A Life Built on Reinvention

Like many, I am the daughter of immigrants who arrived in Canada during the 1970s, settling in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. As Canada’s deepest port, Prince Rupert was a bustling hub, and CN Rail served as a key employer for my grandfather for nearly 30 years, while my grandmother worked at the local cannery. I spent my early years in this hard-working, resilient family environment, so my foundations around work, family, and success were set early. 

Life eventually led me eastward to Ottawa. My mother, a trailblazer in our tight-knit South Asian community, raised my two siblings and me as a single parent. This was a rare and courageous path at that time. Balancing a career as an Ontario public servant while running her own business, she taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance, financial literacy, and the power of reinvention. 

Settling as an adult in the GTA has been pivotal in my journey. Starting my own family while supporting a loved one through a decade-long mental health journey deepened my empathy and broadened my perspective on work, family, and impact.  I witnessed my mother enter a new chapter after retirement, following years of dedication and sacrifice, now fully embracing a life of joy, purpose, community, and travel. This was profoundly inspiring.  

These life experiences sparked three key decisions for me. I joined the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Foundation, became a financial literacy volunteer with CPA Canada focusing on newcomers, and shifted my career toward public service after a decade in consulting. 

Joining the Toronto Police Service in 2018 was a challenging and unfamiliar step. It offered an extraordinary opportunity to help transform policing from within, making it more transparent, inclusive, and community focused. Being at the centre of critical moments, such as the George Floyd protests, the Pan Am Games, the mental health response model, and austerity challenges, allowed me to understand how leadership, systems, and culture intersect to impact communities. This perspective taught me important lessons about leading under pressure and serving the public good. 

I was honoured to be recognized as one of the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN’s) Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2025 as a result of these experiences. 

Solving problems and my entrepreneurial spirit continued to call me, and I eventually found myself returning to my consulting roots at PwC Canada. This full‑circle moment has been rich with connection—to colleagues, to Canada’s public sector, and to the broader accounting profession. It has also meant being surrounded by exceptionally smart, curious, and mission‑driven people who push my thinking and share my commitment to solving some of the country’s most important challenges and strengthening our public institutions.  

PwC Canada offers a unique space where diverse career journeys intersect, showing careers aren’t linear but are built on trust, relationships, and possibility. 

At every stage, my decisions reflect deep gratitude for the country and family that shaped me. Today, I strive to create opportunities for those around me to experience the same potential I’ve been privileged to see. This is a quintessentially Canadian journey, not unique to me, rooted in resilience, service, and the power of community. 

Svina is a partner in PwC Canada’s government and public sector team, based in Toronto. She was recognized as one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2025.  She also is vice-chair of the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Foundation, a member of Financial Executives International Canada, and serves as a financial literacy volunteer focusing on women and newcomers with CPA Canada.