Canadian Lawyer InHouse

A focus on mentoring and a deter- mination to help women climb through the corporate glass ceiling helped Telus's chief legal offi cer Mo- nique Mercier to victory in the law department leadership category of this year's Innovatio Awards, with a nomination that de- scribed her as "without question one of Canada's most infl uential women." Mercier, who studied in Montreal and in Ox- ford, has been at Telus since 2011 and is also the telecommunication giant's executive vice president for corporate affairs and its corporate secretary. She's in the Hall of Fame of the Women's Executive Network, is an active member of Women at the Top, which pushes for more women in cor- porate boardrooms, and is a strong backer of her company's initiatives to increase the number of women in leadership roles. "I know fi rst-hand the challeng- es women face in the workplace, and I am very proud to be part of an organization that values the de- velopment of women and encour- ages me to foster talented female leaders on my team," she says. "I strongly believe in career develop- ment, promoting internally, expand- ing roles and lateral moves." That includes a focus on mentoring, which Mercier sees as a way to help col- leagues identify their strengths and over- come their weaknesses. "As a mentor, I am often asked how to advance one's career, or hear from colleagues that feel dissatisfi ed, but aren't sure where to begin in making changes. The fi rst thing I always say is that you have to take ownership of your own career. Defi ne your aspirations and goals, and take calculated risks to achieve them. You must fi nd your passion, not necessarily what you are good at," she says. "I have been fortunate to have many great mentors, both men and women, who have provided valuable guidance at turning points in my career. I always felt they had my best interests at heart, and stood behind me 300 per cent. Your mentor should always be your best ally." Nominating Mercier for the Innova- tio award, Robert Yalden, partner at Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, highlighted her leadership skills, her performance on diffi - cult fi les and her strong team-building skills. "Monique is a real leader, one who has in turn fundamentally transformed the role of the le- gal department at Telus and ensured that it has an important seat at the executive table when strategic decisions are made," he wrote. "She has created a work environment that is consistently rated as one of the most satisfying within Telus. Her leadership skills are therefore evident not only in the external legal arena, but also in her mana- gerial philosophy and the pride she takes in seeing her team members succeed." Mercier, who nominated one of her own team members for the law department leadership Innovatio award, says corporate legal departments now do much more than simply offering legal advice, with a strong focus on governance, ethical issues and reputational risks. "The CLO has to move beyond the question of 'Is it legal?' to 'Is it right?' and 'Is it ethical?'" she says. "The foundation to success now is the trust you build with your shareholders, customers and employees. An activity may be legal, but if it is perceived as unethical, it can be very damaging to a corporation's reputation." IH CATEGORY: Law Department Leadership DEPARTMENT SIZE: Large COMPANY: Telus SEPTEMBER 2016 26 INHOUSE Telus CLO Mercier offers strong mentoring, team-building skills By Janet Guttsman Monique Mercier, chief legal offi cer, Telus.

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