2022 Canadians to Watch

CHOSEN BECAUSE:

Leadership has always been at the forefront of Yolanda Biswah’s career. And the senior vice-president, general manager at Canadian Black Book (CBB) views herself as a mentor.

“One of the things I always work on is developing people, helping people reach the next level,” says Biswah, 54.

Respect and education are among the tenets of her leadership philosophy.

“I have a young team of people under the age of 40,” said Biswah, who currently oversees a staff of 18. “They need guidance, mentorship. They want to grow their careers. I take that very seriously.”

As one of the few Black female executives in the auto industry, Biswah is using her role to promote diversity and inclusion in the sector.

The industry is undergoing seismic change, and CBB, which helps clients with shortand long-term forecasting of vehicle valuations, has a critical role to play as automakers, dealers and lenders manage the shifting landscape, she said.

IN HER OWN WORDS:

“I often get asked about how long the inventory shortage will last. We think it will continue well into 2023. Another big question: As [automakers] move to selling electric vehicles directly to consumers, what does that mean for dealers? That is another challenge... as they adjust to the new world of EVs.”