medicine. The next natural path was post-graduate studies, which was not appealing to me at the time. I did a brief stint in oil and gas to try out the cowboy and industry lifestyle for a while, but I love academia, so went back to working at the university and got a job at a tech startup. Climbing the corporate ladder from project coordinator to CEO, twelve years later I made the difficult decision to remove the golden handcuffs and explore other initiatives. Although I was supporting world-class research, it was very high stress and the 80K km of flying every year was getting to me and it was very hard to be away from my family so much.  Quite the contrast now with being home almost every minute of every day.

UWN: Are you finding inspiration in stories of courage, bravery, perseverance to support you through this time?

LS: The media currently is all consuming and very overwhelming. However, it’s been incredible to see that for every negative or sad article, there are a handful that are positive and inspiring. Knock on wood, I have not had anyone in my life that has been directly affected with the virus, but my heart is with those that have been severely impacted. I love hearing the stories about people offering their Airbnbs to the hospital staff and the man who gave his savings for gas for the nurses. My street has three nurses and we ring the bells and make noise every night at seven. Our community is such an incredible support network, offering grocery deliver to each other and really respecting the social distancing rules. The owners of my gym, The Women’s Place, have been very inspirational and creative to continue offering classes and build a very strong community of women. Every day they keep me motivated and surprise me with their ingenuity. They could have given up and closed the gym but instead they have succeeded through perseverance.

UWN: How does it feel to be acknowledged as a Women of Inspiration?

LS: I’m so honoured to be selected as a National Ambassador! On the very first call with the Ambassadors, I was so humbled and seemed to be experiencing a bit of imposter syndrome. I’m surrounded by women that are impressively accomplished and so inspirational. I look forward to working with each and every one of them on such an important initiative.

UWN: We are honoured to have you part of our journey. Why did you make the decision to become a National Ambassador?

LS: As soon as I discovered UWN and all of the great things being done to empower and recognize women, I knew this was an initiative I wanted to get involved in. I’m currently in between jobs right now and focusing on taking care of my kids through the pandemic, so it’s a great time to give my time back to volunteering for things like this that align so nicely with my passions and priorities. I can’t wait for this year’s awards to feel the emotion that results from recognizing the talent and goodwill that we have in this great country.

UWN: Why is recognizing women in leadership roles critical? Why now more than ever should we recognize the achievements of leaders at all levels, including the unsung heroes.

LS: I was appalled when I heard the statistic that there are more male CEOs named John than there are female CEOs! Ironically, the CEO that replaced me last month is named John. This has got to change. By recognizing women in leadership, it inspires girls and women, by providing them with role models. Seeing is believing – it helps them believe that they too can become great leaders. It’s time for women to start getting recognized and get the credit they are due for their accomplishments. Studies show that women are hired based on past accomplishments whereas men are hired based on future potential. This is so disappointing, but at least we can begin to address the problem and eventually have fair hiring and compensation for women. By recognizing our accomplishments and lifting each other up, it’s a great start.

UWN: How has your adversity, and journey prepared you to lead through a crisis? What is one thing that you swear by that has helped you when faced with uncertainty or a challenge?

LS: I am no stranger to adversity! As I’ve discussed I’ve had some adversity growing up and it did not go away once I entered the workforce. I have experience bullying, harassment and many difficult situations resulting in working in some stressful and very male-dominated environments. I’ve also struggled with migraines my entire adult life, which has made me much stronger as a person to battle through chronic pain. It also helps me relate to those in pain with COVID currently.

The most challenging times that I had to lead through a crisis was when our main funder decided to cut all of our funding, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. I learned that communication and understanding the concerns of all parties involved is of utmost importance. I also learned that no problem is too large once you break it down into smaller, manageable chunks and just chip away at it. Also, captaining and participating in team sports at the national and international level has been incredibly effective to transfer those skills into a leadership setting. Remembering you are part of a team is and being a team player is something that I swear by as working together is so important in uncertainty.

UWN: Has this time of PAUSE given you time to gain a new perspective? What are some of the realizations you have made?

LS: I’ve really enjoyed hitting the pause button on a few things in life. Prior to the pandemic life was feeling a bit too scheduled for my liking. Monday piano, Tuesday swimming, Wed soccer, etc. Being able to spend time so much intimate time with my kids has been amazing! They are at such a fun age and always up for an adventure. My husband and I have both worked from home over a decade and can’t imagine it any other way. I’m hoping that more people end up continuing to work remotely after the pandemic, cutting down on traffic and commute times. I’ve also gained a ton more respect for teachers (and hairdressers). They are so talented at what they do. I’ve learned that homeschooling is not a good fit for us!

UWN: How has the Global Pandemic affected you personally and professionally? Tell us how this has changed, motivated or inspired you?

LS: Luckily, I’ve been less affected than most but still have days that are mentally and emotionally challenging. I have been very inspired by the provincial (shout out to Dr. Bonny Henry) and federal leaders and I’m so glad that I live in BC and Canada, where the leadership has been top-notch. It’s been great to see how important science, research and technology have been at the forefront to getting us through this pandemic. I hope the decisions makers also realize this and continue to make investments in these important areas.

UWN: What words of inspiration and wisdom would you offer for leaders to through this historical time?

LS: Take some time to work on yourself and take an inventory of what is important to you. A healthy leader is an effective leader! By healthy I mean mind, body, and soul.

UWN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

LS: I’d love to be running a science centre in Kelowna, BC! My dream is to create a venue in Kelowna for local families and tourists, to spend time together exploring, learning, and innovating, through their shared loved of curiosity and discovery. There are some great programs in Kelowna, including through the Regional District and Let’s Talk Science, however, it would be good to weave in all of the stem disciplines and have a central location for science and exploration. Science centres occupy a niche between the practical world of science and technology and the regulated world of school. Over the course of the next year, I’ll be working on a business plan and giving back to the community, through volunteering on various boards and committees.

In 5 years my sons will be 13 and 14, which seems crazy to me! Hopefully, they will be volunteering at the science centre by that time.  This assumes that I don’t get distracted by all of the other cool opportunities out there!