Former Jamaica and the current University of Waterloo swimming coach Jacky Beckford-Henriques has been named as one of Women Executive Network’s (WXN) ‘Top 100 Most Powerful Women’.

The award recognizes outstanding women across Canada who advocate for workforce diversity and inspire tomorrow’s leaders. The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with the winners selected by WXN’s Diversity Council of Canada.

WXN rankings are widely seen as a measure of exceptional impact for leadership in business, research, the arts, public administration and community advocacy.

“We are all incredibly proud but not surprised that Jacky has received this wonderful recognition,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Roly Webster.

“Jacky is an outstanding role model in all facets of our department including her important role guiding our student-athletes in and out of the pool, as well as her work around creating equity and inclusion as a co-founder of The Alliance. I am proud not only to call Jacky a member of our team but a friend and very happy that she could be recognized for all of her leadership,” Webster added.

Beckford-Henriques has been the head coach of the Waterloo Warriors swim programme since 2017. Before joining the Warriors, she was the head coach of the Jamaican National swim programme, coaching at three different Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008).

In 2019, Beckford-Henriques was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Coach of the Year for the men’s team.

Beckford-Henriques co-founded The Alliance, an anti-racism group at the University of Waterloo working towards educating members of the Waterloo community and the larger community on equity, diversity and inclusion. She is also a member of the OUA Black, Biracial and Indigenous committee, working to create inclusion and eliminate racism across university sport in Ontario.

“I am taken aback by this award and very thankful to the WXN and the University of Waterloo for giving me the support to lead our Warriors swim programme while developing life-long relationships with many across campus,” she said.

“Congratulations to all of the other powerful women who were all very deserving of receiving this award.”