Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Leadership, Resilience and Building a Meaningful Career (FOR ACEC-ONTARIO & SWE MEMBERS ONLY) 

Michelle A. Ostermann, CFA, ICD.D, is an internationally experienced executive and board director who has spent more than 30 years building and transforming businesses and investment functions within complex, regulated institutions.

Michelle began her career in London, Ontario. Today, she is based in London, UK, and works internationally across pensions, investment and public policy. She is Chair of the Board of the International Centre for Pension Management, a global network of leading pension and long-term investment institutions whose members collectively manage approximately $9 trillion in assets. Widely recognised for her expertise in pension systems and institutional investment, she contributes to industry debate and advises policymakers and governments.

Most recently, Michelle served as Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s Pension Protection Fund. Her earlier roles include Senior Vice President and Global Head of Capital Markets at PSP Investments, Managing Director at Railpen Investments, and senior positions with British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, Manulife and Sun Life. She has led large teams and executive committees, shaping governance frameworks and driving board-level strategic decision-making.

Nuala Jackson-Sloan is a civil engineer, Project Director and GHD’s Central Canada Provincial Government Sector Leader. Her career has rarely followed a straight line – taking her from construction sites in Africa, through major infrastructure delivery, to advising governments on some of Canada’s most complex infrastructure challenges.

Having built her career in industries and environments where women have historically been underrepresented, Nuala has developed a leadership style grounded in curiosity, resilience and a willingness to step into spaces before feeling entirely ready for them. Along the way, she has moved countries, crossed traditional professional boundaries, and expanded her role from engineering and project delivery into strategy, client leadership and government advisory.

Today, Nuala leads multidisciplinary teams working at the intersection of engineering and major public-sector decision-making, including as Project Director for the East-West Energy Corridor Feasibility Study.

She is particularly interested in how we create leadership pathways that allow people to succeed without requiring them to follow a conventional route – or become someone else along the way.