(*Note- the thoughts and opinions expressed in this profile are those of Christine Carter and not those of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation)
Chris Carter’s job title is “keeper of secrets”. As a feminist bothered deeply by the negative connotations attached to the title “Secretary” and a lover of literature, Chris looked into the origins of the word. In late Middle English, it means “person entrusted with a secret”.
Corporate secretaries hold crucial roles, not only as secret keepers, but also as facilitators of decision-making at the highest level of organizations. As Corporate Secretary and Director of Governance for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Chris organizes and attends meetings where remarkable people make important decisions on highly confidential matters. And she is trusted to keep those secrets.
When Chris decides she wants to do something, she sets goals and goes all-in. Chris’ childhood goals were more practical than most kids her age, but did not involve law. She considered becoming a writer, but decided it would not be financially stable enough. Her second choice was veterinarian, so she focused on maths and sciences in high school and got accepted into the B.Sc. program at University of Guelph (home of the Ontario Veterinary College).
To prepare for OVC, she worked part-time at vet clinics. While assisting during a particularly gangrenous surgery, Chris felt faint from the noxious smell and ended up sitting on the floor, trying not to pass out. This, she knew, was not the best place for a vet to be during surgery - so she switched programs to a Bachelor of Arts. For some, this may have been a disappointing setback. For Chris, this just pushed her towards a new goal.
Chris graduated with her Honours BA during an economic recession in the early 90’s. Jobs were scarce and, despite consistently appearing on the Dean’s Honours List at university, she was forced to take on a variety of receptionist/secretarial roles while figuring out her next move. Women in secretarial roles were (and still are) often treated like they lack intelligence, which frustrated Chris then (and still frustrates her today).
One of Chris’ jobs was with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, where she got to know a Symphony board member who was a lawyer. She asked him if law was a good career and he told her that it was, because it gave him time with his family. Looking back, Chris suspects he had a partner at home helping with the kids, but at the time she knew she wanted a family and thought the career would suit her well.
Chris set her sights on becoming a lawyer and researched what area of law would give her the best work-life balance. She was told that an in-house job was her best bet, so she focused her time at Osgoode Hall on classes that would help her move in-house. Through her classes, Chris developed a love of tax law, and through visits to the West Coast, she developed a love of B.C.
After a short time working at a Tier 1 law firm in Vancouver, Chris took a role with a boutique tax firm, working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. Having entered the legal profession in search of work-life balance, this was not going to last. She was buried in paperwork and lacked social interaction, spending her days in a tiny office at the top of a white, 26 floor building. She was working in a literal ivory tower.
When a job working in-house in corporate governance became available at HSBC Bank, Chris eagerly applied. Corporate governance had never been on Chris’ radar before working at HSBC, but she quickly found a passion for it there. Throughout her 16+ years with the Bank, Chris strengthened her skills in the variety of ways needed to become a specialist in her field.
Time management, organizational, communication, advisory and people skills are critical to becoming successful in a governance role. Governance professionals also have to be good at working independently.
The basis of the job is legal, but Chris considers herself a “lawyer-lite” because she spends less time giving legal advice than some of her other legal colleagues.
When the Bank’s Corporate Secretary department moved from Vancouver to Toronto, Chris accepted a role with BCLC, a commercial Crown corporation, moving from a career in the private sector to the public sector. Having already held Board member roles in the non-profit sector, taking a governance role in the public sector rounded out Chris’ experience.
One day, Chris could be advising the board on their duties and responsibilities with respect to climate change, and the next, advocating for the creation of a tech oversight committee. The job is exciting and can be high stakes, involving reputational risk as well. As a governance professional, Chris has been able to facilitate important work in cutting-edge areas.
Chris’ job revolves around quarterly board meetings. The preparation is hectic, but watching the plans she has put into place come to life makes it all worthwhile. Chris loves engaging with her board members and finds it captivating to observe their decision-making process. She also appreciates having a seat at the table, where her opinions are valued.
Empathy and open-mindedness are very important aspects of Chris’ job, because the best boards are made up of people from different backgrounds. The better you can understand and support them, the more successful you will be. Another great thing about board meetings is that they are scheduled well in advance. This allows Chris to schedule personal time, as well.
With nearly 20 years of governance experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, Chris is at the pinnacle of her career. Now she is pleased to give back to her community through mentoring, teaching and pro bono positions. Chris acts as Mentor for BCLC’s AIM Committee, a volunteer employee committee whose vision is to achieve gender equality.
An instructor and subject-matter expert for the Directors Education and Accreditation Program at the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada, Chris has also been a guest speaker at TRU Law and acts as Vice Chair and Director for the Chartered Governance Institute of B.C.
Chris tried a few things before finding that law and in particular, corporate governance was the right fit for her. If you are unhappy in your current job, think outside of the box and explore the many different ways you can use your law degree.
If corporate governance work interests you, Chris recommends getting involved in professional organizations like the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada or the Governance Professionals of Canada. They will help you stay on top of current trends and keep you excited about your work.