Advisory Council

Alicia Brown – CIBC Wood Gundy
Amanda Mouait – Arbonne International
Carol McBee – Mommy Connections
Dr. Sky McLaughlin – Gandhara Designs
Lazina Mckenzie – L Squared Style
Rosemary Malowany – Wild Rose Communications
Gillian Galante - Bossy Mama

Alicia Brown

Alicia Brown has been helping clients achieve their retirement goals through investment advice, tax and estate planning for the past five years.

A member of the Gail Taylor Investment Group at CIBC Wood Gundy, she is passionate about Socially Responsible Investing and is determined to see this important niche flourish in Canada. Alicia obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta and spent three years in the medical research field prior to moving to wealth management. She is a longtime supporter of the United Way and is presently the Employee Campaign Chair at her firm. When she is not enjoying the outdoors or traveling abroad, she can be found remodelling her home with her husband.

Amanda Mouait

Amanda Mouait is an Executive Area Manager with Arbonne International, a Swiss Health and Wellness company that just celebrated its 30 year anniversary. She has had her own Arbonne business for over four years and loves it! Amanda appreciates having the ability to choose her hours, income and business partners. Amanda and her husband love to travel and are always eager to experience different points of view by visiting various cities around the world. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree as well as her Certified Insurance Professional (CIP) designation which she worked towards in her last career in the Insurance Industry as an Underwriter and most recently Commercial Trainer. In September of 2009 Amanda thoroughly broadened her horizons by taking on her most important feat so far - motherhood. Welcoming her daughter into their family has been her most rewarding role yet!

Carol McBee

Carol McBee is the President of Bossy Mama as well as the President and Founder of Mommy Connections Inc which connects moms, dads & families through pre and post natal education. Mommy Connections was created in 2009 and now has 8 locations in Alberta and Ontario. With a strong background in marketing working for 2 medium sizes companies, Carol chose to focus on her entrepreneurial passions after having her first daughter in 2008. After many months of thought and consideration, Mommy Connections was launched, with the birth of Bossy Mama shortly thereafter. Carol is passionate about connecting women; entrepreneurs and moms alike.

Dr. Sky McLaughlin

With a background in International Education, Dr. Sky McLaughlin has supported hundreds of women , in 47 countries across 5 continents, to achieve their personal and career goals. Her area of specialty is educational development in the support of post-conflict nation building, and lived for 8 years in Palestine and Afghanistan. Sky is the founder of Gandhara Designs, an Edmonton based company which works with Artisans and refugees, mainly women, in the developing world to reclaim traditional arts and crafts and provide them with a sales market in Canada. Gandhara Designs distinctive range of exquisite silk, silver and gemstone designs can be found at www.gandharadesigns.com Sky is eager to contribute her skills to the Bossy Mama Advisory Council and looks forward to working with all bossy mamas to reach our collective goal of business success!

Lazina McKenzie

In 2006, Lazina packed up her suitcase full of stilettos (ok, maybe more than one suitcase) and moved from Toronto to Edmonton to complete a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alberta. With an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences and some entrepreneurial experience under her belt (her entrepreneurial “itch” is what brought her to business school in the first place), Lazina decided to dive in and absorb all that the MBA program had to offer.

Following her MBA, Lazina moved into a management consulting position where she learned vital business skills and was exposed to various consulting projects, mostly in the public sector. In late-2010, Lazina’s entrepreneurial side really started to flourish when close friends and family started to ask for her opinion and assistance with their style and to help improve the message that they were sending others. It was at this point Lazina realized that this was the perfect way to combine her training and skills in helping others (e.g. companies and businesses) find solutions with her passion and understanding of personal style.

After countless hours consulting with colleagues, friends, family and even strangers as well as thinking about how to make her mark, Lazina decided it was time to leave the corporate world to tackle a different challenge - bringing her fresh, new style consulting business to Alberta. This was the creation of L2 Style! Since inception, L2 Style has helped individuals and organizations create an awareness of how and why style can be used as a key component of their overall brand.

Rosemary Malowany

Rosemary Malowany is the Principal at Wild Rose Communications, a public relations consultancy specializing in marketing planning, publicity and promotions. Rosemary has nine years of experience working with a variety of clients, both in-house and in agency settings. She has an MA in Professional Communications from Royal Roads University and a Public Relations diploma from MacEwan University. She strongly believes that planning and execution go hand in hand, and will ensure that all clients are pleased with the outcomes of their campaigns and initiatives. Rosemary started Wild Rose Communications in May 2010 in order to have more flexibility and time with her two year old daughter Isabel