As Relationship Manager for W by ATB, Aimee Parker understands women want and need something different from a Financial Institution.

“The W by ATB Everywoman Accreditation Program was much more than an educational session for me. Following the program, I became very intentional about what I want others to remember when they meet me. Truthfully, it pushed me to take the next step in shaping my own brand as a business banker with ATB Financial. I am proud to say I am a Relationship Manager with ATB Financial that specializes in women in business. When I make this statement to a room full of people, it especially resonates with other women. I have met some amazing clients and new friends this way.”

W by ATB was created to offer gender-intelligent banking expertise for women-owned and -led ATB Business clients, providing the networks and resources they need to do business their way.

Aimee says there are common phrases she and other W by ATB Relationship Managers hear women business owners and leaders say:

• ‘I want one person who knows me.’
• ‘I have to do more and work harder to get noticed and prove myself.’
• ‘Smaller, informal group conversations are important. I don’t want to go to events on my own. But if I had other women there who I knew, I would go.’
• ‘Debunk access to capital—help me understand loans versus grants.’
• ‘Anticipate the next steps for me and be less transactional.’

For Aimee, W by ATB isn’t simply a passion, a segment or a strategy. Supporting the success of women business owners and leaders is bigger than all of that. “As an entrepreneur, I was eager to discuss the problems I experienced and be a part of ATB’s journey to undo old habits and re-write the playbook on how we can cater to women leaders and business owners.”

Discovering (and creating) possibility

Working directly with women business owner and leader clients, Aimee has witnessed first hand the shift W by ATB has made.

“I met with a client that had met with two other financial institutes before coming to ATB, both had declined her loan application. Following our meeting she said the meeting ‘felt’ different from her previous experiences. When I asked her why, she responded that she sensed a genuine interest in wanting to support her business, even though my answer to her loan request was “no” at the onset. I worked with her for three months until she had enough of a down payment to support a loan for her first clinic. She has checked in at many stages of her business, from running her first payroll to finding an accountant; I am honored to have her view me as a trusted partner.”

Headway towards a more equitable tomorrow

“The majority of my career has been as the sole woman on a team or in a boardroom,” shares Nikki Briggs, Head of W by ATB, “where more times than not I have found myself taking on a predominant male paradigm and behaviour. It doesn’t have to be like this, and I don’t want other women within ATB and beyond to have to do that anymore. The science of gender intelligence has revealed a better, more effective way, for us all to be seen and understood.”

Defy limits with gender-intelligent expertise

We're here to answer your questions, set up solutions for your business and provide expert gender-intelligent business advice. Talk with a W by ATB Accredited Specialist to discover what’s possible as we create a more equitable tomorrow, together.