MONTREAL – Jan. 29, 2021.
On January 26, 2021, Premières en affaires (translates: Firsts in Business) published its second Quebec Women’s Business Awards, known as the “Palmarès des entreprises au féminin du Québec”. This prestigious recognition is presented by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and the initiative is carried out in collaboration with The Women Initiative of Scotiabank™ and Inno-Center, the John Molson School of Management at Concordia University, with the support of BDC, Femmessor, E&Y and Léger, and the participation of the Ordre des CPA du Québec and the Réseau des Femmes d’affaires du Québec.
Mediaclip is proud to be part of the 110 SMEs included in the Palmarès. These awards specifically highlight companies that are led by exceptional women; this pool of entrepreneurs represents economic vitality and growth as much in Quebec as it does outside of its borders, with 83% of the companies in the Palmarès doing business elsewhere in Canada and beyond.
Though the current global health crisis, Covid-19, has had an impact on the entire Quebec economy, this pandemic will in fact accelerate growth over the next three years for 40% of the business leaders in the Palmarès. Under CEO Marion Duchesne’s guidance and resourcefulness, Mediaclip has positioned itself as a Rising Star within the economic fabric of Quebec, as well as a trusted key player within its focal field of business on a global scale.
With the aid of several public and private programs, Quebec has seen a steady rise in women’s entrepreneurship and leadership roles; however, the representation of women in business circles is still understated. According to a study by Osler law firm, only 4.4% of public companies have women on their board of directors, and merely 3.5% of these companies have female CEOs. Significant strides still remain to be taken so that women can hone their place within the economy.
Certain industries see more significant gaps in female representation. As Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation, mentioned during the video conference launching the awards, the lack of women in technology professions is an issue of concern for our future. We must put measures in place from the Secondary education level that encourages young women to pursue careers in science and technology domains.
“Being successful in business is of course important, but there are causes bigger than ourselves that we have a duty to foster. Young women having equal resources and opportunities to take on leadership roles in any domain is a major driver for my activities and involvements as a businesswoman and citizen,” comments Marion. “I welcome all my colleagues in positions of stature to contribute however they can to help chisel the steps towards the equal representation of women in our economy,” she continued.
This is exactly why she is passionately involved in the Fées Marraines Project, an organization that helps adolescent girls from underprivileged backgrounds to participate in their Prom by providing them with complete outfits for the event. As a result of the sanitation measures in 2020, high school graduates were unable to have a graduation ball and the case will likely be the same for the class of 2021. In response, the organization pivoted its offering as well and opted to grant 35 scholarships to hard-working young women who exhibited the determination to succeed, even in the most adverse circumstances. Mediaclip, like the Minister, wants to inspire young girls to excel in the Sciences and thus offers a scholarship of $ 1000, accompanied by a year of mentoring.
For more information on the Palmarès, please consult the Winter 2021 edition of the Premieres en affaires publication.
About Mediaclip
Mediaclip™ is the leading developer of white-label product personalization software that allows organizations to create and sell an endless variety of products on their online store, including photobooks, calendars, cards, photo gifts, home décor, promotional products, and much more. We offer the most flexible solution that addresses the specific needs of our customers’ market strategy, allowing them to control their processes and shopping experience while offering end-users a best-in-class user experience.
A privately-held company with headquarters in Montreal, Canada, Mediaclip’s software is currently integrated with hundreds of leading websites around the world.
