Joanna Lean, 34, works in Toronto, as assistant manager, global event management, at Scotiabank. As a 2018 40 Under 40 honoree, Lean discusses her passion for the events industry. 

*Connect with Lean on Instagram. What I do: I manage and execute high-level events for internal and external stakeholders in the financial industry. I specialize in travel programs, which include incentive trips, conferences, golf tournaments and road shows, across North America and the Caribbean. One of my biggest passions is elevating the attendee experience by tapping into emotional engagement through strategic event choices. I have an ability to create the optimal environment to meet the goals and objectives of the event and have the attendee leaving emotionally connected. How I got here: After three years of contract work in nonprofit, government and corporate events, I landed the opportunity of a lifetime to manage conferences, road shows and employee recognition programs at Scotiabank. What I am working on now: I’m excited about creating my department’s mentorship/job shadow guide.  We get a lot of requests from internal employees to shadow the day in the life of an event manager. This guide will be a comprehensive look at what we do and tools and resources to help them get in the event industry. What I do outside of work: I love connecting with friends and family over brunch. It’s my favorite meal of the day! I also enjoy writing event-related articles about the psychology of events that explore topics to help planners understand the behaviors of the attendees to maximize the event experience. I also started a documentary club to learn and discuss myriad social, political and economic topics with friends.