JANET LIN
Contributor to You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech SectorÂ
About Janet
Janet Lin is SVP & Chief Information Officer at Equitable Bank and Chair of the Board of the Information Communication Council of Canada. With a background in Computer Science and 20 years of experience in digital transformation, Janet has shaped the Canadian banking, payments, retail, and healthcare sectors with groundbreaking digital products and strategies.
Her leadership and innovation have been recognized globally, including the Women in Technology Award Canada (2023), the Stevie Global Award for Woman of the Year (2023), Forbes Global 100 Outstanding Chinese (2022), Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2021), and the Global Innovation Award by Oracle (2019).
Beyond her executive role, Janet is a passionate community builder. She co-founded Loblaw’s Women in Technology committee, growing it into a thriving 500+ member network, and has mentored hundreds of women through the Scala Mentorship Network. She actively contributes to ERGs, advisory boards, and mentorship programs, helping build a stronger and more inclusive tech ecosystem.
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CONNECT WITHÂ JANET
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Janet's Chapter:
From Newcomer to Disruptor – Insights Gained Over Two Decades in Tech Leadership
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Janet’s chapter tells the story of her 20+ year journey in technology — from arriving in Canada as a young newcomer with no computer science background to becoming a nationally recognized CIO and disruptor. She describes the early challenges of navigating culture, language, and gender imbalance in her computer science classes, where only four women sat in a class of forty. That absence of role models became her motivation to lead by example.
Her story highlights three pivotal moments:
2000 – Taking a leap of faith by leaving China to study Computer Science in Fredericton, starting with nothing but determination and a backpack.
2008 – Becoming the technology lead on a groundbreaking financial product launch in Toronto, proving herself in a room full of male executives and solidifying her role as a disruptor.
2021 and beyond – Earning global recognition, leading Equitable Bank as CIO, and committing to mentoring, advocacy, and building inclusive networks for women and newcomers in tech.
Through these milestones, Janet emphasizes that success is not about following a set path but about curiosity, resilience, authenticity, and community building. Her chapter is as much a guide as it is a testament: women can and should claim their place as disruptors in the ever-changing tech landscape.
“I wanted to become the role model I never had, and to inspire other women to believe they belong to the table too.”
— Janet Lin, You’re On Mute
About the Book:
You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector
You’re On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector is a bold anthology by women in tech, sharing unapologetic stories of resilience, exclusion, and transformation. From global leaders to grassroots innovators, these chapters are lessons and rallying cries that challenge the systems holding us back and imagine a more inclusive future. In a moment where AI is reshaping everything, this book reminds us that real change won’t come from technology alone, but from community, care, and collective action.