Purpose-Led CEO Interview Series, Paula Calderon, CEO, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA)

Meet Paula Calderon, CEO of the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA). She is a dedicated nonprofit executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in workforce development, education and socio-economic impact projects. An Immigrant from Colombia, Paula has lived experience that informs her work and fuels her passion in supporting the successful integration of newcomers to Canada. She boasts a distinguished career in nonprofit leadership spanning various sectors.

As the CEO of CIWA since June 2022, she continues to champion her commitment to empowerment and inclusivity. CIWA, a culturally diverse settlement agency, focuses on addressing the unique concerns and needs of immigrant and refugee women, girls, and their families. Paula's leadership has further solidified CIWA's reputation as a provincial and national leader in outcome-based, gender-specific settlement services. The organization's holistic approach covers a wide array of support services, including settlement and integration, literacy and language training, employment support, civic engagement, health, housing, and community development. Under Paula's leadership, coupled with the ambition of their clients who utilize their supports and services, the mission and vision of the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association are brought to life every day.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first job was teaching English as a second language in Colombia. While studying at university, I began teaching English at multinational companies. Business and language were both areas of keen interest for me, which led me to pursue a degree in marketing and advertising. In 2001, after graduating, I immigrated to Canada with my husband and daughter. With my background, primarily in teaching English as a second language, I opted to obtain my ESL certificate to begin teaching English in private schools. Interestingly, my husband did not speak English, and I witnessed his challenging journey of learning the language. My first job helped me realize my passion for helping others and seeing people progress, especially newcomers in Canada, as I saw first-hand how important learning English was for them to settle here.

As you look back on your career, what were the pivotal moments that led you to your role today?

My career has been more of a natural transition than a pivot. For me, having a purpose in the work I do is hugely important. I had a passion for helping others and also enjoyed improving business operations. Every role I took allowed me to progress and lead. To me, leadership is not a position; it is a role where you take action. I am someone who thrives with change and challenges. All the progression I have made in my career is based on constantly learning new things and challenging myself.

My first transition from ESL instruction to immigrant services was with an organization called Career Edge which facilitated paid internships for internationally trained professionals and new graduates. I realized that I was truly passionate about working in the immigrant-serving sector and that is what I focused on.

I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I have tried new things and come up with new ideas and I realized my entrepreneurial skills were an asset in the workplace. My entrepreneurial spirit and passion for helping others has shaped the trajectory of my career so far. It has also led me to my current role as the CEO of the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA).

If you think back on leaders who inspired you in your career or leadership style, who were they and why were they inspiring?

I am fortunate enough to say that every leader I have worked with throughout my career has believed in me more than I believed in myself, and this belief has pushed me to become the best version of myself.

The first name that comes to mind is Bernardo Riveros, a partner at ILAC, a private language school in Toronto. He hired me when I was just starting in Canada, which was incredibly significant and impactful in terms of building my capacity and work experience as a newcomer here. He truly believed in me, and we started a night school program which is still running 22 years later.

At Career Edge, I had two wonderful leaders Donna Smith and Anne Lamont who were the VP and CEO respectively at the time. Both Donna and Anne were incredibly supportive and truly believed in the work that we were doing in Career Edge, helping people get their foot in the door through paid internship programs. With their support, I quickly managed to progress from a screening position to a managerial role within the organization. Most importantly, during a difficult time in my life where I had just lost my mother, they displayed a tremendous amount of compassion and leadership. They provided me the opportunity to progress professionally while being empathetic with what I was going through. This is something I will never forget.

Another leader that I would like to mention is Maysa Hawwash, my supervisor at Drake International where I worked in HR Consulting during my stint in the corporate sector. Maysa allowed me the opportunity to learn about the work that we were doing and also the flexibility to be creative. Sue Sadler at ACCES Employment was also incredibly supportive leader who believed in me and made me believe in myself.

Lastly, Claudia Hepburn, CEO at Windmill Microlending has had a great influence in my life. I have acquired a lot of leadership skills from her, and I truly admire her leadership style and business acumen. The combination of passion and compassion she has is what has made her a successful leader.

Many women leaders have inspired me throughout my career and my professional relationship with a lot of them has transitioned into personal, very fulfilling friendships.

What motivates you every day?

My purpose is what gets me out of bed every morning. It’s the people that we serve in the not-for-profit sector and our impact. A non-profit is a business like any other and we have our own targets and objectives both in terms of financial responsibility and the impact we want to create. The ultimate motivator is the purpose of our organization and the impact that we intend to create in peoples’ lives. We don’t see the impact every day, so I rely on conversations with staff and clients to remind myself of the significance of our work. Seeing the organization’s success as a whole is what motivates me each day.

What do you want to change in the world and why?

One thing that I feel lacking in this world is empathy. It’s the inability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. If we were all capable of understanding others’ perspectives, there would be a lot less conflict in the world. This applies everywhere, be it humanitarian actions or business and workplace.

What is the purpose and vision of CIWA? And how has being clear about your purpose and vision benefited you and your company?

The vision of CIWA is to empower immigrant women and enrich Canadian society. Our mission is to be a national leader in transitioning immigrant women to success in Canada. As an immigrant woman, I have first-hand experience and I deeply resonate with the work that we do because ultimately, when immigrants thrive, the country’s economy also thrives. We don’t want to see immigrants be a burden on the economy. At CIWA, we recognize immigrants as individuals who come from diverse socioeconomic, educational, and professional backgrounds, each with their unique aspirations and goals. The aim is to support every immigrant woman who comes through our doors with their individual needs and help them reach their definition of success. We have over 60 programs relating to either economic or social inclusion, or family resiliency because women are the nucleus of any family and if they are struggling, the family struggles.

Our purpose serves as our guiding light. Every decision is made with the purpose in mind. We do not pursue projects, funding, or partnerships unless they align with our mission and vision. Whether we are developing a business plan or establishing performance agreements, everything is aligned with our purpose. This clarity of purpose enables us to stay within our expertise and simplifies decision-making.

What one piece of advice would you give other CEOs and leaders regarding leading with purpose?

My advice would be to prioritize self-care. As a purpose-driven leader deeply passionate about serving, it can be challenging to separate yourself from your work. Personally, I've never believed in the concept of work-life balance, as I see work as an integral part of one's identity. Therefore, I suggest focusing on doing what you love. If you're not passionate about your work, achieving balance will be difficult. I've found that self-discovery is important for understanding what motivates you. As purpose-led leaders, we often push ourselves hard due to our passion, so taking care of yourself is important. Additionally, it's important to learn from your mistakes and then letting go rather than harbouring it.

What one question would you like to ask other purpose-led CEOs?

How do you exercise and improve your emotional intelligence in your leadership capacity? As a leader, when and how should you express emotions versus maintaining composure, while staying approachable and human, yet also having the strength to recognize our triggers?

One question from the CEO we interviewed before you, Karen Adams, President and CEO, CloudMD.

How are you adjusting to the new dynamics of the workplace, both in terms of the hybrid workplace and managing people from 5 different generations, to create a purpose-led (value-based) environment?

These are the two biggest challenges leaders face today. I approach this challenge with transparency, communication, and accountability. At CIWA, we’ve implemented several mechanisms that support transparency and communication throughout our organization regarding what our organizational goals are and how can individuals play a part in achieving these objectives. We believe in continual communication to prevent any mistrust or uncertainty brewing within the organization.

In terms of accountability, it's often overlooked that added flexibility comes with increased responsibility. Understanding your responsibilities and delivering results fosters a sense of belonging to a larger collective. Accountability reinforces the notion that we're all interconnected and working towards a shared goal.