While the top female curlers are hitting the ice at Mosaic Place, some of the country’s top sports leaders and coaches were taking part in a Women in Leadership Symposium at Temple Gardens Hotel.

Wednesday evening included a panel discussion with three prominent women leaders.

Anne Merklinger is the CEO of Own the Podium. She was a member of the Canadian national swim team from 1977 to 1981, winning a silver medal at the 1979 World University Games.

She turned her focus to curling in the 1980s and 1990s, representing Ontario of the Scotties four times, reaching two finals.

Merklinger says the symposium give women great networking opportunities.

“I think most importantly we’ve also been able to establish a tremendous network, so when people leave from this important symposium,” she said.

“They have a whole new group of contacts and friends and colleagues that they can reach out to and get advice or exchange ideas and share information.”

Lorraine Lafreniere started her career with the Canadian Intramural Recreation Association before becoming media relations manager with the Canadian Olympic Committee. She joined the Coaching Association of Canada in 2002 and was named their CEO in 2013.

Lafreniere says talking about women in leadership roles is on an upward trend, but how to get those women into the roles remains a challenge.

“It’s through constant effort and dialogue such as what's happening in this room is the part that we need to actually get more women leaders into those positions that should be available and would make a very big difference,” Lafreniere said.

Also sitting on the panel was Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson.

Before joining Curling Canada in 2016, she was the senior vice-president of marketing and revenue for the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am and Para Pan-Am Games. She’s also worked with large companies like Whirlpool, Colgate Palmolive and Campbell Soup Canada in her 20 years in marketing and brand management.

She said the symposium will help give up and coming leaders the tools to rise into prominent roles in sports.

“There is not a lot of women that are in sports that end up rising to the positions of leadership, so the whole part of this to bring promising young women together, give them some professional development, allow them to find a support network and also be mentored by people who are around them,” Henderson said.