She creates community where you least expect it
Age: 39
Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel, Enbridge
Despite building a career in the cutthroat and often ego-driven world of corporate law, Sheliza Kluge has always been community-minded.
“My parents instilled a set of values in me around a very hard work ethic, uplifting those around you and creating a sense of community,” Kluge says, reflecting on her upbringing as the child of first-generation Ismaili Muslim immigrants.
“They always taught me to think years in advance,” she adds. “What you’re doing today has to have multi-generation impact.”
That outwardly focused mindset not only sustained Kluge as a woman of colour in law, but also helped her develop an out-of-the box legal practice. Rather than just focus on the law, Kluge learns everything there is to know about her clients, from the chemical processes that make their industries tick to the intricacies of operating their businesses.
Now as Senior Legal Counsel at Enbridge, Kluge is focused on mentoring the growing community of women and girls who are in school but yet to work in their chosen fields, as well as helping make a cleaner world for her global community through her practice in commodity trading and renewable energy.
“The thread starts with my upbringing, my community and the concept of creating curiosity and community upliftment. All of those values spread through to my work, my family and my volunteer work.
“We’re all in this community, we’re all neighbours and we’re all together. And so if I can provide a certain group additional support, that’s just going to benefit all of us in the long-term.”
This article appears in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Edify
