2024 40 Under 40 Winners

Avery Brohman has demonstrated remarkable leadership and visionary capabilities since joining the Foundation in 2018. Rising from Director of Development and Communications to Executive Director in 2019, and eventually becoming the Chief Executive Officer by 2022, Avery has inspired a dedicated team, even amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving healthcare perceptions in British Columbia. Under her guidance, the Foundation has achieved its highest fundraising revenues, including raising $15.4 million just last year, and securing transformational gifts like the $2.65 million donation from Seaspan Victoria Shipyards and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. Avery's innovative approach has lifted the Foundation's profile, making it one of the largest fundraising charities on Vancouver Island. In her time, she has significantly increased community trust and engagement, resulting in the highest number of donors and new donors to the Foundation last year. Her efforts have also amplified the impact of the Foundation's signature events, including the Visions gala which raised $2.5 million last year and elevated Vancouver Island fundraising. 

After 15 years working at some of the most prestigious organizations in Canada, I felt healthcare was the next step for me. I was inspired by a posting I saw in Victoria, BC, and I was intrigued to call the most beautiful Canadian city, home.

It would be very difficult for me to leave the healthcare philanthropy sector having worked in it for ten years now. There’s nothing quite like it. I see firsthand the measurable impact I can make on the health of everyone in the community I call home. From a premature newborn requiring intensive care to a senior needing heart surgery, philanthropy is a catalyst for the most profound change in a healthcare setting. It creates a promising future for everyone, and I like being part of that.

The biggest transformation in my career was becoming an executive director—my career aspiration—just two months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I was a young executive in a relatively new city, experiencing a worldwide pandemic for the first time like everyone around me, and understanding the essential role I held for my team, community, and hospitals. I now look back at that time with deep gratitude. I learned how critical it was to be able to adapt and foster innovation, but also how to guide a team mindfully through change with empathy and compassion.

My greatest passion is seeing women break barriers and redefine what success looks like—in our sector and beyond. I love being in the company of strong women, through my work, my friendships, and my family. My supportive husband can also tell you this. ;)

Stay the course—every year gets more impactful and better than before. To have a front row seat and access to changemakers, passion seekers and the brightest minds on our planet is a life of abundance and fulfillment.