About Leah:
Driven to solve problems and help others, Leah is a passionate leader who truly cares about her clients and her employees. Under her leadership, Leah successfully restarted a bankrupt Atlantic Canadian business serving over 650 retail and hospitality clients across Canada. Her success is attributed to building a culture where employees are respected, challenged and part of a team.
Leah has worked in large multi-national corporations including Coca-Cola and Bacardi as well as in small to medium sized privately held businesses. As a CPA, Leah has held various executive level roles in finance and operations in businesses across a variety of industries including technology and construction. From 2015 – 2022, Leah was President and co-owner of Pineapple Bytes, a technology company providing business management solutions to clients across Canada. Leah currently works with a group of privately held businesses providing strategic and advisory services, often with a focus on mergers and acquisitions.
Leah served as the Treasurer for the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia from 2017 – 2020 and is a member of the Squash Nova Scotia Board of Directors. Leah was the recipient of the 2019 CPA Nova Scotia Early Achievement Award and 2020 Atlantic Business Magazine Top 50 CEOs.
Outside of work, Leah is an active volunteer with LeMarchant St. Thomas Elementary School and Squash Nova Scotia as a junior squash coach and tournament chairperson. Leah is a member of Team Nova Scotia 2023 Canada Games Mission Staff. A competitive squash player, Leah is Atlantic Canada’s #1 ranked Women’s player and placed 6th at the 2018 World Master Squash Championships.
What three words would you use to describe mentorship?
Learning, Supporting, Teamwork.
Why do you think mentorship matters in 2023?
For anyone that has not yet gained an understanding and appreciation for mentorship, it is time. I believe that mentorship is one of the key ingredients to high retention. Today's labour shortage has shone a brighter light on organizations recruitment and retention strategies. Additionally, the post pandemic world has many people seeking authentic human connection and relationship, this can be achieved through mentorship.
Is there a memorable "mentorship moment" you'd like to share?
I was recently introduced to the Loran Scholars Foundation (loranscholar.ca). This organization was founded in 1988 and awards undergraduate awards to graduating high school students across Canada based on academic achievement, extracurricular activity and leadership potential. The awards are valued at $100,000 over 4 years, including mentorship, funding for summer internships and participation in an extensive network of past and present scholars. The mentorship provided through this program is life changing for the scholars.