Bev Busson
Bev Busson is one of Canada’s most accomplished public-service leaders. A trailblazer whose extraordinary career took her from one of the RCMP’s first female recruits to Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, our national police force and, later, to the Senate of Canada.
When Bev joined the RCMP in 1974, she was in the first class of women admitted as operational police officers. She entered an institution that had been built almost entirely by and for men — and went on to challenge what successful leadership within that institution could look like. Over a remarkable 33-year policing career, Bev served on the front lines and investigated fraud, drugs and serious crimes and served in undercover capacities. Her career became a succession of historic firsts, among them, the first woman to serve as a commissioned officer, the first woman to be Commanding Officer of a Province, and ultimately, in 2006, the first woman to lead the Force as the 21st Commissioner.
But Bev’s story is about far more than being “the first.”
Speaking topics
- Leadership is a Verb, Not a Noun: How Authentic Leadership BUILDS respect, SHAPES culture and INSPIRES commitment.
In this keynote Bev shares what Authentic Leadership teaches us about Trust, Respect, Culture and Success.
Throughout more than five decades of public service, Bev Busson learned that leadership is deeply personal. Titles matter less than how a leader shows up: whether they are genuine, whether they listen, whether their actions reflect the values they expect from others. Authentic Leadership creates a recipricol relationship of Trust and Respect.
Her message is simple: people pay attention to how leaders behave. When leadership is genuine, respectful and consistent, it gives others permission to bring those same values and commitment to their work.
- From Tolerated to Trailblazer: Turning challenges into motivation for success.
Entering a world where women were more often merely tolerated rather than welcomed, Bev Busson embarked on an extraordinary career that would challenge traditional expectations and redefine what was possible for women in policing.
Rising to the highest levels of the RCMP, Bev experienced firsthand the assumptions, inequities and institutional obstacles women have historically faced, particularly in male-dominated professions. Through personal stories of determination, setbacks and achievement, she shares what it took to succeed in an environment where women were still fighting to be recognized for their abilities.
As women continue to strive for equality, Bev reflects on the progress made, the attitudes that still need to change and the importance of ensuring opportunities are determined by ability rather than gender.
Bev’s message is one of resilience, courage and progress, inspiring audiences to challenge outdated expectations, recognize their own potential and continue advancing equity, inclusion and fairness for everyone.
Video clips
Speaker testimonials
You have a gift for story telling which engaged our members. I especially liked how you spoke about your approach to leadership and how it demonstrated self leadership versus positional leadership. You were very inspirational. Just a perfect amount of seriousness and humour. I am going to pass your name on to a few people I know who would be very appreciative to have your caliber of experience and speaking skills.
Dr. Beverley Busson delivered the keynote speech at the Local Government Leadership Academy’s 2016 Leadership Forum, the theme of which was Respectful Leadership. She turned out to be the perfect choice to address our delegates, as her career experiences are a true study in leading respectfully. Dr. Busson was both engaging and entertaining – telling stories and sharing humorous anecdotes that spanned her training as a cadet to her time as Commissioner and beyond. And what resonated throughout, is her ability to approach challenging situations and difficult people with grace, good humour, and respect – and to retain that sense of self awareness and humility that is so essential to successful leadership. She had so much to teach our local government leaders – I think we all could have listened to her for hours. We heard nothing but positive feedback after her address and we would highly recommend her to any audience. She has had a truly remarkable career and has an absolute wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share. In the post-forum evaluation, 98% of respondents rated the keynote good to excellent (10-good, 39-excellent, 1-satisfactory). This represents 50 out of 165 delegates, but anecdotally I can also say that I heard nothing but glowing reviews afterward.
Bev was excellent in every way
Bev was an absolute pleasure to work with. She is smart, charming, personable, easy to work with and everyone in attendance enjoyed her keynote presentation. She exceeded our expectations. We knew she would be terrific …she was terrific x 10 though!