This is part of a series of interviews with leaders and participants of the Advancing Women Executives (AWE) Canada program. AWE Canada’s mission is to increase the number of women in CEO roles across the country and to maximize their impact.
Jana Mosley is no stranger to the executive table. She was an established member of the C-suite at ENMAX and a board member of the Western Energy Institute by the time she joined AWE’s first cohort in Western Canada in 2022. She has since been appointed President and CEO of Toronto Hydro and continues to play an active role in the AWE community.
In this interview, Jana speaks with McKinsey about the inspiring leaders who have helped her over the course of her career, the role of peer networks, and how Canada can navigate the challenges—and seize the opportunities—of today’s uncertain world.
The below interview has been edited for length and clarity.
McKinsey: What about the AWE experience stands out to you now that you have stepped into the CEO role?
Jana Mosley: I really appreciated the model that McKinsey walked us through in various sessions thinking about the different elements of being a CEO. And while most of us in the room were operating at a high level, being part of the C-suite already, the CEO job is a uniquely lonely job, and it stops and starts with you. Appreciating the different facets that you need to focus on as CEO was really helpful for me, particularly around the board relationship, the stakeholder relationship, and the network piece. I’ve also appreciated the tools we received and the shared experiences that we were able to grow and learn from during that time.
That has really set me up for success in my current role. I have the tools, I understand how to divide my focus and time, and I know I need to surround myself with certain talent and capabilities to make sure that I can fire on all cylinders.
One of the unique elements of McKinsey’s AWE program is the Bower Forum. You spend time with a small group of people, talk about a big challenge that you’re facing in your career or in your workplace, and give each other feedback. You pose the problem, and then you turn and your peers talk about the situation through their own shared experiences. And you sit and listen. It’s really difficult to not weigh in or provide clarity, but sitting and listening to how other people process it, how they’re thinking about it, and the advice they have for you is a powerful thing. It can help you move forward in terms of clarity and creating solutions.
McKinsey: What has participating in AWE network meant to you?
Jana Mosley: It’s so amazing to have people outside of your own industry who you can connect with, either to laugh with or to talk about strategic challenges: how you’re leveraging your board, how you’re managing shareholders and stakeholders, or how you’re providing value. All of those conversations help us with current challenges, not only to be successful where we are but also to think about the future and support each other. That element of being from different industries is something that many of us have found incredibly valuable.
Being invited to join the program at that particular time was such a special thing. As I look back, the really life-changing thing at the time for me was that I was in the process for a promotion I was very hopeful to get. And I had so much encouragement and coaching around that.
And then I was unsuccessful in getting that role, and that was really difficult. It was the first time in my career I didn’t get to the next step of the ladder, and it really led to a time of reflection and renewal. And being with my peers and new friends really helped me to think differently and say, okay, what am I going to learn from this experience?
McKinsey: Over the course of your career, what experiences stand out?
Jana Mosley: Like anybody, I have a few moments that I would look back on now and say, “Wow, that was a real life-changing moment when things could have gone in a different direction.”
One is around sponsorship. There was a moment when I was looking for mentorship from a senior executive, and she said, “Let me do something different for you. I’d like to sponsor you.” I said, “What does that mean?” And she said, “I’m going to be your voice when you’re not in the room.” She helped give me a whole different level of exposure in a new company and in areas of the company that I wasn’t involved in, and she had my name brought up around the executive table to become involved in more cross-functional and enterprise-wide initiatives. That gave me the opportunity to both grow and learn and to shine and show the value I could bring to the organization.
Another big moment for me was when I had various leaders tell me to think bigger for what I could be doing in my career. Sitting across from the leader of a business and having them tell you, “You could be in my chair one day,” is a pretty intimidating but powerful moment. And being pushed to think bigger than ever about what your achievement and your contribution could be is what led to the success I’ve had in my career. And I’m really grateful for the people who pushed me that way.
McKinsey: As the AWE program grows in size and across the nation, what might the potential impact be on the Canadian business landscape?
Jana Mosley: Canada is currently facing incredible economic pressure. Leadership diversity can provide a lot of value when it comes to solving complex challenges. Collaboration, communication, and building a shared perspective are skills we need more than ever today, for example. While these aren’t just female traits, many women bring real strengths in these areas.
Canada also has lots of opportunities that it can seize. Women are underutilized from a labor perspective in this country at all levels,1 and addressing that—as AWE seeks to do—could drive significant economic growth. This isn’t just about gender. The more we can leverage every type of resource and background and experience in this country, the better.
McKinsey: What is your perspective on the AWE network now that you’re almost two years out of the program?
Jana Mosley: It has given me relationships with people outside of my industry, and it’s great to connect—be it a quick text about something funny or a deeper conversation about strategic challenges, how best to leverage the board, or how to manage stakeholders. Those sorts of conversations are invaluable, both in dealing with current challenges and in thinking about the future.
