President

Penny Rankin

Penny is a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality, with a diverse career spanning education, nonprofit leadership, media, and community engagement. A self-described accidental activist, she is the Past-President of the Montreal Council of Women and has served as Vice-President at both the Provincial Council of Women of Quebec and the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC). Penny is honoured to now serve as President of the NCWC, where she is focused on advancing the organization’s mission and supporting women’s leadership and advocacy nationwide.

Penny began her career in the United Kingdom, where following her studies in Early Childhood Education she taught in central London before transitioning to the marketing and advertising sector, working as a columnist for Media World and in marketing with London Broadcasting (LBC). Her advertising career culminated in a management role as Head of Radio at Downton Advertising/Saatchi & Saatchi.

Upon returning to Canada, Penny rekindled her passion for education at the preschool and elementary levels and became deeply involved in the nonprofit sector. She has served on the boards of several organizations, including Les Amies du Neuro—where she led a major fundraising initiative for a hospital cafeteria—and Women Aware, a resource center for women. She also served as Executive Director of St. Columba House, an inner-city mission.

In 2020, Penny co-founded Canadians4Action, a coalition of NGOs and professionals advocating for stronger protections against online child exploitation. Their efforts led to major credit card companies suspending payment processing for PornHub, marking a significant victory for child safety.

An active member of the Anglican Church of Canada, Penny co-chairs the Sexual Exploitation Working Group of the Canadian Council of Churches. She chairs the Mission Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and collaborates with local organizations such as the Salvation Army, Logifem, and the Task Force on Linguistic Policy.

Penny’s leadership is defined by her commitment to advocacy, education, and community service. As she assumes the presidency of the NCWC, she continues to champion equity, justice, and the well-being of women, children, and marginalized communities across Canada.