Saskatchewan's women of influence.

For the third consecutive year, Saskatchewan Business Magazine is pleased to recognize 10 of the province's most influential women.

Though they have varied backgrounds and fields of expertise, these women wield comparable clout in their respective circles.

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Pat Armstrong

District Vice-President, Bank of Nova Scotia 

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As ScotiaBank's district vice-president for Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, this Saskatoon resident is one of the senior bank executives in the province. Since arriving from B.C. more than four years ago, she has become active with the local and provincial chambers of commerce and is a member of the board of governors of Junior Achievement.

Marilyn Braun-Pollon

Director of Provincial Affairs, CFIB 

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A frequent guest on the province's media, she has earned a reputation for hard-hitting commentary in support of the province's small business sector. As Saskatchewan head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, her opinion on business-related issues garners considerable attention in public policy circles.

Susan Brown

Vice-President Community Banking, Bank of Montreal 

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As vice-president of Saskatchewan with the Bank of Montreal for the past three years and one of the province's senior bank executives, she holds responsibility for the bank's personal and commercial operations. Since moving to Saskatoon from Calgary, this Saskatchewan native has become an active community player, participating in Leadership Saskatoon and as a member of the boards of the Children's Health Foundation and INROADS/Saskatchewan.

Nancy Hopkins, Q.C.

Partner, McDougall Gauley Barristers and Solicitors

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A senior member of Saskatoon's legal community, Hopkins has become well-known in all parts of the province in her role as a professional advisor to a long list of prominent companies. She is a member of the board of directors of Cameco Corporation, the world's largest uranium producer, chairs the board of Saskatchewan Government Insurance and is a member of the Saskatoon Airport Authority board. On the national stage, she is the public director on the board of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Janice MacKinnon

Former Saskatchewan Finance Minister and current Professor of Public Policy at the U of S

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Although out of the day-to-day fray of provincial politics, MacKinnon continues to attract considerable attention from public policy watchers. Formerly a senior cabinet member in the Romanow government, which included stints in the finance and economic development portfolios, she was at the centre of provincial affairs. Since departing politics and returning to the academic world at the University of Saskatchewan she has authored an influential book on her political experience. Her name continues to be tossed around by political observers when issues of leadership surface in the province.

Diana Milenkovic

Senior Vice-President, Customer Service Operations and Mobility, SaskTel

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As a longtime senior executive at SaskTel, Milenkovic has overseen the development of the Crown utility's wireless network and is currently senior vice-president--customer service operations and mobility, providing a high profile in the business community. She chairs the board of the SCN television network headquartered in Regina and is a member of the boards of SecurTek, the Regina Symphony, the 2005 Jeux Canada Games and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.

Anne Parker

Executive Director, Communities of Tomorrow

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After a stint as a vice-president at IPSCO, Parker returned from Chicago to her hometown of Regina last year and accepted a post as the first permanent executive director of a partnership called Communities of Tomorrow (CT). Centred on environmental research and technology development, CT is a joint effort of the two senior levels of government, the city of Regina, University of Regina and the National Research Council. She also is a member of the board of Investment Saskatchewan, formerly known as Crown Investments Corporation III.

Marla Preston

General Manager, Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan

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A longtime player in Saskatchewan's tourism industry, Preston oversees the day-to-day operations of the storied Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza. A past chair of Tourism Regina, she has earned a high profile in community activities. Presently, she sits on the board of the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority.

Anne Wallace, Q.C.

Partner, Wallace Meschishnick Clackson Zawada

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As a partner in the Saskatoon legal firm Wallace Meschishnick Clackson Zawada, Wallace is wellknown in legal circles, especially in the field of dispute resolution. She has been chair of National Sections Council of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as chair of the National Continuing Education Committee. She is also an active member of a variety of local business organizations as well as professional bodies including Mediation Saskatchewan, the National Arbitration Forum and the Conflict Resolution Network.

Janet Wightman

Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Farm Credit Canada 

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As executive vice-president of Farm Credit Canada, she is one of the top executives in the Regina-based national farm lending and venture capital agency. With responsibilities ranging from farm financing and agribusiness lending to new product development, she is well-known in agricultural circles here and across the country. She also sits on the board of Saskatchewan Power Corporation.