Toronto’s business community is gearing up for a significant celebration of inclusive leadership as Catalyst announced plans for its 2025 Catalyst Honours to be held in our city. The prestigious event, scheduled for late October 2025, will recognize trailblazing executives who’ve demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing women and underrepresented groups in Canadian workplaces.
As someone who’s covered Toronto’s business evolution for over a decade, I’ve witnessed firsthand how our corporate landscape has gradually shifted toward more inclusive practices. Yet the pace of change often feels glacial when examining the numbers. Women still hold fewer than 40% of management positions across Canadian businesses, according to Statistics Canada’s latest labour force data.
“The Catalyst Honours represents more than just an awards ceremony,” explains Tanya van Biesen, Senior Vice President at Catalyst Canada, during our interview at their downtown Toronto office. “It’s a powerful call to action for leaders across all industries to examine their practices and commit to measurable change.”
This marks the 17th edition of the Catalyst Honours, which has previously celebrated leaders from organizations like RBC, CIBC, Deloitte Canada, and TELUS. What makes this announcement particularly significant is the event’s return to Toronto after several years of virtual and hybrid formats necessitated by the pandemic.
“Toronto exemplifies the diversity that makes Canada unique,” notes Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, Catalyst’s Research Director. “Hosting these honours here sends a message about the importance of leveraging all available talent in one of North America’s fastest-growing business hubs.”
The 2025 honours will feature several categories including Company/Firm Leader, Business Leader, Emerging Leader, and the Social Impact Award. Nominations will open in early 2025, with finalists announced next summer.
Walking through the Financial District yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between Toronto’s celebrated multicultural identity and the still predominantly homogeneous faces occupying our corner offices. Events like the Catalyst Honours highlight this disconnect while showcasing positive examples of what inclusive leadership looks like in practice.
The economic case for diversity has never been stronger. McKinsey’s latest “Diversity Wins” report demonstrates that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability compared to their peers.
“We’re beyond the point where this is simply about doing the right thing,” explains Vanessa Lewerentz, Chief Inclusion Officer at BMO Financial Group and past Catalyst Honours recipient. “This is about building better businesses that outperform their competitors through diverse thinking and innovation.”
The 2025 event will feature a full-day symposium at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, followed by an evening gala. Organizers expect approximately 800 senior executives from across Canada to attend.
For Toronto’s business community, this event represents an opportunity to showcase progress while acknowledging the work that remains. Despite improvements, women still hold fewer than 30% of board positions among TSX-listed companies, according to the latest Osler report on corporate governance.
The Ontario government’s recent initiatives to increase transparency around pay equity and diversity reporting align well with Catalyst’s mission. Provincial legislation now requires larger companies to report on gender diversity within leadership ranks, creating accountability mechanisms that complement Catalyst’s advocacy work.
“What gets measured gets managed,” says Maria Ferraro, Chief Financial Officer at Siemens Energy and diversity advocate. “These honours spotlight leaders who aren’t just talking about inclusion but implementing systems that create measurable progress.”
As preparations for the 2025 honours begin, the event serves as a reminder that Toronto’s business community has both the opportunity and responsibility to lead on matters of workplace equity. Our city’s strength has always been its diversity—the challenge remains harnessing this advantage throughout our corporate structures.
The Catalyst Honours isn’t just recognizing past achievements but laying groundwork for future progress. In a business environment increasingly defined by talent shortages and competition for skilled workers, inclusive practices have become strategic imperatives rather than optional initiatives.
For more information about the 2025 Catalyst Honours, interested parties can visit Catalyst’s official website or contact their Toronto office directly.
Having reported on previous Catalyst events, I’ve observed how these recognitions often inspire ripple effects throughout organizations. Past honorees frequently become mentors and advocates, extending the impact far beyond the gala evening.
As Toronto continues positioning itself as a global business center, our leadership on inclusion will increasingly define our competitiveness on the world stage. The 2025 Catalyst Honours offers a timely opportunity to showcase this commitment while acknowledging the journey ahead.
