Corporate Vision January 2017

48 CORPORATE VISION / January 2017 , Mullen Group operates a decentralized business model that allows each Business Unit to operate as a separate subsidiary under its own brand, and is held accountable for its own performance and results. Mullen Group’s Corporate Office provides oversight and support to the Business Units by coordinating business strategies, monitoring financial and business performance, providing management services, centralized banking and financial expertise, and offering shared services such as payroll, human resources support, information technology support, legal and accounting services. Joanna has worked at Mullen Group for two and a half years, and in her current role is responsible for corporate legal matters, corporate governance and the day to day management of the Corporate Investor Services Group. She works across numerous areas within Mullen Group, and was happy to detail this work further. “In addition to becoming General Counsel, I am in-house counsel for all 28 of Mullen Group’s Business Units. I also act as a Corporate Secretary, working with Driving Innovation at Mullen Group Mullen Group is one of the leading suppliers of trucking and logistics services in Canada, providing a wide range of specialized transportation and related services to the oil and natural gas industry, principally inwestern Canada. Joanna Scott serves as the Vice President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary at Mullen Group Ltd, where she also serves as the Corporation’s in-house legal counsel. Joanna told us more about her role within the firmand offers advice to other women looking to succeed in the business. the board on such matters as corporate governance, corporate compliance and securities law. I am the Chair of the Disclosure Committee, which is responsible for overseeing company disclosure, and I am the Chair of the Policy Committee, which is responsible for developing new policies when required, and reviewing existing corporate policies in use. “I am not only involved in the legal aspect of the business, but in the strategic and long term goals of Mullen Group. I am a member of the four-person Senior Executive team in my capacity as VP, which assembles to discuss the strategic direction of the company, business management and business risk. In this role, I interact with investors, debt-holders, and assist in the management of the individuals in Mullen Group’s unique Business Units.” Before joining Mullen Group, Joanna worked in a law firm setting, and recalls that this presented a number of challenges to her as a woman in business. “It was a challenge to be taken seriously in this environment, to be able to get the interesting and challenging files whilst also gaining understanding from the Partners as to my role as a mother, particularly as the mother of child with a disability. “The opportunity to work at Mullen Group was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me, both from a career perspective and as a move for my family. From the view of my career, to be included on the senior executive team has been one of the most amazing opportunities I have been afforded in my career, and from the family perspective, I have been able to foster a much better balance as a mother and a wife; I am very grateful for Mullen Group’s focus on family. The team here at Mullen Group has respected my opinion from the beginning and they appreciate and value me as a member of the executive team. The three men I work with on the Senior Executive Team go out of their way to mentor me and include me in all aspects of the business side of Mullen Group. They are truly amazing colleagues and I attribute much of my success to their leadership and mentorship.” Joanna believes that other women in this business should seize every opportunity they are given, and should not be afraid to voice their opinion and share their expertise with the team they are working with. “I also believe that one of the most important things a woman can do is to find a great mentor, someone who they can trust. I think one of the most important attributes required to reach the top of a firm within my sector is to actually leave the mentality of reaching the top behind. To be successful, in my view, the focus should be on being a valuable member of the team; one’s goal should not be to reach the top, but to achieve excellence in the role that you function in.” Mullen Group has been in business since 1949, and Joanna is looking forward to what the future holds for the business, and she feels very fortunate to be a part of this future. “My personal goal for the future is to get to know the business and people of each of Mullen Group’s Business Units. It is something that I have been working on since I started at Mullen Group, but it does take time. My goal is to go out and visit each site and gain a better understanding of the various factors that impact each business unit. It is also my goal to get to know the people who work at each Business Unit and dtermine how I can assist them in achieving their corporate goals” 1701CV14