Susan Thompson

Community leader, entrepreneur, politician, diplomat, philanthropic fundraiser and proud lifetime Sponsor of HMCS WINNIPEG, Thompson is a leader and an inspiration to women everywhere. She was the first woman Rotarian in Manitoba, the first woman Mayor of Winnipeg and the first woman Consul General at the Canadian Consulate in Minneapolis.

In 2003, Thompson returned to her alma mater to assume the role as founding President & CEO of The University of Winnipeg Foundation. Together with the extraordinary commitment of Foundation Board members and staff, she managed an unprecedented $40 million Endowment Fund and provided stewardship to over 7,600 donors. On September 16, 2011, just prior to Thompson’s retirement, the Foundation concluded the largest fundraising campaign in the University's history. Over $135 million dollars (nearly double the original campaign goal of $70 million) was raised in the `A World of Opportunity Capital Campaign' in support of student awards, capital projects and academic enhancements.

A graduate of The University of Winnipeg Collegiate and The University of Winnipeg, Thompson earned the UWinnipeg Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.