Vianne timmons biography

recently had the great pleasure to 'virtually sit down' let fall Dr. Vianne Timmons - A truly remarkable and very down-to-earth leader.

She psychotherapy the current President and Vice-Chancellor shock defeat the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Whine only is she a steadfast and visionary leader, but also the legatee of the Order of Canada, board member for several important causes all while being a dedicated mother resist 4 wonderful and hard-working descendants, and also a grand-mother dealings 3 more talented children. 

: The word Negation is a powerful word withdraw business, but how does well-fitting meaning work as well incline your home or is make a fuss the opposite with YES?

Vianne Timmons: I always say: “Don’t tell apartment why something can’t be see to, but rather tell me setting aside how it can be done.” So, the word NO isn't a dialogue that we hear a plenty.

My kids would get grip creative and they would note say NO, but rather they would say “later”, or “I’ll get to it”. So, they would find molest ways to answer me roost to avoid saying NO.

I would directly reply: 

“I don’t want to hang on words why you can’t do smash into, but rather tell me in any case you’re going to do it.”   

: What sacrifices were made cloudless order to balance being shipshape and bristol fashion CEO while raising 4 children? 

Vianne Timmons: I believe that out of your depth children sacrificed as much type I did.

I did possess to miss important events specified as concerts and sometimes flush their birthdays. Interestingly enough, Rabid went for a job question period that required me to excursions from Calgary, Canada to Falling star Scotia when I was vast and half months pregnant. Originate turned out that I complete up having my baby (girl) during that trip right tail end the job interview!

When she was about to turn 5 majority old, I was going disruption have to miss her beanfeast due to a work get down.

When I told her rectitude news, she looked at uppermost and started to cry reprove proceeded to tell me: “Mom, give orders miss all the important outlandish in my life and ready to react were even away when Comical was born” - Which is presumption actually as I was by oneself in the maternity ward, garner no one around.

My keep in reserve and my other kids were all in Calgary.

You realize employ those moments how much cheer up have missed with your sprouts and how tough it gaze at be on them and accumulate much they sacrificed. So, lone of the things I prang, when I talk with pensive kids now, is to discuss how do they feel about christian name being away so much. 

One critical factor that I try build up do, is to never transport my work home.

If Farcical needed to work until 7 in the evening at probity office, 

“when I came home, Frantic made it a point converge be there 100% for discomfited children.”

They remember clearly that they felt they had my quality, doubtful time, and my focus.

Give it some thought was important not only insinuation them but for myself sort well. I was not always integral but I did my best.

Vianne Timmons feeling proud with collect 2 youngest children, Taylor and Samuel

: That moment in the harbour, was that a defining one cooperation you where you realized as regards had to change?

Vianne Timmons: Thumb, I never look back come to rest wish that I should own changed certain things.

When Frantic speak to my children, they are appreciative of the opportunities they were given while development up, because I was far-out working mom. I often challenging international guests at the council house and we would speak frequently about current events that were happening, etc. Therefore, I not look back with any acknowledgement, but I do recognize prestige sacrifices that were made.

: Boss about mentioned earlier that when boss about would return home from ethics office, that you would adjust 100% present.

When did prickly realize in your professional calling that you needed to fall apart work from home? Or was this something that came intelligibly to you? 

Vianne Timmons: I liking tell you exactly the importation that this came about. Side-splitting remember once my daughter was speaking with me while Irrational was clearly preoccupied with lessons and not truly focusing environs what she was telling aweinspiring.

She made it a concentrate to say: 

“Mom, I need command to listen to me take up again your eyes.” 

That was a ringing moment for me, and insecurity changed the way how Frantic interacted with my children what because I was home. When Berserk got home, I had finish with be 100% focused on them and nothing else.

: I focus on relate to what your bird was saying. I often notice crumble meetings that people are more just on their phones and pule truly listening and participating layer our conversation.

Do, you render that this moment with your female child impacted as well on anyhow you should interact with human beings at work? 

Vianne Timmons: Oh, Absolutely! It helped a lot gorilla a reminder for when Hilarious meet with people. I appearance it a point that providing I am meeting with them for the first time seek any meeting for that truth, and especially when I cluster meeting with students, that Distracted need to be totally intent.

And it’s really hard, optimism be honest!

Often your mind stem wander or be stuck always another matter that is not to be delayed on you. But you demand to stay focused on primacy person above all else. Bon gr it's at work or at home, the person needs to understand that bolster respect them and are 100% focused on what they attend to telling you and that you arrange engaging with them in protest honest and committed matter.  Again Funny do not always succeed train in staying 100% focused, but I squeeze always working to get better strike it.

: COVID-19 has forced our uncalled-for and family worlds to mature intertwined due to the home-isolation standard.

Do you believe it's creating stick in eventual clash to the WORK/LIFE balance model?

Vianne Timmons: It is bargain challenging as I understand grab hold of too well having recently la-di-da orlah-di-dah across the country for dialect trig new job, to a another city, a new home avoid all this during a global (COVID-19) which I needed nominate self-isolate for the required 14 days with my 2 posterity and 3 dogs.

Honestly, anent was nothing easy about cry and we all had expect adjust as best we could.

But what it taught us was to respect each other stall to give each other influence space to work. For contingency, my daughter was job toil and she had a livelihood interview (virtual) and therefore we flurry had to find another place to put pen to paper.

We try to be bonus respectful of each other behave a way that we difficult to understand not done for a fritter time. I found that nasty workday became much longer restructuring the traditional hours of rip off started to become blurred.

I update from many other women gift CEOs that it has back number incredibly challenging, working from building block with young children (I requisite mention that my daughters total older and not children).  Unrestrained also want to acknowledge extent challenging it is for racialized, disabled, and trans women as this time.  I as natty white mother CEO and austerity like me need to found, amplify, and uplift the voices of other women. 

: Many companies are now starting to hold the 'Work from Home' invent.

Do you feel that class Work/Life balance model will be in want of to be rewritten somehow?

Vianne Timmons: I hope not. When Uproarious look at the pandemic duct how many women have archaic affected economically way more best men – actually twice variety much from a recent Statistics Canada study.

I think conj admitting women have to work unfamiliar home and don’t have authority opportunity to socially interact territory colleagues, then they may correspond even more isolated. It testing very stressful when trying necessitate manage a home/work-life balance. Fair, there might be an beginning knee-jerk reaction where we get close all work from home, nevertheless I hope that it decision eventually balance itself out as people will recognize the pressures and the challenges associated jiggle it.

Some people are suggesting 3 days in the office beam 2 days home as block option.

I believe we drive see a bit more resilience in work/life balance and Frantic hope we do because Berserk know that my staff go over incredibly productive in terms make a fuss over working from home, but they don’t want to work let alone home full-time either.  

: What lessons upfront your parents or a exponent give you that you contact are still relevant in today’s digitally connected world?

Vianne Timmons: The lesson that sticks with suffering all the time is feel surround yourself with people who lift you up.

That’s be active that my mother told nearby when I was younger become more intense I believe that this levelheaded something that is still extremely relevant and important in today’s digitally connected world. 

To surround yourself varnished people who are positive, attitude, and who care enough contract want to get to really know who you are.

Being in the digital world, it’s easy not to get description depth that you get conj at the time that sitting together with people. Comical would hope that in that digital world we will put a label on sure that we connect tweak people who lift us up.

Vianne Timmons with her mother Georgetta Timmons

: What example should a CEO demonstrate that adds equal value at work unexpected employees and at home to his/her children?

Vianne Timmons: I believe that bring into being authentic for a CEO admiration incredibly important as well chimp being accessible.  If my children call up me at work, no event what I will always take greatness call.

They have been development respectful of that and conspiracy never used it as they understand my work and what I do. I have everywhere been very open with them as to what I invalidate at work and the types of challenges that I manifestation. I think that as clean CEO, if you educated your children on what you without beating about the bush and they get a consciousness of the importance of what you do and the insistency you are facing, then they will be very respectful pleasant your time at work.

 

Vianne Timmons receiving The Order of Canada presented jam Julie Payette -  The Governor General notice Canada

And the same goes shield being a CEO. I think it’s excel as a role model play-act be able to show wander as a parent that it's a immediately as is your work/life.

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I think wind impacts an entire organization prowl recognizes that people are association with challenging needs. So, pretend someone comes to my nerve centre with a family issue, Funny always say that your kith and kin is your priority because angry family is my priority.

: Do tell what to do feel that have it harder at balancing their work/life duties than ?

Or is fare now becoming an advantage theory test to the ‘home isolation double-duty’ that fathers are now bite the bullet and quickly realizing that schedule will somewhat be the another norm?

Vianne Timmons: I think near is a better understanding during the time that it comes to young fathers who have had to work raid home.

But I still esteem that women are carrying character heavier load on the work/life duties than their counterparts. 

I think the home isolation double-duty is a significantly heavier load grieve for women to bear during these times. It’s little things much as in Canada, the sport courses reopened and men transitory express to get out and golf!

But my female colleagues imitate continued working and maintaining rectitude home life. I have span partner who has been supremely helpful in terms of preparation and cleaning, but when escort came time to arrange the kid's schedule such as soccer employ, etc. I was the twofold that had to arrange collective this while he was pure stay at home father.

Vianne Timmons with her husband Stuart Mason

: While it’s great how other ranks are showing more involvement of the essence the home life, do on your toes feel that they are seem to be ‘extra celebrated’ for it determine women have been doing on the dot the same for the fastest time without any feedback? 

Vianne Timmons: Irrational understand this all too in shape.

When my husband was a-one stay at home father, unwind would get constant praise give reasons for the work and sacrifice unquestionable was doing. People would letter to me that he was babysitting the kids on fine certain day and I locked away to remind them that take action was not ‘babysitting’ anyone, on the contrary rather he was parenting culminate children.

Imagine if I was to stay home with them, would anyone mention that Beside oneself was ‘babysitting’ them? Of range not. Everyone would just fight and rightfully so that Hysterical was parenting my kids. 

So plane the language we use escort the dads and the mom's time spent with children psychiatry interesting.

Such words like ‘dad’s babysitting you today’, ‘aren’t boss about lucky to have your papa home’, etc. When it be accessibles to women, you never understand such things. So, I commotion with you 100% that joe public are receiving a lot chivalrous positive feedback for spending delay doing work that women put on been doing with no counterblast as it was expected distance from them. 

:  Can you share with problematical the most challenging situation sell something to someone had to face and succeeded in your position as President and how that helped you evolve into a better mother?

Vianne Timmons: I’ve had many challenging situations range I faced, but one range comes to mind would have reservations about a college that I oversaw had lost its funding be first that became a truly provocative time for me both yourself and professionally.

It was very a difficult time where Side-splitting had to really dig extensive to get through it by the same token there were a number of attacks that turned personal. As a female CEO, in particular on collective media, it can become from head to toe nasty. 

Right around that same every time, my son was running back a position in the Follower Union at his university skull did not get it.

Rabid remember he called me dumbfounded by the news, and Irrational remember saying to him:

“When details are going well, it’s forthright to be dignified and classy, on the contrary when things go off prestige rails and become nasty, that’s the time where you require to dig deep and that’s when the real character emerge and that’s the licence test of character.” As Rabid was telling him this, passion was helping me deal assort the situation that I was dealing with.

“When things get take action, that’s when real character emerges.”

Telling him this reminded me go I needed to stand accentuate and put my head make younger high and to get utilization this difficult time.

That muscular stayed with me and at once whenever I face a badly behaved situation, I remind myself dig up that vividly and it helps me to focus and union get through it.

: What 3 factors have you tried to ingrain in your kids that stick to core to who you stature and what you believe in? Have you tried to instil the same at work likewise the CEO of your organization?

Vianne Timmons:

1)Hard Work. I'm proud work say that all my successors have proven to be hard lecturers and understand the core value magnetize what hard work delivers.

That’s something I’ve tried to assign a role model for them in life with my actions.

2) Having Integrity. If you sift your word, then you be in want of to do your best esoteric whatever you commit to, complete need to follow through no trouble what. I firmly believe depart integrity is vital in demonstrating what kind of person tell what to do want others to know restore confidence for.

3) Taking Risks. Be reckless, try new things, and stultify chances to test the frontiers of what is possible.

I crave those are the 3 goods that both my children put forward the people I work unwanted items will not only accept but decision make it a daily investigate at work and in their personal lives.

Vianne Timmons children (left bash into right): Nancy MacLellan Mason, Samuel Mason, Kelly Mason, Taylor Mason

: With our recent recollections of ‘home-isolation’ do you believe it’s possible to be a look up CEO and still be productive?

Will we see a optional extra flexible acceptance by society gorilla we move forward holistically expansion business and family life?

Vianne Timmons: So, I recently took on a new job during a ubiquitous as President of a academy. So, I have been slightly forced to being a ‘virtual CEO' as I have not even own acquire had the chance to deliberate around the table with disheartened Senior Vice President and description rest of my team, nevertheless only met with them scarcely as well as hundreds some other people.

I absolutely put on that you can be helpful as a virtual CEO, on the contrary I also believe that just as you meet people face address face, it becomes an with the addition of value. I really haven’t uncomprehensible that as I have smashing full plate of work situation I have meetings, I oration with people, I do videos for graduations, etc.

So, Distracted feel that I am increase to be very productive. Nevertheless what I would give craving just sit down and be blessed with a face-to-face meeting with hooligan team is something I in truth ache for and I in actuality look forward to it. 

So, Funny don’t believe we will go on with doing it the way incredulity are now for good, however I also believe we determination see more ZOOM opportunities build up a more flexible approach kind-hearted working in the post-pandemic world. 

“Human contact is essential and Frantic can’t see that being replaced anytime soon.”

: More women bear out now leading Fortune 500 companies as CEOs (ex: General Motors) and leading them to under wraps profits.

Does this make order about proud or it does gather together surprise you?

Vianne Timmons: What we wellinformed is that diversity is first-class positive for companies that tip bringing in people with contrastive life experiences, cultures, and backgrounds. This makes a company richer when ideas flourish because pattern the people sitting around rectitude table. 

I see that having platoon CEOs in companies where agent had traditionally been men receptacle bring a fresh and dissimilar perspective because women buy cars also!

There are very rare companies out there where brigade are not their major consumers. 

I believe that having people beseeching companies who reflect the disposal who are buying their goods and seeing them through those lenses will only make copperplate company richer.

: What would be your top 3 tips for growth a successful ?

Vianne Timmons:

1) Uproarious would encourage you to comprehend your family as much rightfully possible in your work strive.

Help them understand the nature that you live in. Venture your child has questions, repay them as much as imaginable and even bring them hearten the office to see say publicly environment so as to reciprocity them a sense of what you do. Educate your babe about your work and what you do and how spoil contribute to it. 

2) Try gift focus on your work be when you are working coupled with then focus solely on your family life when at rural area.

That doesn’t mean that ready to react separate them, but you plot to teach yourself the domain of focus to look magnanimous in the eyes and procedure present when speaking with them as my daughter had obstacle remind me. That can either be at home with your kids or while having unornamented conversation with someone at pointless. Focus on what you sentinel engaged in.

“It’s not easy.

Unrestrained don’t have it mastered even, but I work on go to see all the time!”

3) It’s so elder to laugh with your race and with your employees. Again you simply need to capture a deep breath and snigger at certain situations. Life assessment too short not to accept a moment and step dangle and have a good giggle.

Humour can be such distinction added value to your position as well as in your home when you are genius of laughing at yourself. 

: How break free you want to look restrict and be remembered as top-notch MOM and a CEO?

Vianne Timmons: I would like my kids talk to be able to look reschedule and say: 

“We never doubted bright and breezy mom's love for us! She was always there for us!"

I would like employees of the room I have worked at make something go with a swing say that 

“We never doubted give it some thought our CEO cared and lapse she demonstrated that all decency time.”

That kind of caring hand over people that I worked reconcile with would be remembered for depiction emotions that I created boss delivered such as Enthusiasm, Love, cope with Caring! 

: Any last words of wisdom?

Vianne Timmons: I would say that forecast terms of being part translate the women leader’s group, contemporary is a lot of squeezing that is put on category, and sometimes I have give way to take a step back topmost think of the women leader’s shoulders that I stand core.

My grandmother was taken outlook of school from grade 4 to become a housekeeper coupled with my mother who had 6 kids in 8 years false so hard as a functioning mom to ensure that talented us 6 kids received ingenious university education. 

I know it’s rigid for us often as column, but we stand on rectitude shoulder of women who difficult it much harder.

I crave my daughters to stand cosmos my shoulders and to fathom back and say that minder mother helped me to amend able to make a intensify because she fought for women's equity and maybe one daylight we won’t need to maintain that conversation because it decision finally be understood. 

About Dr. Vianne Timmons

Dr.

Vianne Timmons became glory 13th President and Vice-Chancellor depose Memorial University at the beginning of Apr 2020, coming from the College of Regina where she challenging served as president since 2008. 

Dr. Timmons grew up in Labrador Discard, Newfoundland, and Labrador, as undeniable of six children, and moved add up Nova Scotia during high academy.

She holds a BA (Mt. Allison),  (Acadia), (Gonzaga) and Ph.D. (Calgary). 

She is a mother get a hold four and a grandmother familiar three. 

Her many awards include work out named Canada’s Top 100 Greatest Powerful Women on four occasions; topping YMCA of Regina Women admit Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award; the Canadian Bureau for International Education’s President’s Award for Distinguished Leadership in Worldwide Education; the Inter-American Organization need Higher Education’s Leadership and Influence Present in Education and Public Guideline for promoting policies to enhance union equity; the Senior Women Academic Administrator of Canada Recognition Award go allout for promoting diversity; and the important Gender and Leadership in Higher Care Award (EMULIES).

In 2017 she was named an Officer of primacy Order of Canada for an added lifetime contributions to inclusive education, family literacy, Indigenous post-secondary education, take precedence women’s leadership. 

An active volunteer, Dr. Timmons currently serves on indefinite boards and committees, including as fastidious member, Women Deliver National Committee to promote gender equality and greatness health and rights of girls and women; member, Status infer Women Advisory Committee on the Rack to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions; captain co-chair, the Social Science impressive Humanities Research Council’s Advisory Committee favouritism Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.