Whether she’s chairing a national organization for importers and exporters or the Canadian Association of Chemical Distributors’ new committee for the “You Be The Chemist” educational program, no one meets Isabel Alexander and comes away uninspired.
Passionate yet compassionate, ordinary yet utterly extraordinary, she leaves one with a sense both of her modest Quebec farm beginnings and the unlimited potential of her visionary future.
In a sense, her story as an entrepreneurial luminary began in her teens when she first became a mother. “I had a choice between being a victim or a survivor,” says Alexander. “I didn’t like either choice, so I chose to become a thriver.”
Fueled by a lifelong love of learning, a farm girl work ethic, and an unrelenting positive attitude, Phancorp Inc., the small chemical wholesaling company she founded 19 years ago, has risen to become a global gold standard for the chemical industry.
With an incisive ability to balance calculated risk with sound strategic thinking and a talent for surrounding herself with people with potential, and then cultivating their ultimate capabilities, Alexander shines as a leader, a team builder, and a mentor.
She has led Phancorp to be one of the fastest growing companies in Canada, with offices in the United States, China and plans for more strategic locations around the globe.
In spite of a demanding schedule at the wheel of the growing powerhouse Phancorp has become, Alexander finds time for her commitment to make a difference in the world. An inspiring speaker within both the industry and the community, she is a driving force behind those with the courage to follow her example of thriving against the odds.
Isabel regularly contributes articles for industry and media publications, participates in committees and on advisory boards and is active in improving the public perception of the chemical industry as evidenced by her recent commitment to the Chemical Educational Foundation and the launch of the “You Be The Chemist” programs in Canada.
She has a passion for education, conservation and the environment. Isabel sits on advisory boards of several conservation organizations and is a supporter of Ducks Unlimited, a world leader in wetlands and water fowl conservation.
Professionally, Alexander is in her third year as chair of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters (I.E. Canada). She is only the second woman to hold this position in I.E.Canada’s 76-year history.
Alexander has a strong awareness and understanding of the changing landscape of supply chains with respect to the complexity of logistics, security, and regulatory issues. This coupled with the fast changing infrastructure for procurement in the global market, allows Alexander to share her knowledge so that others can benefit from reduced risk access to emerging foreign markets.
Since 2002, Ms. Alexander has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs and has advanced from #67 out of 100 to #39 as recognized by PROFIT magazine in November, 2007. As a further testament to Isabel’s success, she was honored in 2007 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network.
Recently, the Honorable Minister David Emerson appointed Isabel Alexander to a three year term with a Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Advisory Board. This honorary position leverages her experience and perspective on international trade matters affecting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
Isabel is a mother and grandmother and active in fundraising for breast cancer research and cure and mentors young women who face challenges as she did.
Isabel Alexander