Dr. Deborah Rosati is an award-winning entrepreneur, corporate director, and champion of corporate governance, with a career spanning more than 35 years. Often described as a “catalyst for change” and a “builder of community,” she has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers for women in leadership and has been recognized as “Canada’s Connector” for her unrivalled ability to build relationships that advance board diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D

In 2015, Dr. Deborah Rosati founded Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), a social-purpose company with a bold vision to build a national movement that transforms boardrooms and beyond. As Founder & CEO, she has spent ten years trailblazing, advancing WGOB’s mission to connect, promote, and empower women to serve on corporate boards with confidence and courage.

WGOB amplifies the voices of women leaders, board members, and professionals across Canada through education, mentorship, and allyship. Dr. Rosati’s leadership at WGOB is guided by the “power of three” philosophy—the belief that while one woman in a boardroom is a token and two are a presence, three women constitute an authentic voice for change.

In 2023, Dr. Rosati expanded her entrepreneurial impact by co-founding Women Funding Women Inc. (WFW) with Dr. Sherry Shannon-Vanstone and Lara Zink. WFW is a collective and platform addressing the persistent funding gap for women entrepreneurs in North America. Although not a fund itself, WFW is a mission-driven community that connects women founders raising capital with potential investors and resources to help them scale their ventures.

Dr. Rosati’s contributions to board diversity, inclusion and leadership have earned her numerous prestigious honours, such as:

• The BMO Icon Award to honour 10 years of Women Get On Board Inc. (October 2025)
• CEO Magazine’s inaugural Top 50 Women Over 50, honouring Canadian women redefining influence in the second half of life. (June 2025)
• Brock Alumni Brilliance Award shines the spotlight on some of its most brilliant graduates in celebration of its 60th anniversary. (September 2024)
• The 2023 Ruth Unrau Legacy Award from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce for her legacy of transformation and empowerment.
• Received her Honorary Doctorate from Brock University (June 2023)
• The 2023 Canadian Women Entrepreneur (CWE) Award for Gender Equality in the Workplace recognizes her support for women in senior leadership.
• The SustainabilityX Magazine’s inaugural Global 50 Women in Sustainability Awards 2022
• The 2021 Top 100 Most Powerful Women, awarded in the BMO Entrepreneur Category, recognizes women who own and operate thriving businesses.

“I wanted to be a businessman like my father. I never thought of the door one or door two, I just thought that was how the world was. I never felt bound by any structure or doors. I felt unbound.”

With over 25 years of experience leading and serving on the boards of public and private companies, in the public sector, and with not-for-profits, Dr. Rosati brings deep expertise in audit, nominating, and corporate governance committees, along with a strong ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) perspective. Her mission is rooted in the concept of “sending the elevator down,” ensuring that her success paves the way for the next generation of women leaders to rise.

Dr. Rosati views her leadership as an architectural legacy: she doesn’t just occupy a seat at the table; she is actively redesigning the boardroom’s blueprint to ensure space, support, and structural integrity for all women who follow.