A spa in the Canadian Rockies might not be the traditional setting to conduct business, but thanks to Phyllis Yaffe, Stephanie MacKendrick now knows it is the perfect place to get things done.

‘I remember once we set up a meeting in Banff, we had to get something sorted out, and Phyllis said, ‘Do you want to go to the spa? I’m going for a swim, meet me out on the terrace and we’ll have a drink.’ We sat outside and discussed in great detail this complex thing we were trying to work out and we got it resolved against this beautiful backdrop. It was just one of those things where you really combine business with pleasure. Not like sitting there just pouring back the beer. It was a serious business meeting. It was very relaxed and very productive and I thought that was quite typical.’

MacKendrick, president of Canadian Women in Communications, which honored Yaffe as their 1998 Woman of the Year, is impressed by Yaffe’s balanced life. ‘She works hard, she’s very dedicated to what she does, but with Phyllis you don’t get any sense that balance is for weaklings. She has a very good sense of what’s important in life and [her balanced life] doesn’t stop her from achieving wonderful things. But I think it makes her a very good leader.’