Roxanne Ruediger is an inspiration in every sense of the word. Hailing from humble beginnings, she didn’t allow her roots to define her but instead set out to carve a distinctive place for herself in the professional world. Resilience, diligence, and adaptability are the three characteristics that have fueled her spectacular rise to the upper echelons of organizations. Roxanne’s ability to deftly navigate tricky situations while remaining calm also sets her apart from others and makes her a leader worth admiring.
Today, she is making her mark as the Director of Corporate Services at the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA). “My greatest achievement as a leader has been a fostering environment where every challenge is seen as an opportunity to learn and grow,” she says.
Rising to the Top from Humble Beginnings
Rising from humble beginnings, Roxanne has worked her way to the top of the corporate ladder. She remembers her family not having a lot of money when she was growing up.
At 13, Roxanne tried to get a job but was denied because she was not of legal working age. She recalls being devastated when she didn’t get the job. However, when she turned 14, Roxanne started her first job as a cashier in a fast-food joint. “Due to my quick pace and strong work ethic, I moved up to become a cook, and then a supervisor,” she says.
In high school, while working as a supervisor at the fast-food joint, she took on a second job – managing a canteen at the local arena. She would go to school during the day, then directly to her first job at the fast-food joint; afterward, she would work in the canteen, staying as late as 11 p.m. on school nights. “I’d do my homework and studies when it was not busy,” Roxanne recalls.
Initially, she wanted to go into environmental sciences to pursue her passion for innovation in clean energy. However, during her first year of undergraduate studies, she took accounting and Indigenous studies as elective courses. These courses ignited a new passion in Roxanne, and she ended up graduating from Trent University in 2009 on the dean’s honor roll with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in Indigenous Management and Economic Development.
In 2015, she obtained her CPA. “I received an award of excellence for achieving the highest marks in the second year of the program,” Roxanne says. Later, at her convocation, she was recognized as the first Indigenous woman in the NWT/NU Association. “I was also acknowledged by the MPs at the legislative assembly as Nunavut’s first female Inuk CPA,” she shared.
Roxanne’s professional journey started with the territorial government, the largest employer in Nunavut; there were not many opportunities available for her locally to gain a well-rounded work experience. At the time, she was still working to obtain her CPA accounting designation. She recalls working for multiple departments and then moving away from her hometown, Baker Lake, to pursue new opportunities and expand her skills. “Along the way, I gained valuable work experience and had a couple of mentors that I will forever be grateful for,” she says. “My experiences are what contributed to who I am today.”
Soon after obtaining her CPA, Roxanne stepped into a CFO role in a not-for-profit organization. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was the industry for me.,” she says.
In April 2021, Roxanne joined the ONWA family, which, she says, is by far one of the best organizations she has ever worked for. “I’m honored to work with strong Indigenous Women leadership who all have the same goal in mind – to improve the lives of Indigenous Women and their families,” she shares.
Encountering Challenges and Discrimination
Early on in her professional career, Roxanne was often the youngest and only female at the management tables, and her ideas and suggestions were ignored and disregarded. She had to work harder than others in the room to be heard.
There were also instances where Roxanne felt that her Inuit heritage was used more as a token than as a genuine asset. She explains that some organizations sought to enhance their image with a visible Inuit presence, meeting diversity quotas to appease their boards and mandates. As a result, according to Roxanne, instead of being valued for her skills in finance and accounting – an area where Inuit representation is notably scarce – she at times in the past found herself sidelined, facing discrimination and a lack of opportunities. “In these settings, it became clear that my presence was less about my skillset inclusion and more about superficial inclusion or compliance”
As an Indigenous learner, she also encountered roadblocks while pursuing higher education. These included having to leave her community, poor internet access, limited funding, and a lack of relatable material. “Today, addressing these issues is meaningful to me,” she says. So, it was fitting when Roxanne got the opportunity to work as a consultant subject matter expert (SME) with CPA Canada, other Indigenous SMEs, and AFOA Alberta for a CPA pilot for Indigenous Learners. As an Inuit SME on this committee, she participates in developing Indigenous content in CPA accounting courses, logistics, and program evaluation, in addition to spreading awareness of this initiative and building relationships with partners and stakeholders to enhance our outreach.
Roxanne is successful because she didn’t allow roadblocks and life challenges to dishearten her. She continued to persevere and progress through education and career. Now, sometimes, she can’t believe she is in a role where she can make a real impact.
About Ontario Native Women’s Association.
ONWA is the oldest and largest Indigenous Women’s organization in Canada. It is both a front-line service organization and an association of almost 40 Indigenous women’s organizations. According to Roxanne, for over 50 years, ONWA has been working to empower and support Indigenous women and their families through research, advocacy, policy development, and culturally grounded programs.
ONWA’s vision is to celebrate and honor the safety and healing of Indigenous women and girls as they take up their leadership roles in the family, community, and internationally for generations to come.
In recent years, ONWA has experienced exponential growth, which highlights the increasing recognition of its important work. “It underscores the impact of the services and support we provide, confirming that we are meeting a crucial need in the community,” Roxanne says.
One of the achievements that she is proud of is the implementation of updated corporate policies and procedures, where they have incorporated First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultural practices. This is a first of its kind which allows us to stay grounded and connected to culture without compromising our corporate responsibilities. She informs that this project engaged with multiple traditional knowledge holders, internal stakeholders, and the Board of Directors to come up with easy-to-read policies that everyone can follow. Users of these policies can now learn about other cultural teachings while connecting with their own.
Roxanne also points out that at ONWA, no one works in silos. The organization encourages collaboration to work on solutions that focus on the best outcomes for community members and the community.
CEO Is the Mentor
Roxanne regards the CEO of ONWA, Cora McGuire-Cyrette, as one of her mentors and someone she admires as a role model for other indigenous women. “Cora has been instrumental in my success at ONWA,” she says. “She provides opportunities to be creative in my job andto network, and gain experience at the UN level.”
Cora’s leadership and support have been pivotal to Roxanne’s achievements. She points out that without her guidance, navigating her professional journey would have been significantly more challenging.
“She is a leader who values my opinion and gives me the autonomy to implement the solutions needed Roxanne adds. She trusts me to get the job done.”
Responsibilities of a Director
As Director of Corporate Services, Roxanne oversees key departments, including finance, human resources, information technology, and operations. She leads a strong management team that provides oversight of operational processes to ensure that ONWA is a strong and stable organization. According to Roxanne, this encompasses administrative effectiveness, transparency, accountability, quality, and risk management.
She and her team are committed to supporting operational excellence across the organization to create culturally engaging, safe, and respectful spaces for all ONWA employees, the community, and members. “We are responsible for information, infrastructure, legal matters, finance and administration, and human resources,” Roxanne says. Her role requires her to assess risks, continuously improve internal controls, and ensure they align with industry best practices.
Mentorship, accountability, and transparency are the three pillars of Roxanne’s leadership. As a leader, she enjoys building a cohesive team and giving honest feedback. She strives to create an environment where it is acceptable to make mistakes, leading to stronger problem-solving skills. Roxanne also believes in practicing what she preaches and isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves to get the job done. This hands-on approach helps her understand the limitations of processes and systems, as well as identify things to leverage them when issues arise.
True success, according to Roxanne, is centered around helping people. So, whatever she does as Director is with the aim of contributing positively to society and communities, helping to make the world a better place. Also, she recognizes that everyone has unique skills and gifts, and contributes in different ways. She, therefore, strives to achieve success by finding a way to work together where diverse skills and opinions are celebrated.
She explains that she does not work directly with clients and community members like front-line workers, and this is where the value of differing skills and gifts can work to achieve the same goal. “I work in the background to improve effectiveness and efficiency, to stretch resources even farther while ensuring we are adhering to our legislative responsibilities,” she says.
A Typical Work Day and Work-Life Balance
Roxanne begins her day by reviewing emails and approvals. Then, throughout the day, she is involved in multiple meetings – simply engaging or advising on specific topics or projects. She earmarks the end of the day for emails that she receives when she is in meetings.
“Every day is different,” she says. Often, she gets caught up in unplanned tasks, which pushes what she had planned for the day to the next day. She does not mind that as she loves what she does and the people she works with.
Roxanne is a planner through and through. This helps her maintain a work-life balance despite a demanding schedule. According to her, she works backward and plans by year, then by quarter, by month, and by week. She also sets realistic goals, knowing that things change daily, and is not too hard on herself for not accomplishing things at a faster pace.
“We spend a third of our life working, and one should enjoy what one does and have a good work-life balance,” Roxanne says.
Vision and Plan for the Company’s Future
ONWA has embarked on a 10-year strategic plan based on the wisdom, knowledge, and courage of its membership and Indigenous women who continue to share their truths and solutions to the issues they face, according to Roxanne.
She also informs that the plan was developed through a thoughtful intersectional, and relational lens, with overarching goals focused on operational excellence, ensuring a strong cultural foundation, supporting Indigenous women’s leadership, and driving systemic change.
As they move towards their set goals, Roxanne’s focus is on proactively planning for their growth, including fiscal planning, and implementing changes that enhance the organization, such as policies and procedures, organizational training, and systems improvements. She is also focused on mentoring leaders on her team.
Roxanne explains that the work ONWA does as an agency is centered on celebrating and building upon previous voices, work, and leadership of Indigenous women who came before. “We balance what those women taught us with the current needs and issues of Indigenous women to create a safer community for today and future generations,” she adds.
Personal Goals to Achieve
As someone who loves being an accountant, one of Roxanne’s major personal goals is to obtain investigative accounting accreditation. Since joining ONWA, she has received her certification in Human Resources for Accounting Professionals, her NFP Certificate Part 2: Managing Strategy and Risk, and her Certificate in Energy, Social, and Governance.
She also wants to continuously improve her understanding of how to contribute in the most meaningful way to the organization. In addition to that, she aims to enhance her skills for the departments in her portfolio.
Additionally, Roxanne intends to continue traveling to new places and learning new cultures. “My journey is one of continuous learning, I’m always looking for opportunities to grow and improve my skills,” she says.
Message to Aspiring Young Women Leaders
“Believe in yourself – you can accomplish anything you set your mind to” is Roxanne’s message to aspiring women leaders.
She advises them to keep their heads up and never lose sight of who they are. “Integrity matters as well,” she adds. “How you work and how you treat others is important – So, be the leader for others you wish to have for yourself.”
