Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
Awards
Publications
Languages
Speaking Engagements
Timeline
Generic

Riva Walia

Toronto

Summary

Riva Walia is an award winning, bilingual global executive working at the intersection of international cooperation, social impact, economic diplomacy, and strategic partnerships. With more than 25 years of leadership experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she is recognised for building trusted relationships that connect governments, institutions, businesses, and communities to advance inclusive and sustainable growth. Throughout her career, Riva has championed initiatives that strengthen economic opportunity, foster cross border collaboration, and support long term social impact, particularly for women and underrepresented communities. Her work is grounded in the belief that economic inclusion, education, leadership development, and access to opportunity are essential drivers of gender equality and sustainable progress. Growing up in India, Riva witnessed firsthand the inequalities and structural barriers that shaped opportunities for women and underserved communities. These early experiences profoundly influenced her commitment to fostering more inclusive and collaborative models of growth throughout her career in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Early in her leadership journey, she helped pioneer initiatives designed to advance women's economic participation and empowerment, including opening one of India's first all women staffed restaurants and establishing Accenture's first all women shared services centre, reflecting her longstanding belief that economic inclusion and access to opportunity are critical foundations for social progress and gender equality. Riva currently serves as Managing Director of the France Canada Chamber of Commerce for Ontario and Manitoba, where she leads initiatives that deepen economic and cultural ties between France and Canada while convening leaders across business, government, academia, and civil society to advance innovation, international cooperation, and inclusive growth. Under her leadership, the Chamber has increasingly become a platform for purpose driven engagement and community impact. Riva has championed initiatives supporting women's leadership, health, mentorship, and economic empowerment, helping mobilise business communities around causes with long term societal impact. She has also worked closely with CHANEL Canada between 2023 and 2025 as a strategic advisor to the CEO and CFO on the development of an overarching Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and long term sustainability roadmap. In this capacity, Riva supported the curation and advancement of purpose driven initiatives that strengthened engagement across corporate stakeholders, community organisations, educational institutions, and strategic partners. Her work focused on aligning business leadership with meaningful social impact through initiatives centred on sustainability, inclusive leadership, women's empowerment, and community engagement. This included helping shape partnerships and programs designed to support young women and emerging entrepreneurs, including collaborations with all girls schools and mentorship initiatives aimed at equipping the next generation of female leaders with access, visibility, and opportunity. Through this work, Riva helped foster stronger connections between the corporate sector and community ecosystems, supporting a more integrated approach to responsible leadership, social value creation, and long term sustainable impact. She serves as Special Advisor to Women in Governance, a leading Canadian organisation advancing gender parity in leadership through certification, governance, and executive development programs. She is also the longest serving board member of Breast Cancer Canada, where she played an important role in helping the organisation grow from approximately $2 million to $19 million in five years, strengthening its national impact and visibility. Through her advocacy work, Riva has supported initiatives focused on the reintegration of cancer survivors into the workforce and has contributed to efforts encouraging earlier access to breast cancer screening in Canada, including advocacy related to lowering the age threshold for self referral mammograms to 40. As a board member of Canada's Walk of Fame, she has championed greater gender and racial diversity in the recognition of Canadian achievement and cultural leadership. She has also worked extensively to strengthen mentorship pathways for young women through her affiliation with Girls E-Mentorship, where she helped design and launch scholarship and leadership development initiatives connecting emerging talent with senior corporate leaders. Riva is currently spearheading an initiative supporting First Nations female designers through an international platform showcasing sustainable Indigenous fashion and creative leadership in Paris, helping elevate Indigenous entrepreneurship, cultural storytelling, and sustainable design on the global stage. A certified Human Rights Consultant, Riva is deeply engaged in advancing dignified and inclusive pathways for women globally. Through her leadership and advocacy connected to Project Starfish, an initiative supporting skilled women migrants, she was appointed by Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, as a Private Sector Partnership Champion for the United Nations migration agency, recognising her efforts to build collaborative partnerships that support economic inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for migrant women. A passionate advocate for women in leadership and gender parity, Riva has led and supported initiatives that promote greater representation of women across industries, strengthen mentorship opportunities, and help empower emerging global leaders. She is deeply committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and believes strongly in the importance of collaborative, values driven leadership to create meaningful and lasting change. Her contributions to strengthening bilateral relations between France and Canada have been recognised at the highest levels. She was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite by President Emmanuel Macron, one of France's highest national honours, and is also a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions to international cooperation and economic partnership. Riva is a frequent speaker and commentator on international affairs, leadership, innovation, and the future of inclusive economic development. She has appeared on platforms including BNN Bloomberg and has authored thought leadership papers focused on global economic transformation, sustainability, and responsible leadership. She holds an MBA from the joint Cornell University and ESSEC Business School program in Paris, completed the Management Program at Harvard Business School, and earned an Honours Degree from the International Management Institute in Switzerland. Riva also serves on multiple philanthropic and community boards, reflecting her longstanding commitment to mentorship, social impact, and inclusive leadership.

Overview

2
2
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Strategic Advisor to the CEO and CFO

CHANEL Canada
01.2023 - 01.2025
  • Supported the development of an overarching Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and long term sustainability roadmap.
  • Focused on aligning business leadership with meaningful social impact through initiatives centred on sustainability, inclusive leadership, women's empowerment, and community engagement.
  • Helped shape partnerships and programs designed to support young women and emerging entrepreneurs, including collaborations with all girls schools and mentorship initiatives aimed at equipping the next generation of female leaders with access, visibility, and opportunity.

Managing Director

France Canada Chamber of Commerce
  • Leads initiatives that deepen economic and cultural ties between France and Canada while convening leaders across business, government, academia, and civil society to advance innovation, international cooperation, and inclusive growth.
  • Under her leadership, the Chamber has increasingly become a platform for purpose driven engagement and community impact.
  • Championed initiatives supporting women's leadership, health, mentorship, and economic empowerment, helping mobilise business communities around causes with long term societal impact.

Special Advisor

Women in Governance
  • Advancing gender parity in leadership through certification, governance, and executive development programs.

Board Member

Breast Cancer Canada
  • Played an important role in helping the organisation grow from approximately $2 million to $19 million in five years, strengthening its national impact and visibility.
  • Supported initiatives focused on the reintegration of cancer survivors into the workforce and contributed to efforts encouraging earlier access to breast cancer screening in Canada.

Board Member

Canada's Walk of Fame
  • Championed greater gender and racial diversity in the recognition of Canadian achievement and cultural leadership.

Mentorship Advocate

Girls E-Mentorship
  • Helped design and launch scholarship and leadership development initiatives connecting emerging talent with senior corporate leaders.

Private Sector Partnership Champion

Project Starfish
  • Supported skilled women migrants and built collaborative partnerships that support economic inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for migrant women.

  • Spearheading an initiative supporting First Nations female designers through an international platform showcasing sustainable Indigenous fashion and creative leadership in Paris.
  • Helping elevate Indigenous entrepreneurship, cultural storytelling, and sustainable design on the global stage.

Education

MBA -

Cornell University and ESSEC Business School
France

Management Program -

Harvard Business School

Honours Degree -

International Management Institute
Switzerland

Skills

  • International cooperation
  • Social impact
  • Economic diplomacy
  • Strategic partnerships
  • Women's empowerment
  • Mentorship
  • Sustainability

Affiliations

  • Women in Governance, Special Advisor
  • Breast Cancer Canada, Board Member
  • Canada's Walk of Fame, Board Member
  • Girls E-Mentorship, Mentorship Advocate

Certification

Certified Human Rights Consultant, 01/01/00

Awards

  • Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite, President Emmanuel Macron, 01/01/00
  • King Charles III Coronation Medal, 01/01/00

Publications

Thought Leadership Papers on Global Economic Transformation, 01/01/00

Languages

  • French
  • English
  • French

Speaking Engagements

BNN Bloomberg, 01/01/00

Timeline

Strategic Advisor to the CEO and CFO

CHANEL Canada
01.2023 - 01.2025

Managing Director

France Canada Chamber of Commerce

Special Advisor

Women in Governance

Board Member

Breast Cancer Canada

Board Member

Canada's Walk of Fame

Mentorship Advocate

Girls E-Mentorship

Private Sector Partnership Champion

Project Starfish

MBA -

Cornell University and ESSEC Business School

Management Program -

Harvard Business School

Honours Degree -

International Management Institute

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Riva Walia