Asked to explain what’s behind her rise to one of the most prominent positions at the leading telecommunications company in the country, Helena Cain—Vice-President of National Mid-Market & Atlantic Enterprise Sales of Bell Canada—barely pauses before answering with almost cheerful tenacity.

“I’m an extremely results-oriented person,” she says from her Halifax office. “Personally or professionally, it doesn’t matter what it is—I’m relentless in understanding what needs to be done and working hard to get it done. I’ve got this tenacity gene in me.”

In fact, Cain—who was born and raised in New Brunswick—attributes that particular quality to the influence of her father, an immigrant from the Netherlands who arrived in Canada after World War II. “My dad wasn’t necessarily tenacious himself, but he was incredibly supportive, always positive, and mentoring,” she says. “He believed in being kind and instilled the confidence that you could achieve great things.”

“I’m relentless in understanding what needs to be done and working hard to get it done. I’ve got this tenacity gene in me.”

—Helena Cain

And, she has. Rising through the ranks of BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises, Bell Canada’s parent company), she shattered glass ceilings, becoming the youngest and first female vice president in NBTel’s history. Her leadership in public-private partnerships with the New Brunswick government under Frank McKenna in the 1990s created over 20,000 jobs and catalyzed the $100-milion contact-center industry in the province—a transformative move that reshaped the region’s economy.

As President of Atlantic Business Markets during the merger of the four Atlantic telcos in 1999, she navigated organizational integration while driving performance. Then, as national leader of Bell Mobility Business Sales—a position to which she ascended in 2015— she successfully transitioned the unit from an Atlantic focus to managing over $1 billion in national revenue, with teams spanning from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia.

Not that any of this was a walk in the park. Cain acknowledges the challenges of being one of the few women in the room, especially when she started her career as a freshly minted commerce grad from Mount Allison University in the 1980s. “In senior roles, regardless of gender, you need to stand on your accomplishments and deliver, and for women we have the added element of dealing with this. I needed to hone skills on how to ‘act’ to get what I needed done and at the same time be authentic to myself.”

That’s why she’s determined to build on the progress that’s been made since. “Women have come much further along,” she notes, “but when you look at the statistics—women in the C-suite, on boards, or in political leadership—it’s still not where it needs to be… Being a mentor to help guide and coach women, being a sponsor who actively supports and pushes for their advancement, where it makes sense, and models the right behaviours is important to me both professionally and personally.”

A hands-on learner, Cain thrives by immersing herself in the work. “I need to see and test things myself,” she says. “I like to be out in the field with my team, seeing how stuff works. I don’t want to just hear about a new process—I want to experience it firsthand to understand how it operates.”

Ultimately, she says, one of her proudest achievements is leading nationally while staying rooted in Atlantic Canada.

“Bell has afforded me the opportunity to lead from here, and I feel blessed. We’re committed to this region, with thousands of employees, a robust network, and billions in investments. Atlantic Canada is a vibrant market, and I’m proud to be part of its growth.”