1724 words – 13 minute read

As part of International Women’s Month 2026 celebrations, Invest Ottawa teamed up with Naomi Haile of The Power of Why Podcast to produce this special Featured Leader series celebrating women leading in Ottawa.  

Five inspirational leaders are selected each year to represent International Women’s Month. These featured leaders represent more than titles. They represent builders, connectors, and advocates, the people doing the often invisible work of strengthening our city’s foundation so businesses can grow. 

They are role models who significantly impact our economy, community and society and embody the spirit, goals and values of IWM.  

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What does it take to build momentum when everything feels like it is shifting at once? 

In a season defined by volatility, from global shocks to local disruption, uncertainty can feel like a permanent state. For founders and business leaders, the temptation is to wait, to pause decisions, to stay quiet until the path clears. But the businesses that thrive do not treat uncertainty as a reason to freeze. They treat it as a reason to lead with intention. 

In this episode of the Power of Why Podcast, Naomi sits down with Sueling Ching, President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, a unified and influential voice for businesses across Ottawa. Sueling has spent more than two decades at the intersection of business leadership and community development, and her message is clear: we own our future. We are not passive participants in our businesses or communities. 

This conversation is a roadmap for leaders who want to keep moving forward, even when the ground feels unsteady. 

The Power of Why: A Conversation with Sueling Ching 

In this episode, Sueling Ching shares what she has learned after years of working alongside business owners, decision makers, and community leaders, and what she is hearing right now about the pulse of Ottawa’s economy. She unpacks why some businesses sustain growth through uncertainty while others stall, and the answer is not flashy tactics or a perfect forecast. 

Instead, Sueling points to the fundamentals that compound over time: focus on what you can control, communicate clearly, stay aligned with mission and values, and invest in relationships and reputation. The leaders who keep moving are not waiting things out. They are building incremental momentum, staying grounded in what they offer, and choosing responsibility in how they show up for customers, employees, and community. 

Sueling also offers a clear lens on what cities and administrators often get wrong when trying to support small and medium-sized businesses. What business owners want is an environment with less friction. They want clarity, alignment, and ease. Easier navigation of policy, procurement, and partnerships. Less red tape. More predictability. The goal, as she describes it, is a long-term environment where businesses can do what they do best. 

A major throughline of the episode is ecosystem building, not as a buzzword, but as an operating system. Sueling explains how the Ottawa Board of Trade convenes catalytic conversations, builds coalitions, and turns community input into policy priorities that can produce measurable outcomes. From downtown transformation to energy to talent and productivity, the Board’s role is to stitch together stakeholders and turn dialogue into forward motion. 

The conversation closes with Sueling’s vision for Ottawa as a globally recognized capital of innovation, collaboration, and inclusive prosperity, and a leadership philosophy rooted in gratitude, purpose, and joy. Her perspective is both practical and energizing, especially for leaders who are tired of reacting and ready to create. 

“We own our future. We are not passive participants in our businesses or communities.”- Sueling Ching  

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Listen to Why Some Businesses Thrive in Uncertainty and Others Don’t with Sueling Ching now: 

• Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 
• For a full transcript and more, visit the Naomi Haile Consulting Website

This episode is for you if: 

• You’re building or growing a business and want to understand how to leverage the ecosystem around you, not just go it alone 
• You’re curious about what it actually takes to build momentum and sustain it through uncertainty, tariffs, and constant change 
• You want to understand what real advocacy and community building looks like beyond networking events and press releases 
• You’re a founder, scale-up, or leader thinking about how your work contributes to, and benefits from, the broader city and region 
• You’re interested in what makes some local ecosystems resilient and others fragile, and what Ottawa’s experience can teach you 
• You’re building community and want to learn from someone who’s turned networks into ecosystems 

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Someone Saw Something in Me

A personal story of leadership growth by Sueling Ching 

I was 23 years old, sitting at the reception desk of a local employment agency, still learning the rhythms of the workplace and trying to figure out where I belonged in the world of work.

One day, the Executive Director, Sherri Jackson, invited me to her office and asked if I would consider stepping into a newly created role as her Executive Assistant.

I remember being surprised. I was still answering phones and greeting clients. I hadn’t imagined myself anywhere near the leadership table.

I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready, but as it turns out, most of the best opportunities arrive before you feel ready.

That moment quietly changed the trajectory of my life.

Sherri saw something in me that I hadn’t fully seen in myself. And that simple act of trust changed everything.

Over the next 11 years, my role expanded in ways that shaped not only my career, but my entire view of leadership and community.

One of the most remarkable things about Sherri’s leadership was her commitment to our individual and collective growth. Every team member was given a small but meaningful professional development and promotional budget. It may not sound like much, but to me it was a treasure chest of possibility, a signal that learning and growth were part of the job, not extras.

I used every cent.

I attended workshops, conferences, and networking events; anywhere I could learn something new or meet people doing work that inspired me. If there was a room where ideas were being shared, I wanted to be in it.

But the learning didn’t stop there.

Sherri regularly invited me to support board and stakeholder meetings. I found myself sitting in rooms where strategy was being shaped, partnerships were being built, and difficult decisions were being made. For a young professional, that insider view into leadership and governance was invaluable.

It gave me a front row seat to how organizations really operate. And how thoughtful leadership can change lives.

She also encouraged me to participate more broadly within our industry. Through those opportunities, I built relationships across sectors and jurisdictions that broadened both my perspective and my network.

Just as importantly, she celebrated my involvement in volunteer leadership roles in the community. My ideas were welcomed. My contributions were respected. I wasn’t treated simply as a young staff member, but as someone whose insights mattered.

Looking back now, I realize how powerful that environment was.

Sherri was never my formal mentor, but she was something even more important, my role model. Over time, she also became a close friend. And when the time came for me to move on and pursue my own Executive Director role, she supported me fully and celebrated the transition.

That early exposure to knowledge, networks, and leadership gave me the confidence to pursue work that truly inspired me. It also shaped a belief that has stayed with me ever since: mission isn’t just something organizations talk about. Mission is realized in how we operate, how we treat people, and how we create opportunity.

Today, I carry that lens with me in everything I do.

In my work, I intentionally create spaces that lift women up through connection, courageous conversations, and leadership development. I believe women are uniquely positioned to drive some of the world’s greatest opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth. Gender equality is not only a moral imperative; it is an economic one.

But progress like this does not happen by accident.

It happens when someone takes a chance on you.

Sometimes it’s a promotion. Sometimes it’s an invitation into a meeting. Sometimes it’s simply being seen and trusted before you fully believe in yourself.

The most powerful thing we can do as leaders is remember those moments in our own journey and create them for others.

Because opening a door doesn’t just change one person’s path.

It expands what leadership can look like for everyone who follows.

And when women do this for one another – when we recognize potential, share opportunity, and lift each other up – we strengthen not only individual careers, but the leadership of our communities and economies.

Leadership begins when we recognize potential in someone before they fully see it in themselves.

Often, the smallest act of belief becomes the turning point in someone else’s story.

Just as it once was in mine.

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About Sueling Ching 

Sueling Ching is the President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, a unified and influential voice for businesses across the city of Ottawa. A dedicated community builder with a passion for innovation and business advocacy, Sueling has spent more than twenty years working at the intersection of business leadership and community development. 

Sueling’s connection to the Ottawa business ecosystem began in 2016, when she took on the role of CEO at the West Ottawa Board of Trade. In that role, she led the consolidation of three local chambers of commerce into the Ottawa Board of Trade, a landmark achievement that positioned the organization to advocate more effectively for business interests at every level of government. 

Prior to Ottawa, Sueling served as CEO of the YMCA of Brockville and Area and CEO of the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. 

A committed community advocate, Sueling has supported numerous volunteer and charitable initiatives, including 100 Women Who Care, Make-A-Wish, Rotary International, and The Royal Ottawa Foundation. She has also pursued her passion for entrepreneurship through a consulting firm focused on women’s leadership, community development, and personal wellness. 

Driven by a belief that communities are built intentionally, and that every act of leadership, collaboration, and connection compounds value over time, Sueling’s mission is to help build communities that are truly flourishing. 

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Connect with Sueling 

• LinkedIn: Sueling Ching 
• LinkedIn: Ottawa Board of Trade 
• Ottawa Board of Trade Website: Ottawa Board of Trade 

Connect with Naomi 

• Website: www.naomihaile.com 
• LinkedIn: Naomi Haile 
• Instagram: @naomiahaile 
• Twitter: @naomiathaile 
• YouTube: Naomi Haile 

Explore IWM 2026

• Get involved! Visit the IWM 2026 event calendar here.
• Explore the Featured Leaders Series. Collectively, these amazing women lead with purpose, champion inclusion, and actively mentor and support the next generation of founders and executives. Stay tuned for more features in this series through March. 
• Join the next event, Purpose, Resilience & Building a Business with Conviction, on March 23, 2026 and continue the conversation on what it takes to lead with clarity, courage and staying power.