Honorary Degree Recipient: Rola Dagher

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Presented on Oct. 12, 1 p.m.

Leadership is not simply a role that you fill; it is an action that you take each day. It is this philosophy that guides Rola Dagher, Dell Technologies Global Channel Chief. Over her career of more than two decades, Dagher has worked with some of the brightest minds in the technology industry while honing her natural leadership style.

Dagher returned to Dell Technologies in 2020 after leading as President of Cisco Canada for three years. Prior to this, she held various sales leadership roles at Dell and Bell Canada. Her impact on the Channel business has been recognized with her being named one of the 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs of 2022 by CRN and a 2022 Channel Influencer. She has also been included in CRN’s 2023 Power 100, Inclusive Leaders, and Women of the Channel. While Dagher is a proven sales and channel champion, she will be the first to say that her success is a direct reflection of the dedication and drive of the entire organization.

Dagher believes in diversity of thought and has made it her mission to empower, support and foster diverse talent. Her commitment to empowering women is shown through her recognition as one of the 2020 Top 25 Women of Influence™ by WXN, as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™, and by Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) as the 2019 Woman of the Year. She was named the 2021 Executive of the Year by LebNet and was selected as one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant winners for 2019. Dagher was named the “Lady of the Cedar” by the Lebanese Embassy and received a 2018 Leadership Award from the Lebanese Chamber Business of Commerce.

Dagher’s perseverance and triumph through remarkable life experiences has earned her Honorary Doctorate Degrees (LL.D.) from McMaster University, University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University, respectively. In addition, she is a recipient of the illustrious International Horatio Alger Award and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023.

Dagher is a co-founder of the BlackNorth Initiative and an active member of the 30% Club advisory board, where she supports Catalyst’s work to accelerate progress for women in the workplace. A champion of overall health and wellness, Dagher sits on the board of trustees for SickKids Hospital. She is a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada board of directors and serves on the University of Waterloo Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC).

Yet, through all of her accomplishments, Dagher firmly believes that no one achieves greatness in a silo. She believes that you have to “learn it, earn it, and return it,” and this process is one that she continues to work through at every stage of her career.