Interview with National Advisory Committee member - Anne Guimond-Nadeau
December 01, 2021
Watch Anne's video below
The Leading Lenders' team had the chance to sit down and chat with Anne Guimond-Nadeau, Associate Vice-President of Commercial Banking at the National Bank of Canada. Anne has a key role within her organization with a focus on commercial sector business development. In this interview, she answers questions about the Leading Lenders' initiative and related topics. (A written version of the interview is also available below.)
Question #1: In your opinion, what is a leading lender?
In my opinion, a leading lender is someone who is creative, but most certainly someone who truly cares about helping people achieve their financial goals. To become a leading lender, I believe you must be attentive to your clients’ needs and goals, think in a non-traditional way at times to overcome obstacles and certainly be mindful of unconscious biases and stereotypes that exists in our society today.
Question #2: What inspires you about the Leading Lenders project?
I’m really inspired by the fact that this project is talking about unconscious biases and stereotypes that women entrepreneurs face every day when trying to be successful. My ideal outcome for this project would be to see a platform develop that truly helps lenders help women entrepreneurs achieve their goals and break down barriers.
Question #3: In your experience, what are the most significant barriers women entrepreneurs face when trying to access business financing?
Unfortunately, one of the biggest barriers I see for women entrepreneurs when trying to access business financing is financial literacy. A solid business plan is the foundation for any successful project and the numbers simply must make sense to a financial institution. To tear down these barriers, a woman entrepreneur needs to fully understand her own project and have the support of good financial advisors she trusts.
Question#4: What tips would you offer to lenders who are looking to support a woman entrepreneur during her journey?
My advice to lenders who are looking to support a woman entrepreneur during her journey would be to keep an open mind and to challenge themselves to be aware of the biases and stereotypes we encounter every day in society. Try not to judge too quickly when evaluating a project and look for the possibilities. I’m certain you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you find.
Anne Guimond-Nadeau is a member of the Leading Lenders’ National Advisory Committee. We invite you to learn more about Anne by visiting her page on our website.
The Leading Lenders' team had the chance to sit down and chat with Anne Guimond-Nadeau, Associate Vice-President of Commercial Banking at the National Bank of Canada. Anne has a key role within her organization with a focus on commercial sector business development. In this interview, she answers questions about the Leading Lenders' initiative and related topics. (A written version of the interview is also available below.)
Question #1: In your opinion, what is a leading lender?
In my opinion, a leading lender is someone who is creative, but most certainly someone who truly cares about helping people achieve their financial goals. To become a leading lender, I believe you must be attentive to your clients’ needs and goals, think in a non-traditional way at times to overcome obstacles and certainly be mindful of unconscious biases and stereotypes that exists in our society today.
Question #2: What inspires you about the Leading Lenders project?
I’m really inspired by the fact that this project is talking about unconscious biases and stereotypes that women entrepreneurs face every day when trying to be successful. My ideal outcome for this project would be to see a platform develop that truly helps lenders help women entrepreneurs achieve their goals and break down barriers.
Question #3: In your experience, what are the most significant barriers women entrepreneurs face when trying to access business financing?
Unfortunately, one of the biggest barriers I see for women entrepreneurs when trying to access business financing is financial literacy. A solid business plan is the foundation for any successful project and the numbers simply must make sense to a financial institution. To tear down these barriers, a woman entrepreneur needs to fully understand her own project and have the support of good financial advisors she trusts.
Question#4: What tips would you offer to lenders who are looking to support a woman entrepreneur during her journey?
My advice to lenders who are looking to support a woman entrepreneur during her journey would be to keep an open mind and to challenge themselves to be aware of the biases and stereotypes we encounter every day in society. Try not to judge too quickly when evaluating a project and look for the possibilities. I’m certain you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you find.
Anne Guimond-Nadeau is a member of the Leading Lenders’ National Advisory Committee. We invite you to learn more about Anne by visiting her page on our website.
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