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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


  • Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive
    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.

  • List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:

    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

  • Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 100 words):

    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.