Spotlight - Parent: She is Kate BERGHUIS Stevenson '81 and She is All BSS.

By Sharon Gregg

The chair of the BSS Board of Governors is also a BSS mom, and a BSS Old Girl with a lengthy family history with BSS. The Link recently talked with Kate BERGHUIS Stevenson ’81 about her role as chair, her vision for BSS and her own fascinating life.

SG: I understand that your family has deep roots in BSS. Tell me a little about your own personal history with the school.

KS: BSS has been part of my life since 1971 when I first walked through the doors in Grade 4. I was part of the class of 1981, although I graduated a year early to go to university in the U.S. Nonetheless, I celebrate with my class and some of my closest friends are from my BSS days. Several of us in Toronto get together regularly for a “book club,” though not much reading gets done because we’re too busy catching up!

After living in Boston and New York for over a decade, I became active with BSS once again when I relocated back to Toronto with my husband, John. Our son, Jamie, attended BSS in his early years when BSS still had boys. Our daughter, Willa, is in the Junior School in Grade 5. They represent the 4th generation of our family at BSS!

SG: What is your family legacy with BSS?

KS: My great, great aunt, Elsie Jones, attended BSS as a boarder from Brockville when it operated out of its original Yonge and College location. My grandmother, Barbara LOGIE
Heward ’18, was a boarder from Hamilton known for her athleticism—she held the school high jump record in her day. We skipped my mother’s generation—she was Head Girl at the Study in Montreal during Katharine Lamont’s first year as Head there. Miss Lamont had been head of the history department at BSS and has always been remembered as an inspiring and beloved BSS teacher. Both my parents also served as governors of BSS in the 1970s. My sister, Willa BERGHUIS Baynard ’84, lives in New York and chairs the BSS Foundation in the U.S.

In 2000, I first joined the BSS Board of Trustees and, more recently, joined the Board of Governors that I now chair. I love being involved at BSS. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to give back to the School that has given me so much in life.

SG: Wow, I think we need a map to follow that journey. That’s an amazing testimony to the role BSS can play in a family’s life. What did you like best about BSS?

KS: The people of course! I don’t remember much about what we learned in the classroom,
but I made great friends in my House, Marling, and at the pool with the swim team. One of my best teachers of all time taught me Latin—hardly the most useful subject, but we had a lot of fun learning. Mrs. Sereti’s passion for the classics, (and broadest smile in the world), was infectious and unforgettable. And Mrs. McAllister (Pinky), with her energy and winning spirit, taught me so much about how sports prepare us for life challenges. And she is still doing that for BSS students today!

BSS has managed to maintain the best of its rich traditions, while changing dramatically to reflect the times. The student body today is far more diverse, the curriculum has evolved, and the environment has been transformed to support how girls learn best—through inquiry and collaboration, all supported with technology that didn’t exist when I was in school. The Chapel embodies many of these changes. In my day, we still wore veils. We attended Chapel each morning, starting our day with prayer, song, and quiet reflection. When I went to Chapel last spring, I was struck by the dynamic atmosphere and even multi-media presentations. Yet despite the different feel to it, the Chapel was, and still is, at the core of the School’s celebration of community and common values.

No doubt about it—BSS provided me with a supportive and stimulating environment that, in my most formative years, shaped my personality and helped me build the confidence to pursue my life interests.

SG: So what happened next? You went on to a fabulously successful career, married, children—what did that path look like?

KS: I went to Harvard and after graduating in 1984, I moved to New York to join JP Morgan Chase & Co. where I worked in various roles in corporate finance, advising large multinational companies and helping them raise capital. I then went to Nortel in 1995 where I was responsible for all treasury activity for the corporation, including global treasury operations, corporate and structured finance, credit, risk management, and pension fund management. I led the corporation through an intensive capital-raising period during particularly challenging times.

In addition, I serve on a number of corporate boards, including CAE Inc., a Montreal-based company that provides simulation and modeling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defense forces around the globe. I am also a director and chair of the audit committee of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a New York-based biotech company that is doing wonderful work in oncology and diabetes, improving and extending lives.

SG: And your husband and kids?

KS: John is a partner at Nexus Investment Management and a wonderful, supportive husband and father. As a family, we’re all very active and love doing things like skiing or playing tennis together. I also have a long-time interest in equestrian sports.

Jamie (13) is now in his first year of the Upper School at UCC. He now laughs at his Kindergarten drawing of his dream job—to be an “office worker.” Who knows what lies ahead for him, but it likely will relate to his passion for technology.

Willa (9) is in Grade 5 at BSS. She is still living 100 percent in the present. Like me, she loves to be busy.

SG: You are in the exciting position of planning the next phase of your professional life. What’s in store for you?

KS: I have been in the workforce now for 24 years—the first 12 in corporate finance with JP Morgan and the next 12 at Nortel, for the most part as treasurer. Recently, I decided to leave Nortel and so I am now looking forward to planning my next dozen!

I have enjoyed the leadership opportunities I’ve had in the corporate world, but it was time to take a step back and think about what I want the next half of my life to look like. Balancing the demands as an executive officer of a big public company with my board work and family life has not always been easy. I felt the creative need for change, and I’m excited about the chance to explore new possibilities. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the opportunity to have conversations
with my kids over our morning toast and attending some of their sports events.

SG: As BSS Board chair, what is your role with the School and what do you think is the most important strategic direction to secure the future for BSS?

KS: The Board of Governors is responsible for the strategic and fiduciary oversight of BSS. We act as a guide and resource to the senior admin team and help meet the School’s financial objectives. The Board played an active role in the development of our current strategic plan out of which The Endowment for Leadership is likely the single most important strategic priority for BSS. We need to build a stable, long-term financial resource to fulfill a long and growing list of ambitions. The endowment is essential for us to access the best talent, both staff and students, and for developing the most relevant programs for the future, particularly in the area of STEM.

SG: How do you think your life as a high-flying career woman, volunteer, wife and mother impact your own children’s view of the world and themselves?

KS: For all their lives, Jamie and Willa have known nothing other than seeing their mum busy, travelling, and engaged in interesting pursuits. I hope and believe that they see both their parents as role models, doing meaningful work that they love, giving it their all, and having fun. There are never enough hours in the day to do all we want to do as professionals, volunteers, and family members. It’s not bad for kids to see that life is full of competing priorities and that success only comes from hard work. I hope that their view of the world is that they can pursue their hopes and dreams with confidence!

SG: As a parent, why do you think BSS is the best choice for girls?

KS: I think our ad campaign says it best—BSS is making it possible for girls who want to make things better in the world, to go out and do just that. There is a sense of limitlessness in the air, of endless possibilities. Not only are the girls given the confidence they need, they are challenged to examine the real world and all of its complexities. They are inspired to feel compassion and to take responsibility. Our daughter is growing up without any perception of boundaries, but a true belief that girls really can do anything.


Posted January 04, 2008 at 03:27pm






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