THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

HOW THE WOMEN’S INDUSTRY NETWORK IS CROSSING THE BORDER TO BRING ITS MISSION TO CANADA

When Janette Tooley first pitched the idea of expanding the Women’s Industry Network into Canada, she was met with hesitation. But that didn’t stop her. As the only Canadian woman on the WIN board in the U.S. at the time, Janette, senior vice-president and chief financial officer at Consolidated Dealers Co-Operative Inc., pushed back, determined to promote the advancement of women in collision repair north of the border.

That vision is now a reality.

A WIN member and volunteer since 2019, Janette currently serves as the organization’s North American treasurer and finance and governance chair. Together, she and Ritu Shannon co-chair the WIN Canada Task Force.

“I was really honoured when Janette asked me to work alongside her to chair the WIN Canada Task Force,” said Ritu, assistant vice-president of the replacement and leisure division at Enterprise Mobility. WIN became part of Ritu’s life four years ago in her role as a member and then later as a volunteer, when she attended her first conference three years ago.

“Our mission is to be the network that drives the advancement of women in collision repair in North America,” said Janette. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Leesburg, Virginia, WIN is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting women in the collision repair industry.

Governed by a volunteer board of directors representing various industry segments, WIN operates a range of initiatives, including scholarship, mentorship and training initiatives, empowering women to thrive. “We work with women and men across the industry who want to learn how to improve recruitment and retention for female employees,” said Ritu. “Through our focus on attracting, retaining and promoting women, we’re able to sustain an industry dialogue that continues to enhance the marketplace as a whole.”

WIN provides its membership with opportunities for personal and professional growth through industry webinars, training sessions and networking events for women in a male-dominated field. Members also have access to WIN Connect, a networking and career development program that runs virtual group sessions over a nine- to 12-month period. WIN’s scholarship program helps develop tomorrow’s technicians today, providing a record-breaking 40 scholarships this past year alone.

“This not only helps meet the industry’s key issue of technician shortages by providing tuition assistance, but also real hands-on professional tool sets,” elaborated Ritu. “It gives industry newcomers an immediate opportunity to hit the ground running and gives them a faster track to employment.” As part of the Canadian expansion, Ritu and Janette are looking into establishing partnerships with vocational trade schools, something they both acknowledge is influenced by the number of provincial entities in place.

“We are hoping to bring a scholarship program across the entire country, so this is really a strategic priority for us in the year ahead,” said Ritu. “We know it’s a lot to take on, but it’s a very important component to WIN Canada. We’re really excited to get this up and running, hopefully in the months to come.”

In 1999, WIN established the Most Influential Women awards to celebrate women whose industry’s vision and commitment to excellence have enriched the collision repair industry. This initiative honours those for their industry influence, professional accomplishments, commitment to committees and investment in the future through their willingness to mentor other women, Janette told Collision Repair magazine. More than 100 recipients have been recognized to date.

“These industry professionals serve as shining examples of the array of opportunities that are available in collision repair as well as a testament to the positive impact that women can have in this and all other fields,” said Janette. “Their exemplary journeys show all women that anything is possible when you put your work in it.”

WIN’s 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida, featured two Canadian winners: Trista Anger from BASF and Renee Sicotte from Marion Auto Body. With more than 70 members in Canada, WIN is actively working to expand partnerships with sponsors, both those already supporting them stateside and beyond.

“We’re excited to look at the different ways that we can leverage those sponsorships that exist here in Canada, as well as identifying Canadian-based organizations that are new to WIN and who want to support the efforts right here across the country,” elaborated Ritu.

Sponsors also receive discounted access to WIN events, providing their employees with the chance to gain mentorship, mentor others in the industry and to share best practices. “Our sponsors get back as much as they give as they support the organization,” concluded Janette.

Ritu has experienced this support firsthand. “Enterprise Mobility has been incredibly supportive of my involvement with WIN; they’re providing me with the time and resources to attend conferences and participate in committees,” she told Collision Repair magazine.

Earlier this year, WIN held its firstever Canadian regional meetup during the Canadian Collision Industry Forum conference in Toronto, where more than 20 members were in attendance. Likewise, more than 20 Canadian members were in attendance at WIN’s international conference in Orlando.

Upcoming events include a scheduled meetup in Calgary on September 17 around the CCIF Conference, a virtual conference in October for the North American group and the WIN meetup down at SEMA in Las Vegas.

Janette’s journey began with a recruitment invitation from Trista to join WIN’s finance committee. Her first conference in Fort Lauderdale left an indelible mark and is an experience she’s still grateful for today.

“I didn’t really know what to expect back then,” recounted Janette. “But over the years, I’m learning different things that I could bring back to my job. Just being able to have likeminded women to talk to and bounce stuff off of is so important to me. I’ve made lasting relationships and friendships with the amazing women I’ve met, and it’s invaluable to me.”

Ritu’s first WIN conference in Greenville, South Carolina, was a new place full of new experiences. Having just joined WIN as a member prior to the conference, she, like Janette, didn’t really know what to expect. “Enterprise Mobility is incredibly supportive of employees and of WIN as an organization. In fact, they nominated and encouraged me to attend,” Ritu said.

“I remember there was an expert panel and they had speakers from across the collision industry, and I remember learning some technical pieces that were new to me. But the most valuable thing was the networking and the connections that I was able to make with peers, customers and industry leaders from across the U.S. and Canada.”

It’s those connections that make WIN truly special and are at the heart of its expansion into Canada. Rather than viewing the expansion as two separate parts—WIN U.S. and WIN Canada—Janette and Ritu emphasize a unified vision: one organization flourishing across North America.

“It was kind of a slower start to get the ball rolling, but we have great momentum,” said Ritu. “We’ve got some amazing things to come, and we’re really excited about the future of WIN in Canada.”