The McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA program is proud to announce that Natalie Charette, Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving for the Breakfast Club of Canada – Club des petits déjeuners is the recipient of one of the two 2022 EMBA Scholarships for managers in non-profit organizations .
Natalie has spent her entire career in philanthropy. Before joining the Breakfast Club in March 2022, she worked in a range of non-profits such as MedicAlert Foundation Canada, YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford, The Kidney Foundation of Canada and Habitat for Humanity Halton. She loves this work:
“Given the deep sense of purpose I get from working for charities, I am quite passionate the work I do. I enjoy deepening my knowledge about philanthropy and about the broader non-profit and charitable sector.”
Like so many other great leaders and EMBA participants, Natalie suffers from imposter syndrome. Even though this fear almost stopped her from enrolling in the program, it was also one of the reasons that pushed her to apply.
“I’ve found the best way to overcome fear is by pushing my limits and expanding my thinking. I am confident that pursuing the EMBA will help toward my increased self-confidence. Additionally, […] I’ve learned that once I take the leap, I almost always land on my feet and know I can overcome this challenge throughout the program.”
As a mother of two who is also involved in her community and has a full-time managing role, Natalie knows that the EMBA will represent a time challenge but feels that she is well equipped to face this challenge.
“When I am committed to something, I find nothing is impossible. I’ve learned a lot parenting two young children during a pandemic, supporting them through virtual learning while maintaining a career. This experience taught me how to prioritize, including how I spend my time.”
One of the reasons Natalie chose the McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA program is its bilingual aspect:
“I am interested in the leadership mindsets and the content of the curriculum but what really sets it apart for me is the bilingual nature of the program. I am French-Canadian and grew up speaking French. However, I now live in a totally anglophone community and have spent the majority of my career speaking English. In an attempt to keep my language strong, I volunteer on a board of directors that operates in French and my children attend French school. It feels like an important part of my identity. The EMBA is a welcomed opportunity to deepen this capacity.”
When she first attended university, Natalie had to work while studying which prevented her from really committing to developing a network. This time around, even though she is again working while studying, she is aware of the richness that the diverse EMBA network will represent, and she believes that the “EMBA environment will allow the development of deep and meaningful relationships with other individuals interested in leadership”.
While Natalie thinks that the obvious impact of the program for her should be to evolve her leadership, to “move into executive level positions with a national charity with a reputable brand”, she also openly accepts that she doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring, and she remains open to possibilities:
“I think expanding my network and learning new things could push me in a direction I hadn’t yet imagined for myself. At my core, I think that’s the reason I want to pursue my EMBA.”
