Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Lisa Philipps, who is York University’s interim vice-president academic and provost, has been named one of this year’s top 100 most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN).
Launched in 2003, the Top 100 Awards celebrate the incredible accomplishments of Canada’s top female executive talent as well as their organizations and networks.
Lisa Philipps
Philipps assumed the role of Interim Vice-President Academic & Provost on May 1, 2017 to facilitate the transition of York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. A faculty member at Osgoode Hall Law School, her area of scholarship is taxation law and fiscal policy. Prior to her appointment here, she held positions at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, and practiced law with Blake, Cassels and Graydon.
“I am grateful for the leadership that Lisa has brought to Osgoode Hall Law School for many years, and now, to the broader university community in her role as interim provost and vice-president academic,” said Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor, York University. “Having such talented women in the most senior roles is vitally important across all sectors, and Lisa is an outstanding example of a woman in leadership who continually goes above and beyond not only in her day-to-day job, but who also takes time to encourage and mentor future women leaders.”
Since joining York in 1996, Philipps has held many administrative and governance positions. Within Osgoode, she served as Assistant Dean (First Year) and as Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Studies & Institutional Relations). At the institutional level, she has served as Chair of the Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee of Senate, and from 2011 to 2014, she held the position of Associate Vice-President (AVP) Research in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. As AVP Research, she was responsible for driving research intensification across all disciplines at York; she worked to strengthen prestigious award nominations and recognition, and championed internal research initiatives such as the undergraduate student research fair and enhanced research communications.
Philipps also lends her expertise beyond York. In 2015-16, she served as Interim Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University, a new law school which opened in 2013. She served as the Director of Research Policy on the Board of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (SSHRC), and is an appointed member of the Provincial Judges Pension Board.
Philipps, who will receive the award in the PwC Public Sector Leaders category, was honoured during a gala celebration at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 23.
As a proud supporter of women in leadership, York University works to create the necessary conditions and opportunities for women like Philipps to help them thrive and succeed within the postsecondary education sector.
The Top 100 Awards serve to recognize talented leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, and to inspire the current and next generation to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Philipps joins a prestigious community of past award winners, including Canada’s most iconic women trailblazers: York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton; Julia Foster, former chair of the Board of Governors of York University; bestselling author Margaret Atwood; astronaut Roberta Bondar; Arlene Dickinson, chief executive officer, Venture Communications; Christine Magee, president, Sleep Country Canada; Michaëlle Jean, former governor general of Canada; Heather Reisman, founder and CEO, Indigo Books & Music; and York University alumna Kathleen Taylor, chair of the board, Royal Bank of Canada.
The full list of winners is on WXN’s 2017 Canada’s Most Powerful Women website.
About the Women’s Executive Network (WXN)
WXN inspires smart women to lead. WXN creates and delivers innovative networking, mentoring, professional and personal development to inform, inspire, connect and recognize its community of more than 19,500 smart women and their organizations in the pursuit of excellence. WXN enables its partners and corporate members to become and to be recognized as employers of choice and leaders in the advancement of women.
Founded in 1997, WXN is Canada’s leading organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of women in management, executive, professional and board roles. WXN is a founding member of the Canadian Board Diversity Council, dedicated to increasing the diversity of Canada’s corporate boards. In 2008, WXN launched in Ireland, followed by London, U.K., in 2015, creating an international community of female leaders.