“I think TEC has made me a more mature leader, with a better understanding of my values, and one thing it’s done is help me ask the right questions. I don’t always have the right answers, or even always have the right information, but I’m much better at knowing what I need to ask for.”
CHRISTIN IN 100 WORDS
Christin Wiedemann is a Ph.D physicist, Chief Scientist and Executive Vice President at PQA Testing in Vancouver. She got her first taste at a management role while working in Stockholm as a consultant for a service company. In her consulting role, she was always thrown into new environments with new people, new technologies and new problems. Christin found that she thrived in that type of environment. In 2011, Christin made the move from Sweden to Canada, joining the PQA team and quickly advanced from a consulting role, to Regional Vice President, then appointed Co-CEO by 2015.
COMPANY PROFILE
Professional Quality Assurance Ltd. (PQA) is Canada’s leading independent solutions provider of quality assurance and software testing services through a team of over 100 professionals.
PQA offers a “Test Smarter” testing process that includes methodologies, frameworks and tools to ensure that testing projects are conducted in a well-managed and consistent manner across the entire software development life-cycle.
WITH TEC
When Christin stepped into her Regional VP role in 2013, she sought out external mentorship, and when she was appointed Co-CEO, it was Keith McIntosh, PQA’s CEO and President, that found TEC Canada. He had been a part of a peer group in the past and found the value in the format and approach. For Christin, working closely with peers and having a network of people to rely on was familiar from her sciences background. She immediately connected to TEC’s combination of full-day monthly meetings, peer advisors, one-to-one coaching and speakers that provide direct and applicable training.
“I would certainly be in a much lonelier place [without TEC], which would also be a much more stressful place,” said Christin. “I wouldn’t feel as confident that I’m heading down the right path. I know I still have a lot to learn and there are a lot of skills that are important for this role, but at least I have a map for where I need to go and some direction for how to get there.”
TEC’S IMPACT
“There’s definitely more trust from my Co-CEO,” said Christin, “I think [TEC has] made me a more mature leader, with a better understanding of my values, and one thing it’s done is help me ask the right questions. I don’t always have the right answers, or even always have the right information, but I’m much better at knowing what I need to ask for.”
For Christin, the monthly meetings have proven to be the most impactful, but thanks to her Chair Janet Davie, and a TEC sponsored event, she was introduced to a woman who shared her passion for women in STEM. Together, they started The Inspiring Women in Applied Sciences Award established at Simon Fraser University in 2017.
