FSRA deputy general counsel on helping women break through the glass ceiling
You spoke at Canadian Lawyer’s Women In Law Summit in a panel discussion about breaking through the glass ceiling. Why do you feel passionate about helping women to advance their careers?
Coming here as an immigrant, I had to work very hard and I never had enough support until I got to a certain point in my life. Once I started working in a professional environment, I was very lucky to find supporters and mentors to support my career, so I think it’s important to give that back. I feel strongly about creating a workplace that is truly inclusive in terms of gender and diversity, because it creates better outcomes. It’s important for younger women to see someone like myself and other female colleagues in senior roles, because it makes it seem possible.
What are the unique challenges you have faced as a female in-house lawyer?
As an in-house lawyer, you represent your organization, so one positive point is that you have the ability to sit at the table and influence your work environment. A challenge is ensuring that there are enough opportunities for women to grow and move up the ranks. It’s important to have the right policies and to apply the right lens to ensure that women can continue developing their careers if they choose to have a family. We need to have active discussions around issues such as flexible work arrangements.
Do you think that corporations are doing enough to address unconscious bias?
At the executive level, the dial is moving, albeit slowly. Corporate in-house must create a pipeline to ensure that when senior management jobs come up, the right person is ready to fill the role. We need to create that pool. Organizations need to have policies in place to create that pipeline to help women rise to the executive level. At FSRA, we apply the lens of diversity to all types of recruitment and development programs because that’s the cornerstone for creating an organization that’s truly diverse.
What message would you give to young women in corporate legal departments who are keen to break through the glass ceiling?
Don’t be afraid to raise your hand for projects that are not necessarily legal, because that can be a great opportunity to show your skills. Let people know that you are a growing leader. Have early conversations with your managers to let them know that you are interested in being an executive one day so they will support you in your development as a leader.
What are your goals for 2020?
I’m excited to continue building our team and being a part of the decision-making process and working on the next reiteration of our organization.
Fast Facts:
Name: Alena Thouin
Position: Corporate secretary and deputy general counsel
Company: Financial Services Regulatory Authority
Called to the bar: 2008
Career highlight: My current role — building and working on a new regulator — is definitely one of my highlights. Having a general counsel role for four years was also a big highlight.
Career lowlight: Trying to balance work with being a mom when my kids were younger was the biggest challenge in my career. The pressure was incredible.
