Seneca News

Linsey Penrose
Seneca grad Lindsey Penrose at the Women of Inspiration Awards gala in Toronto last week. Penrose received the Inspire Award for outstanding leadership in business. (Photo: submitted)

Oct. 17, 2019

Lindsey Penrose had a dream. She wanted to be a leader, a businesswoman in her own right, a role model who’d set the path for others. She aspired to succeed, at times short on capital but never on courage, determination or the drive to meet the goals she had set for herself. To this Seneca grad, her hardships were a fire that promised to forge her dreams into reality and for that she received the Women of Inspiration Inspire Award last week.

The award, instituted by the Universal Women’s Network, was given in recognition of Penrose’s outstanding leadership and tireless efforts in building her boutique company, the Penrose Group Inc. A mergers-and-acquisitions consulting firm, Penrose Group advises business owners on the sale of their companies and helping companies acquire assets. The firm’s astounding success in its 10-plus years is a testament to its founder’s business acumen.

“Follow your dreams. No dream is too small. You can do anything you put your mind to,” Penrose said.

Penrose’s trek to success began at Seneca where she graduated from the Social Service Worker diploma program.

“I’m a senior grad,” she said, laughing, as she recalled her time at Seneca in 2004. “It was a great culture. I met a lot of amazing people and the faculty was wonderful. The Social Service Worker program at Seneca was great for me. It taught me to deal with adversity, develop interpersonal relations skills and to empathize with different situations.”

She credits her Seneca education with building on her emotional intelligence and teaching her the value of empathy.

“I think that my Social Service Worker education allowed me to understand people better,” she said. “I learned so much by being a part of the co-op program, which gave me the opportunity to meet people, understand their situation, build awareness around volunteering and philanthropy as well as the need to give back to the community. I’m involved in quite a few charities now which I love. I keep my social work hat on as much as I can though my day job is focused on mergers and acquisitions.”

The mantra for her success, she said, is hard work, never giving up and great mentors.

“I started the Penrose Group after I graduated from Seneca,” she said. “Being an entrepreneur is tough. You work hard and you go through a lot of difficulties to achieve your goals. I had a few good mentors along the way; I took inspiration from them. I used their advice as I built the business. I think it is very important to have a mentor to look up to and to help guide you on your path.”

Penrose plans to share her knowledge and expertise in the business industry with others, especially women.

“I hope I can inspire young women who want to pursue a career in mergers and acquisitions,” she said. “I’m committed to sharing my knowledge with young women in business through a student mentorship program at the Penrose Group.”

Also an aviation enthusiast, Penrose has her pilot’s licence and flies out of Billy Bishop Airport. She is currently working on her commercial licence.

“One day, I’d like to develop a scholarship program for women interested in getting into aviation at any age, as right now the programs are limited to a narrow age group,” she said. “I believe that working towards a goal or a dream has the power to give you wings and make you fly.”

Grad Yosra Musa a finalist

Yosra Musa
(Photo: Universal Women’s Network)

Another high-achieving Seneca grad, Yosra Musa, was a finalist for the Women of Inspiration Awards.

Musa graduated from the Supply Chain Management – Global Logistics certificate program at Seneca and currently manages a multimillion-dollar portfolio for one of the fastest-growing Government of Ontario Crown corporations.

In 2015, Musa was awarded the Lincoln M. Alexander Award for the strides she made towards eliminating racism in her community.