York University alumni are among this year’s winners of the Women Executive Network's (WXN) Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards, celebrating leadership and impact across diverse fields.
Established in 2003, the annual awards celebrate Canada’s most influential women for their leadership, advocacy and impact in their communities and industries. This year’s York-affiliated recipients include alumni and faculty whose work advances innovation, equity and excellence in Canada and beyond.
Below are this year’s winners and the categories for which they were recognized.
Amex Emerging Leaders
This category recognizes women between the ages of 30 and 40 who have been targeted for successive leadership positions and demonstrate a passion for learning and innovation.
Meghan Hillstrom (JD '18) is an alum Osgoode Hall Law School and now serves as senior director at CIBC, where she established and leads a global team responsible for employee relations, workplace investigations and Canadian health and safety. Since joining the bank, she has spearheaded strategic projects, strengthened compliance frameworks and navigated sensitive executive-level matters. Named a 2023 Peak Emerging Leader, Hillstrom is recognized for her ability to deliver clear, effective solutions that support a respectful, regulation-aligned workplace while fostering professional development within her team.
Zeina Ismail (MES '13), an alum of the Graduate Program in Environmental Studies, is an associate vice-president of everyday banking at TD Bank, where she leads acquisition strategies that drive growth through innovation and advice. She also serves on the board of ABC Life Literacy, a non-profit organization that provides programs and resources to help adults improve their financial, digital and health literacy skills.
CN Executive Leaders
This category recognizes women who exemplify strong leadership while building confidence and championing others.
Monique Allen (MBA '00), an alumnus of York's Schulich School of Business, is a seasoned technology executive responsible for shaping the tech strategy across Sun Life’s Canadian operations and leading global enterprise architecture initiatives. She is committed advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion and wellness, and contributes her expertise to several boards focused on these values. Her contributions to the industry have been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women in IT Awards Canada.
Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano is former associate dean in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. She is currently the provost and vice-president academic and a full professor at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). A scholar of Italian studies and southern Italian dialectology – which she taught as a professor at York for over a decade – she has published her work in the field extensively. She also co-chairs TMU’s Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism and the TRC Strategic Working Group, and has received multiple professional leadership awards.
Professionals
This category recognizes women who are professionals in practice and play a leadership role within their organizations.
Pamela Farrell (BEd '07), a Faculty of Education alum, is a professor of education at the University of Calgary and founder of the GROW Community Food Literacy Centre, Canada’s first food literacy centre that works to reduce hunger, combat food insecurity and promote healthy lifestyles. She also serves as honourary consul of Switzerland to Alberta and advocates for inclusive education and food justice. Farrell was recently also recognized with a 2025 York U Alumni Award.
Zohar Levy (LLB '08), a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, is an experienced civil litigator with a focus on commercial disputes and alternative dispute resolution. She advises a range of clients – from global corporations to individual professionals –on complex legal matters, particularly in the areas of health, technology and intellectual property. Deeply committed to access to justice, Zohar also dedicates time to pro bono work and community service, supporting advocacy groups, serving on boards and volunteering with legal associations.
RBC Future Leaders
This category recognizes young women between the ages of 15 and 29 who are transforming their communities through innovation, collaboration and courage.
Lauren Castelino (BA '22, MES '24) is an alum from the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and Glendon College. She is an environmentalist and entrepreneur who founded the Green Career Centre to help under-represented youth access green jobs through training, resources and guidance. Her work has reached more than 500,000 young people and informed a $405-million national commitment to climate philanthropy. She was also recognized as one of York's 2025 Top 30 Alumni Under 30.
Rana Espiritu Nasrazadani (BA '20, MPPAL '22) was also recognized in this category. Espiritu Nasrazadani is an alum of York University's Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration and Law and a former president's ambassador. Known for her strength-based approach to disability rights advocacy, she is an educator, public speaker and policy adviser advancing accessibility, equity and human rights in Canada. She is also a senior policy advisor with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, and was recognized as one of York University's inaugural 2021 Top 30 Alumni Under 30.
STEM Trailblazers
This category recognizes women in STEM roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment.
Farzia Khan, a graduate from the Lassonde School of Engineering, is senior manager of information security at TD Bank and founder of Ellehacks, an organization that hosts hackathons and programs to empower women and non-binary individuals in technology and innovation. Khan leads enterprise-wide cyber resiliency initiatives and is the visionary behind TD’s Cyber Academy, a program that provides students and early-career professionals with training and hands-on experience in cybersecurity skills. She also serves on several cyber and technology advisory boards. She recently received a 2025 York U Alumni Award.
Ruth Uy (EMBA '22) is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business. She is a veteran board member, safety expert and executive with deep experience in non-profit, social justice and public infrastructure sectors. A licensed professional engineer with more than 25 years in the field, she actively promotes diversity in underrepresented industries through mentorship and public speaking. Drawing on her background in energy, circular economy and technology, she has forged cross-sector partnerships that drive lasting process improvements. She has been honoured among Canada’s Top Women in Safety (2025) and BMO Women on Boards (2024), and continues to champion women in STEM through leadership and mentorship.
For the full list of this year’s winners, visit the WXN Top 100 Award Winners page.