When Colette Trudeau (BComm ‘2014) enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), she was also juggling a full-time job with the BC Public Service, working under contract with Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) and musing about a future in Indigenous governance. Today, she is the CEO of MNBC and was named one of the province’s top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver.
“I always say I was highly unqualified for my first role with the Métis Nation,” she says, adding that she learned quickly on the job.
“It was the best thing I could have ever done. I got involved in youth governance and youth programming and connecting Métis youth with Métis culture.”
During that time, MNBC and TRU established Métis Youth Career Days, where Métis youth come to campus to explore different faculties and career paths they may want to go down, which continues to build valuable connections for Métis youth and strengthen the relationship between MNBC and TRU.
Over the past 15 years, Trudeau has climbed the ranks of MNBC, moving from youth programming to operations leadership and now into the highest executive role. Along the way, she’s developed ministries, grown youth programming and championed culturally grounded governance.
Leadership built on education
Trudeau has always had an insatiable desire to learn new things. From the age of eight, she trained as an opera singer, and as teenager, she was the lead singer of an all-girl rock back called LiveonRelease that released two albums and toured extensively. Following high school, she pursued an education at multiple post-secondary institutions, acquiring skills while she built her career.
She describes her TRU education as a turning point, providing skills and direction that continue to serve her well.
“Doing my BComm through Open Learning allowed me to keep working and applying everything I learned in real time,” she says. “It gave me a deeper understanding of strategic leadership and public administration — skills that I’ve used every day since.”
That same applied learning model carried her through her master’s degree from Royal Roads, which she completed while navigating early motherhood and stepping into the CEO role at MNBC.
“I came back from maternity leave, was accepted into my master’s and was appointed CEO a month before my master’s was supposed to start,” she said. “I had to choose — delay school or do both at the same time. I chose both.”
In every role she’s held — from school trustee to board appointee with Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. — Trudeau’s leadership style remains grounded in cultural values and community connection.
“I always strive to be the kind of leader I would want to work for. I lead with accountability, humility, kindness and adaptability,” she says. “And I keep a note on my desk: ‘Be good medicine.’ That’s my daily reminder.”
Alum part of women in leadership panel
In September, Trudeau is speaking at the 2025 Forward Summit, where she’ll join the women in leadership panel in a discussion about the Métis experience and exploring how to advance Indigenous prosperity, while amplifying the voices of people learning to walk proudly in their heritage.
“I have a five-year-old daughter who is so proud of who she is as a Métis person, and that’s what I want for other families to have as well,” she says.
“There was recently a population number put out that there is about 114,000 self-identified Métis people in the province. That is a huge number and it’s growing.”
Trudeau encourages folks who identify as Métis to connect with their community and visit the MNBC website to learn about opportunities and see some of the incredible things that are happening across the province.
