Women to Watch: Susan R. Meltzer

Susan R. Meltzer

Assistant Vp-Risk Management

Aviva Canada Inc.

Scarborough, Ontario

Age: 52

At Canada Development Corp., where Susan R. Meltzer started in 1983, she leveraged her brokerage background from work at a Toronto broker to rise from the secretarial ranks into risk management for the company. Her experience there led to risk management positions at Bell Canada and then at Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada. In her new position at Aviva, Ms. Meltzer is charged with developing and implementing an enterprisewide approach to risk management and assisting in the development of a mitigation plan for the insurer's identified risks. She served as president of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. in 1999 /2000-and is currently chairman of the International Federation of Risk & Insurance Management Assns.

Greatest influence: "From a risk management standpoint, it was the late Douglas Barlow," also a former RIMS president. "He was just an incredible man. He'd say: 'I have this idea rolling around in my head. I'm too old to do anything with it, so I'm giving it to you to figure is out.' He was just a fantastic mentor."