An executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience, and one of Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 in 2019, Juggy Sihota has enjoyed a fulfilling and rewarding career leading many emerging technology businesses and operations at TELUS. Juggy is known for her unrelenting focus on quality and efficiency combined with a genuine concern and commitment for all who work with her.
TELUS is empowering Canadians to take control of their health and the health of their loved ones with the right information, tools, and support they need to live healthier and happier lives. As a Vice President, Juggy not only leads the largest Canadian-owned personal emergency response service in Canada but also is responsible for the national strategy, execution and operation of TELUS’ entire Consumer Health business. Together with her team, her work helps to revolutionize access to healthcare in Canada through the launch of innovative technology solutions such as: Babylon by TELUS Health – the fastest growing, highest customer-rated virtual care app in Canada; TELUS LivingWell Companion – a wearable personal emergency response device with fall detection for aging Canadians; the TELUS Healthy Living Network – informative and educational content on TELUS’ Optik TV; TELUS Health for Good Mobile Health Clinics – delivering healthcare on the streets to some of Canada’s most vulnerable citizens; TELUS Baby Health App – a Personal Health Records (PHRs) solution for new parents; and more. Juggy was also the executive producer for the critically-acclaimed documentary Painkiller: Inside the Opioid Crisis which takes a raw look at how the opioid epidemic is ravaging our country.
Prior to Juggy’s current role, she was the Vice President, Customer Experience Strategy and Operations, TELUS Health. Under her leadership, the national Customer Experience operations team drove business performance and engagement to increase client loyalty, profitability, and satisfaction.
Community leadership is a critical component of Juggy’s leadership story. She is currently a Board Director on the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Board as well as on the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. She is also an advisor to the City of Vancouver on racial and ethno-cultural equity issues. She previously served as a director on the TELUS Vancouver Community Board from 2008 to 2011. She also served on the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Women’s Leadership Council. Most recently, Juggy received a Forty Under 40 award in 2012 for her business achievements, inspirational leadership, and community contributions, and was also one of seven women in Canada to be awarded the 2013 Leadership Excellence Trailblazer Award by Canadian Women in Communications. In 2015, she was recognized with a TELUS Legend Award – the highest recognition a TELUS team member can achieve. Juggy received the Diversity Champion Award at TELUS in 2016. This award recognizes leaders who are champions of all diversity and celebrates those who leverage the diversity of thought to help advance business strategy.
Juggy holds an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and has completed Executive Development programs at Harvard and INSEAD. In an interview with Insights Success, Juggy unveils her inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Below are highlights of the interview:
How do you diversify your solutions that appeal to your target audience?
Health is important to everyone, no matter who they are or where they live. At TELUS, we are putting patients at the center of healthcare by leveraging the power of our innovative network technology and information to help deliver better health experiences for all Canadians so they may live happier, healthier lives. By revolutionizing access to healthcare through a diverse portfolio of digital health products and services; improving communication and efficiency by driving digital adoption; and creating healthier communities through a more sustainable healthcare system, we are bridging the socio-economic divide so all Canadians have access to the technology they need to access healthcare and information no matter where they live across the country. We work in collaboration with healthcare providers to ensure they’re well equipped to connect with their patients and other HCPs efficiently and effectively through digital health solutions.
Describe some of the vital attributes that you feel every businesswoman should possess.
Every effective business leader should have a good balance of intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ). In addition to the requisites of the role they are in, I believe the differentiator between good and great leaders is how their EQ balances with IQ; and in the most remarkable leaders it’s almost equal. I think leading business is really about leading people and leading with empathy is key with any effective business strategy. People grow your business and they sustain it.
What were the past experiences, achievements or lessons that shaped Juggy’s journey?
Early in my career, I had to become comfortable with not fitting in – I was either the youngest (not so much anymore), the only woman, and/or the only minority. When I sat at leadership tables, I stood out because of these visible differences. I was forced to face the positive and negative perceptions people had of me before they even had a chance to get to know me or my credentials. This was a lesson that helped me tune into my own sense of self and have an awareness that ultimately enabled me to build my EQ and IQ which I believe has been key in shaping who I am today as both a person and as a leader.
What are your future aspirations and how will you catalyze the change?
I want to continue making a meaningful and sustainable difference in business and in society at an ever-growing scale. I’m fortunate to work for a company with values that align with my own where the belief is that in order to do well in business, we must improve the social health of our communities and seize the opportunity to drive positive human outcomes. In my role, this social purpose translates into revolutionizing access to healthcare for all Canadians through the adoption of digital health technology.
What is your advice for emerging women entrepreneurs?
I have three pieces of advice:
- Be brave, be confident, and you will figure things out along the way.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and not knowing everything.
- Be prepared for a life-long journey of continuous learning.