Cheryl Ward: Taking pride in mentoring people to reach their goals

CW: I started in May 2015 after TDMS launched. Before that, I was an Underwriter for eight years at one of the big banks. Some of my colleagues from the bank had moved over to First National and encouraged me to apply. There wasn’t an underwriting position available, so I interviewed for an AMU role. I left my interview with an employment offer and began my career at First National. 

CW: My first year was fast and furious. TDMS volumes took off at launch, and we started growing right away. Within a few weeks of starting, I was promoted to Underwriter. There are a lot of opportunities at First National if you are willing to work hard and make your goals known. Everybody was so inclusive and friendly. We were all there together as one team working toward a common goal.

CW: Experiencing the culture and becoming part of the First National family made me want to stay. Even though we are all separate teams, we act like one big team. We are all there to help each other out. I have made great friends on the team and I know they will be lasting friendships. 

CW: My promotion to Manager/Team Lead in 2016. I had been on vacation and came back to learn that my manager had resigned. Marion, my Director, encouraged me to apply. She urged me to go after the opportunity and assured me I was ready. I was nervous about leading a team of 10 people. It was a big jump. Having someone I respected so much see something in me made all the difference. 

CW: I love to mentor people and help them grow. Seeing people take initiative and have a desire to learn makes everything I do worth it. I invest 100% every day and I hope that my perspectives on how to get things done go a long way. When we write policies, we all come together to share our ideas and come to a common agreement on the right policy. Then we iterate. During that process, I share what I hear from brokers and employees I’m mentoring. We use that insight to fine tune and deliver a policy that is clear and understandable to everyone. 

CW: I’m most proud of my team. I’ve had so many team members advance to new roles. Four of the Manager/Team Leads on The Prairies’ team started on my team. It gives me such pride to know I helped mentor people to reach their goals. They worked hard, and I encouraged them and gave them space to be recognized for their efforts. 

CW: My first holiday party. You really got a chance to see people. Everyone was letting loose, having fun and out of work mode. I also really loved attending the management leadership conference in Kelowna in 2020. Different people from different parts of the country came together to learn from each other. We had a fascinating evening at the Okanagan Table, where we got to participate in food prep. I remember peeling prawns with Scott McKenzie. These interesting, unique experiences give people a chance to be more disarmed and connect in a really deep way.

CW: All of them resonate with me. We are always aiming to do better and encourage those around us to do so as well. We work hard to build trusting relationships, internally, with brokers and with TD account managers. We encourage everyone to share their ideas, so they feel heard both personally and professionally. Every person comes to work and puts their best foot forward. If we make a mistake, we own it, take accountability and make it right. 

CW: I have never felt any gender difference at First National. There are a lot of strong women at this company in many different roles, and they all inspire me. But Marion was one of my biggest inspirations because of her strength and her “don’t mess with me” attitude. She was a force and knew her stuff. She had our backs and made sure we were getting the best help and support possible. Jenna has also been an important influence in my career. I would go to her with questions and when I needed advice. And when I told her I messed up, her response was simply, “What? You’re not perfect?” It made me realize that making mistakes is ok as long as we learn from them. I use that approach with my team now. Almost everything can be fixed, and every mistake is an opportunity to learn. I currently report to Renu Parthui. She is my daily go-to person, and have a lot of respect for her and her strength.

CW: First National does a great job with our diversity programs and educating about diversity. Those events bring people together to learn and celebrate our uniqueness. It’s so important to understand other people’s cultures and experiences. And like the Depeche Mode song…people are people. Regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation, we are all human beings. Our most recent Pride event was so much fun. Everyone let loose. It was fun to see everyone together like that with no pretenses. 

CW: Work hard. Take the initiative to reach out and learn new roles. Let your goals be known. Find a mentor and ask questions. Be patient. The position you want may not be available, but with time and intention, you’ll get to where you want to go.

CW: Reach for your goals and be yourself. You can do whatever you set your mind to, and you’ll get there if you work hard for it.