We are proud of all of our women who continue to make their mark in the railway industry and pave the way for future generations of women and girls in the railway.
In honour of International Women's Day, we are shining a spotlight on a few of our railroaders who have pursued a career in STEM and continue to inspire our younger generations to follow their dreams.
Abby Gilkes
Senior Manager, Planning and Delivery Services
My role: I started at CN in 1997 as a summer student in Information and Technology and after graduating from McGill University in Montreal, QC, with a degree in Computer Science, I joined CN full time and progressed to a management role. I currently lead several areas under technology infrastructure and telecommunications, including the planning of capital investments based on risk, lifecycle, and technology evolution, portfolio and demand management, and project and governance.
What has inspired me in my role at CN: Over the years, many colleagues and CN leaders, who have mentored and supported me along the way, have inspired me. I am now proudly mentoring others. CN, like all railways, has traditionally had a homogeneous employee base and I am proud to be paving the way for a more diverse and representative workforce.
Carolyn David
Senior Manager, Safety Systems
My role: I am an Environmental Engineer and achieved my Masters in Environmental Engineering from McGill University. I manage a team of railroaders who are passionate about safety and are continuously looking for opportunities to reduce injuries and accidents and improve safety performance with safety system tools, processes and programs.
Career highlight: I was selected to participate in a Women In Leadership Program which provided an ideal opportunity to identify the type of leader I wanted to be and better support my team.
Martita Mullen
Assistant Chief, Regional Track, Engineering
My role: I am responsible for track repairs, track maintenance, track inspection, as well as evaluating and implementing new technologies and practices. I have a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University and a master's in Civil Engineering from Tufts University.
Career highlights: I enjoy paving the way for other young women to find success in engineering and transportation. At CN, I worked as part of a team that developed "Aspire," a CN-sponsored STEM event held in the United States and Canada to encourage high school girls to pursue career opportunities in railroading. Most recently, I am co-chair of CN’s Women Employees (WE) employee resource group (ERG).
Yasmina Elotmani
Senior Manager Architecture, Product Management and Service Transition
My role: I’m a Telecom Engineer, who studied in France and immigrated to Canada from Morocco. I started with CN in 2009 as a Junior Integrator and progressively moved into a management role. I currently lead a team that has been working to deliver standards, practices and governance for architecture and product management in line with CN’s vision and strategy.
What I like most about working at CN: As a woman with a technical engineering background, I have had the opportunity to grow within CN, to act with courage, express my voice and include other employees to get the best of their potential. I’ve been blessed with strong senior leadership, very supportive colleagues and I’m especially proud of my team which reflects a diverse workforce and a dynamic work environment.
Paula C. Pienton
Chief Engineer, Bridges and Structures
My role: I am a designated Professional and Structural Engineer, who leads a team that oversees all aspects of CN’s network of bridges, structures and geotechnical engineering, including operational safety management and maintenance. I proudly achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois ─ Urbana Champaign.
Career highlight: Being named the first female Chief of Bridges and Structures at CN is humbling and hopefully inspirational for those aspiring to lead. Responsibility for an aging infrastructure is daunting but knowing that the work we do is vital to the railroad’s serving our customers and communities in our network is rewarding and exhilarating.
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