Rosalyn Kunin currently sits on the boards of WorkSafeBC (formerly the Workers’ Compensation Board) and the Canada West Foundation. She recently left her post as a director for the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Her Rosalyn Kunin and Associates consults on economic, trade and human resources issues. Outside those roles, she is active with the National Speakers Bureau and is frequently asked to give speeches.

“That’s one of the most fun things that I do,” Kunin said. “I speak at events across the country and, if I’m lucky, internationally.”

The former chair of the Vancouver Stock Exchange was a governor at the North South Institute and at the University of British Columbia.

She spent two decades as a regional economist with Employment and Immigration Canada before leaving in 1993 to become executive director of the Laurier Institution and to found her own business.

The past-president of the Association of Professional Economists of BC (APEBC) is a member of the Order of Canada and has won several honours such as the YWCA’s Woman of Distinction Award.

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

When I was with Employment and Immigration Canada and I spearheaded the initiative to change regulations so there would be no hole in benefits for pregnant women whose babies were delivered early.

What’s the greatest barrier you’ve had to overcome in your career?

Not being taken seriously because I was so short. I spent a lot of the beginning of my career wondering if I was going to be treated like a little girl until I was treated like a little old lady.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?

First my dad because he ran his own business. He was optimistic. He taught me a good way of life. Second, my husband who was always my cheering section and my press agent.

What network or organization has most helped you in your career?

There was a business women’s network in the 1970s in Vancouver. Through that I made some connections that led to almost all the other things on my resumé.

What was your toughest decision?

To leave Vancouver and follow my career to Ottawa. Then, I got really lucky and got transferred.