August 5, 2025Articles Championing Gender Equality: Christine Chen’s Impact on Diversity and Inclusion A more inclusive future starts with leaders who open doors. In law and across many professions, representation matters – not just at the entry level, but at the top, where decisions are made and culture is shaped.The legal profession is one that has historically lacked diversity, particularly among senior ranks. While women make up nearly 47% of lawyers in Canada, only 38% of women lawyers worldwide occupy senior leadership positions. For racialized individuals, the gap is even wider – just 8% are law firm partners, compared to 17% of their white counterparts, a figure that has seen little progress over the past decade.Christine Chen, General Counsel at University Pension Plan (UPP), is working to shift these numbers. A recipient of Ascend Canada’s Women of Distinction Award, Chen is a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion – and a tireless mentor to women and underrepresented professionals striving to rise in the legal field. Forging a Non-Linear Career Path – and Finding Her Fit Chen’s path to leadership hasn’t followed a traditional arc. This is part of what fuels her perspective. After beginning her career in private practice on Bay Street, specializing in pension and employment law, she hit a familiar crossroad: “Like many lawyers, I had to decide: do I stay and pursue the partner track, or do something else?”Chen knew she didn’t want to stay, although she wasn’t quite sure what was next. A confluence of personal events, professional opportunities and sense of adventure led her to a role at Deloitte in London, England – an unconventional role in their tax practice that saw her changing countries, careers and practice areas all at once. “I remember making the decision and then panicking,” Chen recalls, sharing that it took a reminder from a friend – about the versatility and strength of legal training – to affirm her choice.At Deloitte, Chen thrived in a non-traditional tax advisory role, later moving to one of her clients, a private equity firm, where she found her “true fit.” Working on the buy side, she embraced strategic legal work that touched every aspect of business, from acquisitions and fundraises to expansion and succession planning. Eventually, personal reasons brought her back to Canada, but her passion for building great organizations followed her home.When she returned, Chen began by consulting for a publicly listed Canadian Private Equity manager, and joined the HOOPP Board, as well as the board of another not-for-profit. But she knew she had more to give. “It was two years before I came to University Pension Plan,” she shares. “It’s the best role I’ve ever had. I had the ability to build something from a blank sheet of paper. It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity. And then to do it with smart, nice people? That’s the holy grail of work.” Join as a member Diversity Makes Collaboration Work At UPP, Chen leads a team that not only delivers legal advice but acts as a strategic partner to the business. “As in M&A work, nothing happens in isolation. It’s a team effort,” she explains. “Success comes from collaboration, clarity and shared alignment on goals.” That collaborative spirit is foundational to how Chen leads. Heading a team whose role it is to solves problems, socialize ideas, gather buy in from stakeholders and answer complex questions, every member is urged to speak up. “I listen more than I talk. I want people to use their voice, because that way we get to a better answer.”And Chen truly wants to hear from everyone, so creates her teams with this in mind. “I’m looking for diversity, both in the individual and across the entire team. When I say diversity, I mean not just in terms of gender, race or protected grounds, but also in diversity of thought. Because we come to a better outcome that way.” Chen’s respect for every role on her team is unmistakable. Whether it’s a managing director, a legal assistant or a junior counsel, she believes everyone contributes to the whole. “We need one another – and we treat each other accordingly.” Building Inclusive Boards and Institutions Chen’s commitment to collaboration and inclusive leadership extends beyond her day job. She serves on the boards of the Trails Youth Initiative and Canada’s National Ballet School Foundation, where she also contributes to its investment committee. In boardrooms, just like in the workplace, she sees the power of many perspectives.“Board work requires decision-making on imperfect information, requiring the coordination of a lot of different pieces and the corralling of stakeholders.” she says. For Chen, this reinforces the need to have humility, to listen carefully, to actively engage in addressing concerns and to be a role model for empathy and temperance. With diversity of thought, ideas, experience and background at the table, this is easier to achieve. Diversity Doesn’t End at Hiring For Chen, inclusion is more than a hiring goal – it’s an everyday commitment. “As a racialized woman, I’m sensitive to ensuring that the women and racialized individuals on my team get their fair share of high profile, strategic work and new opportunities,” she explains. In the legal world, where women enter the profession in near-equal numbers to men, Chen sees a worrying trend: too many drop out before reaching senior leadership. “Many stellar women leave high profile or high-pressure roles due to the stress of trying to balance their work and their family responsibilities – and that’s terrible, because once that pipeline is gone, it’s really hard to have a pool of strong women coming up the ranks,” she says.The solution? She urges law firms and businesses to do a better job of structurally supporting women, provide the resources needed to ensure they are progressing at the same pace as men. “And they should be encouraging men to be taking parental leave and to be equally sharing in family responsibilities,” she says. At UPP, Chen leads by example. “We have a standing agenda item called ‘Kudos,’” she explains. “It’s an opportunity to recognize contributions from our immediate and broader teams. Inclusion starts with empowerment – and that means using your voice and acknowledging others for using theirs.” Join us at our events Progress, But Not Complacency While Chen is heartened by the shift she’s seeing – more women in senior leadership roles and more diverse teams – she is quick to point out that the work isn’t done. “I’m very lucky – our C-suite is majority female, as is our board. My team is majority female and also heavily racialized. That’s great progress – but we still have a long way to go.”She points to persistent gaps in representation, especially for LGBTQ2S+ professionals, people with disabilities and those living at the intersection of multiple underrepresented identities. “C-suites and boards are still very heavily white, straight, able-bodied men. And that’s not right. That’s where we need to see more progress.”Her ultimate vision? A future where inclusion is so embedded that it’s no longer an initiative – it’s just how things are. Lifting As She Climbs Mentorship plays a vital role in Chen’s leadership philosophy, and she doesn’t shy away from calling out the gaps. “Men have had mentors, champions and sponsors forever,” she says. “There are so many nuances, strategies … to get advancement and development opportunities – no one knows who to ask. They can be very opaque processes. This is particularly true in traditionally male-dominated fields like finance or law.” She recalls there was a time when women who were successful didn’t extend a hand to the women coming up behind them. “Rather, they were drawing up the ladder, and that just hurt us, collectively, as women. Now we’re still struggling for parity.” That’s why Chen makes mentorship a personal mission. She supports women inside and outside her organization through formal and informal mentoring networks, including the National General Counsel Network and Women General Counsel Canada. And she urges early-career professionals to seek support unapologetically. “Don’t be afraid to ask for mentorship. It’s a myth that putting your head down, working hard and being excellent will lead to advancement. You need to use your voice. Have as much respect for yourself as you do for others around you. You deserve that mentorship and those opportunities as much as the person beside you.”And when it comes to owning your accomplishments, Chen is firm: “The one thing that will help you get you where you want to go, in addition to your ambition, is to own your greatness. Don’t be shy about it. Men have always been good at advocating for themselves and promoting themselves. There is nothing arrogant about owning what you have achieved.” A Better Future, Built Together Christine Chen’s story, while one of personal success, is also a blueprint for a more inclusive workplace. By combining strategic leadership with empathy, courage and a deep belief in others, she’s showing what’s possible when you bring your whole self to the table, use your voice with confidence and make space for others to do the same.Her message – that everyone belongs – is both a source of encouragement for those just starting out and a call to action for those in leadership. Progress means paving a path that’s clearer, more equitable and more welcoming to those who follow. Read more FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
