As a newcomer, she struggled to break into corporate Canada. Now this leader is helping others succeed

When Maj Dafinone stepped off the plane in Toronto in 2018, she felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Born in Nigeria and having lived in five U.S. states while working and earning degrees from Columbia Business School and the University of Pennsylvania, she was no stranger to change—but arriving in Canada felt different.

“I thought I was prepared, but I felt a wave of culture shock I hadn’t anticipated,” she recalls. “I found myself wondering how to break into a new corporate environment.”

Despite years of experience in strategy, innovation consulting and engineering, Dafinone soon realized that her impressive resumé was only part of the equation. The Canadian job market was different, with its own networks and unwritten rules, and breaking into it as a newcomer would take more than credentials. Feeling the need for guidance, she reached out to fellow alumni on LinkedIn, which led her to a casual coffee chat that would change her course. A Columbia alumna suggested she connect with ACCES Employment, an organization dedicated to helping newcomers like her integrate into the Canadian workforce.

That single meeting was a turning point for Dafinone. Connecting with ACCES Employment led not only to career success, but also sparked her commitment to giving back to other newcomers pursuing their dreams in Canada.

“I know firsthand the challenges of navigating the job market as a newcomer; that’s why it’s so important for me to help others overcome those barriers,” she says.

Now, as the leader of a 10-person product management team at Interac Corp., Dafinone feels both supported in her career ambitions and empowered by a company that is committed to removing barriers for women, newcomers and other equity-deserving groups.

“Interac’s culture fosters a sense of belonging and provides opportunities for women like me to advance,” she says. “[Plus,] I have the opportunity to participate in employee-led programs and to mentor other women across Interac as they advance in their careers.”

Paying it forward

Reflecting on the role ACCES Employment played in her career, Dafinone doesn’t hesitate to credit the organization’s Empowering Women program. The one-week intensive program designed to bridge the gap for newcomer women provided her with more than just professional guidance. Through speed mentoring, networking events, career coaching, and hands-on workshops in resumé building and mock interviews, she found a supportive community that gave her confidence and clarity. “It made me feel confident about my job search, and most of the professional network I made was through ACCES,” she says.

Though she eventually found her first job outside of the program, Dafinone says participating was instrumental in expanding her network when she needed it most. Her cohort, which included newcomer women who had come to Canada from all over the world, formed an online group chat to support and encourage each other.

It came as a welcome surprise when Dafinone joined Interac in 2022 and found out that the company has been a sponsor of ACCES since 2019. In fact, that partnership has helped more than 200 newcomer women integrate into the Canadian workforce, particularly in tech.

Now that she is a leader at Interac, Dafinone says she’s thrilled to be a mentor with ACCES through the partnership—a real full-circle moment. “I am now paying it forward and mentoring newcomer women on their journey,” she says.

She notes that Interac’s robust commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has enabled her to pay it forward in other ways too. She is a member and mentor with Interac’s Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), which pairs women from different departments to foster learning and collaboration. In 2023, the ERG led the company’s first Interac Women’s Summit, bringing women from across the company together for networking, panel discussions and free professional headshots.

Dafinone says that when she is mentoring newcomers to Canada, she always makes it a point to emphasize that work-life balance is as important as career advancement.

“When I first got to Canada, it was important for me to lean into hobbies and extracurricular activities, so I joined the public library where I found there were free tickets for newcomers to attend events,” she says. “I also learned about social media accounts that helped a lot for newcomers, such as where to take dancing classes in the city. I later compiled all of this and I share it when I have coffee chats with newcomers.”

Supporting newcomers and racialized women by breaking down career barriers and building confidence in financial literacy is a driving force behind the work Interac is doing with Black Moms Connection. This is a national non-profit that provides grants and resources to empower and educate Black women in Canada. Interac also collaborates with Conscious Economics to develop Mindfulness + Money digital learning programs, which help newcomers and women develop financial well-being skills. In order to bring participants together in person with program leaders, Interac recently hosted their first-ever Building Financial Confidence in Newcomers Summit.

A commitment to helping women succeed

Having worked at Interac for two and half years, Dafinone says she’s proud to be working at a company that values its employees both in and out of the office. “I feel empowered by my employer to go beyond my work and get involved in my community,” she says.

To that end, Dafinone is actively involved with organizations such as the Black Wealth Club and BlackNorth Connect, where she mentors young people and advocates for greater access to career opportunities for Black professionals.

“I also value that Interac is there to support me in so many aspects of my life, with a competitive rewards program that includes flexible work and generous company-paid benefits,” she adds. To reinforce the company’s commitment to employees, Interac also provides yearly, company-paid RRSP contributions, parental leave top-ups and tuition assistance for employees interested in continuing their education.

Interac’s culture of inclusion is further reflected in its support of awards programs like Women in Payments, where Dafinone was recently honored with the Rising Star Award. This recognition highlights her leadership in the industry and emphasizes Interac’s success in promoting gender diversity in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

For Dafinone, her path from newcomer to team leader at Interac stands as a testament to how, with the right support and opportunities, women can not only achieve their own professional dreams but also inspire others to do the same.

“From my first screening phone call with Interac, I knew there was something special about them. I feel very supported by my team and have been given plenty of room to create my own path,” she says.

“Interac has given me so many of the tools to succeed, and now I’m committed to helping other women do the same.”

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Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Interac. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.