Moncton entrepreneur honoured by magazine

Congratulations to our good friend Carol Chapman on being named an International Woman of Influence by Global EXEC Women Magazine

Here's the article in the paper today by Aloma Jardine, Times & Transcript Staff

Chapman, president of C2 Communications Inc. and C'volution, was recently named an International Woman of Influence by Global EXEC Women Magazine. The award recognizes women who are influential in an international business market.

"The award itself was for women in an entrepreneurship role doing work further beyond their jurisdiction," says Chapman, who has worked with McCain Foods, Ganong, Kruger Products (which includes brands such as Cashmere, Scotties, Purex, and White Swan), the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Province of New Brunswick, Transcontinental Media, and Kimberly-Clark, among others.

Chapman says the award is exciting personally, of course, but mainly she is happy to be able to encourage other women entrepreneurs.

"I think this will show people that you can live wherever you want as long as you are prepared to do and go," she says. "We have a role as senior business people to prove to the next generation that we can do it here and that it can be done by women...

"The only way that we are small is if we think that we are small. People (I work with in the U.S.) have no clue where New Brunswick is... but once they meet you, they don't care if you can do the work."

That feeling was echoed by local businesswoman Aldéa Landry, who hosted a luncheon yesterday to celebrate Chapman's win.

"I find it exciting not only because Carol is my friend, but because it shows we can do anything in this area," she says. "It is good for her, but it is also good for the community and good for the province. It goes beyond just an award for Carol. It is a recognition of the talent and expertise that we have here."

Chapman says one of the things that has made her successful is networking.

"It's probably a strength of women, to some degree," she says. "I think people talk about it sometimes too lightly."

Landry says Chapman has a special talent for creating relationships that helps her "punch way above her weight because it gives her access to other expertise and talent."

Chapman worked at Hawk Communications for 18 years before going on to found C2 Communications and, most recently, C'volution, which focuses on cause-related marketing.

"Cause marketing" is marketing that promotes a business through the business's support of a particular charitable endeavour.

For example, Chapman has been working with Huggies as it works to build playgrounds in underdeveloped areas.

"All of those big corporations are incredibly responsible. They give lots of money but, many times, they don't have a focus so consumers can't see that they can purchase the product and make a difference," she says, explaining cause marketing helps give companies that focus.

"This is a niche market. There are not a lot of people doing it."

Landry says the launch of C'volution demonstrates Chapman's impeccable sense of timing as corporate social responsibility is an area that is growing quickly.