Acacia Schmietenknop earns prominent award for entrepreneurial leadership
TORONTO, ONTARIO (May 12, 2015): Acacia Schmietenknop, a student at Thompson Rivers University received the 2015 HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow award from this country’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and proud supporter, HSBC Bank Canada. The award presentation took place today at the 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition, in Toronto, Ontario.
Acacia has been president of the Enactus Thompson Rivers University team for the past two years, bringing her total years of Enactus involvement to five. This represents over 5,000 hours of volunteerism. During this time, she has created over 100 community partnerships, securing a combined $120,000 in monetary and in-kind donations for her Enactus team.
Sandra Stuart, Chief Operating Officer for HSBC Bank Canada, who will become President and CEO of the bank on June 1 2015, said: “At HSBC, we strongly believe in the importance of a diverse, high-performing and inclusive culture – in our organization and in the wider business community. We are delighted to be working with Enactus to recognize and encourage emerging leaders at the start of their careers through the delivery of the HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow awards and HSBC Women’s Leadership Forum.”
The HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow award is designed to recognize, celebrate and honour female university and college students who exemplify success and inspire their peers, community and country through entrepreneurial leadership.
Acacia, along with the top 50 award applicants, has also been invited to attend the exclusive HSBC Women’s Leadership Forum held at the 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition. This forum inspires open dialogue, builds leadership aptitude and establishes connections amongst generations of top entrepreneurial female leaders.
In recognition of the national award, Acacia and the Enactus team at Thompson Rivers University will receive a $2,500 project grant to be used in the development and delivery of an initiative focused on the advancement of women in their community.
The 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition welcomes more than 1,200 delegates including the country’s brightest university and college students, academic professionals and top Canadian CEOs to enable progress by supporting entrepreneurial action through competition, recognition and education.
For news throughout the year and competition results during the event, please visit @Enactus_Canada on Twitter.
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ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country’s largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,400 entrepreneurial postsecondary students led 250 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast to coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
ABOUT HSBC BANK CANADA: HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in Canada. The HSBC Group serves customers worldwide from over 6,100 offices in 73 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,670bn at 31 March 2015, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations.
Media inquiries:
Jody Lundrigan
Director, Communications
Enactus Canada
E: jody@enactus.ca
M: 416.346.0131
Aurora Bonin
Senior Media Relations Manager
HSBC Bank Canada
E: aurora.f.bonin@hsbc.ca
P: 604-641-1905