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Sault innovation centre recognizes local award winners

Inaugural Woman in Leadership Award goes to Lisa Bell-Murray, OLG's chief financial officer
Darren Taylor
Darren Taylor

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre marked a first by bestowing its inaugural Woman in Leadership Award at its 2018 SSMARt Innovation Awards gala, held Nov. 21.

Lisa Bell-Murray, chief financial officer at OLG, is the award’s recipient.

“When one of my daughters was in high school, she said ‘Mom, I never realized you’re in a minority; there aren’t that many women in leadership positions,’” Bell-Murray said.

“I’m thrilled and quite honoured to be the recipient of this award. I think it shows the focus we need in this community and other communities around women in leadership.”

Stating she has had a rewarding career at OLG, Bell-Murray said, “I hope that, in a time to come, we don’t need to have this kind of award, that a future workplace will have diversity and inclusion, it doesn’t matter who the person is, that in my children's lives we won’t need to call it a particular award (based on gender).”

Other 2018 SSMARt Innovation Awards and their recipients include:

  • Innovation Company of the Year, acknowledging a company’s leadership through the innovation of its science and/or technology products, services or research: STUFFF Lubricants;
  • Innovation Youth of the Year, acknowledging an individual age 13 to 29, who has made a substantial contribution to the science and/or technology and/or agriculture sector through education, volunteering or sheer passion: Morgan Steele;
  • Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship Award, acknowledging an individual, organization or collective who has demonstrated leadership and innovation that has had a significant social, cultural or environmental impact in their community: The Esquire Club;
  • Steve Butland Innovation Educator of the Year, acknowledging a teacher or professor who has made a substantial contribution to the science and/or technology sector through education, volunteering or sheer passion: Jonathan Budau;
  • Innovation Project of the Year, acknowledging an organization or business whose science, technology and/or agriculture project demonstrates leadership, innovation and/or creative use of science and/or technology: co-winners NORDIK Institute and Maker North; and
  • Lars Moffat, Innovation Startup of the Year, acknowledging a start-up company’s leadership through the innovation and development of science and/or technology and/or agriculture products, services or research: Copper Country Coffee Roasters.