Karen Radford, TELUS
Company: TELUS Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia
Company Description: TELUS is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with Cdn$8.9 billion of annual revenue and 10.9 million customer connections. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. TELUS employs 32,000 team members across Canada including over 5,000 located in Asia.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Canadian Executive
Nomination Title: Karen Radford, Executive Vice-President and President TELUS Quebec and TELUS Partner Solutions
during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
1. Accomplishments:
“It is impossible to calculate the number of lives touched by Karen and the number
of lives that will be influenced by her example. Her greatest legacy lies in the
more
than 11,000 women at TELUS who follow in her footsteps.”
Darren Entwistle, President
and CEO, TELUS
Karen Radford is a role model to business women both nationally and globally.
From her rapid and notable ascent to the executive ranks at TELUS to her
instrumental role in the creation of connections – the TELUS women’s network in
2006 - an internal career development program for women, Karen has a
commitment and passion for her work and community, and a vision to inspire
others.
In addition, she is a founding member the Women’s Leadership Forum – an
organization with a mission to celebrate, encourage and challenge women to
embrace their full potential by providing the opportunity to appreciate, build and
connect with other women, while investing in their personal and professional
development. More than 1,000 attendees, including many international
participants, attend the forums in Calgary, Alberta every year to develop their
leadership capabilities; another significant demonstration of why Karen’s
candidacy should be considered for Best Canadian Executive.
“Ms. Radford’s vast experience and knowledge is nothing short of impressive . . .
she has demonstrated an ability to adapt to every environment with a level of
confidence matched only by her success . . . she is an immense source of
inspiration for all women.”
-- Isabelle Hudon, President and CEO, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Karen is the only executive at TELUS to lead two business units as Executive
Vice-President and President, TELUS Quebec and TELUS Partner Solutions.
Based in Montreal, Karen has achieved success in the highly competitive
telecommunications industry, transforming her business portfolio to generate
revenues of $2-billion.
In 2006, Karen guided the complex integration of TELUS’ wireline and wireless
operations in Quebec, transforming two separate operating structures into one,
strategically aligned with TELUS’ national growth strategy. Respecting the distinct
culture and language of the province, she successfully merged team members and
fostered labour negotiations with Syndicat québécois des employées de TELUS
(SQET), negotiating a four-year collective agreement for 1,000 team members.
Her transformation of TELUS Quebec helped facilitate a 42-per cent growth in data
solutions and resulted in a 77-per cent increase in high-speed Internet customers
over the previous year. Overall, TELUS Quebec exceeded wireless revenue targets
by 116 per cent. The transformation also renewed team spirit among a growing
team of 4,500 TELUS employees in the province.
Karen also embarked on an $83-million expansion program of TELUS’ network in
Quebec to increase service parameters across the entire province. The expansion
will afford residents and businesses unprecedented access to health care,
education, economic development, security and entertainment services.
Despite declining long distance markets, industry consolidation and significant
regulatory challenges, Karen also transformed the communications wholesale
market for TELUS Partner Solutions. Leading over 1,200 team members nationally
and 5,000 internationally, Karen developed new, diversified solutions and
uncovered new global markets for existing TELUS services.
In 2006, she established two equipment facilities in New York City to extend the
reach TELUS offered global service providers, launched TELUS’ wireless solutions
to wholesale customers to provide a new revenue stream and launched Enhanced
Directory Assistance in Canada to capture the market.
Her strategy reduced carrying costs for traffic beyond the TELUS network,
improved profitability and grew traditional revenues overall in Partner
Solutions for
the first time in five years. TELUS Directory Assistance was also ranked the
number one provider in Canada for the third consecutive year and the number two
provider in the U.S.
2. Supporting electronic information:
Video:
http://telus.edgeboss.net/wmedia/telus/mediasol/preview/sept_07/karen_radford_cut08.wvx
News releases:
TELUS creates 150 jobs in Montreal:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=718&mode=2&news_keywords=karen%20radford
TELUS enhances its IP network for service providers:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=794&mode=2&news_keywords=2006
$23 million upgrade to wireless digital network in Quebec:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=824&mode=2&news_keywords=karen%20radford
TELUS offers the most comprehensive family entertainment package in Quebec:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=698&mode=2&news_keywords=new%20york%20city
2006 Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100™:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=766&mode=2&news_keywords=karen%20radford
Karen Radford named Woman of the Year by Canadian Women in
Communications:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=800&mode=2&news_keywords=karen%20radford
Second annual Women’s Leadership Forum:
http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/media_news_viewer.cgi?news_id=804&mode=2&news_keywords=karen%20radford
Websites:
Women’s Leadership Forum:
http://www.womensleadershipforum.ca/about.html
connections – the TELUS women’s network:
http://about.telus.com/csr2006/csr/en/workplace/respectful-workplace.html
3. Biography:
Karen Radford
Executive Vice President and President,
TELUS Quebec and TELUS Partner Solutions
Karen joined TELUS in 1998 holding a number of senior roles, including vice
president positions for Customer Care, National Service Fulfillment and National
Service Assurance. She assumed the role of president with Partner Solutions in
2004 and assumed the additional responsibility of president with TELUS Quebec
in November, 2005. Karen has 15 years in the telecommunications industry
including several years with NBTel where her experience included marketing,
sales, information solutions and operations.
Consistent with TELUS' values, Karen is keenly committed to her local community
and is a sought-after speaker on business issues, such as strategic leadership,
growth and development. She serves as a national adviser to Youth in Motion and
Women in Motion, is a member of the Alberta Children's Hospital's Board of
Trustees, is President and Co-Founder of the Women's Leadership Forum and is a
member of the TELUS Montreal Community Board.
In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Toronto-based Women's Executive Network selected
Karen as one of Canada's Top 100 TM Most Powerful Women. In 2005, she was
named to Canada’s Top 40 under 40 listing, a prestigious recognition of 40
Canadians who have reached a significant level of success before the age of 40. In
2007, Canadian Women in Communications selected Karen as the CWC Woman
of the Year.
Karen received a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University in
1991 and a Bachelor of Science from Mount Allison University in 1989. She lives in
Montreal with her husband and two children.