Willis College Owner Wins 2011 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award

Kim Rudd, owner of Cobourg’s Willis College

The owner of Willis College’s Cobourg campus was recently honoured with a 2011 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.

Kim Rudd won the HKMB Hub Impact Award, which salutes an entrepreneur’s impact on the local economy.

A successful entrepreneur is not a micro-manager,” said Rudd.

“Although it takes quite a while, if you mentor staff successfully, if you pass on the skills needed to both create new ideas and grow the business, it’s good for everybody. Staff become excited about helping to create something new and are capable of carrying on even when the boss is not there.”

She received the award during a black-tie gala at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel in late November.

RBC says that the HKMB award traditionally rewards leaders that create jobs and who encourage others in the community to do the same; something Rudd said her community needs more of.

“I’ve been an advocate for entrepreneurship my whole life and we (Northumberland County) have a major problem with unemployment,” said Rudd.

“We need to be more creative in the area of job creation and I want to be part of a government and a movement that makes it happen.”

Schools mentioned: Willis College