Ottawa’s Sonia Fisher went ‘from knowing very little to being president’

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It can be a unique path for women in Canada’s enterprising families. We profile some of their stories in our Women and Canadian Business Families series.

It may have been a surprise to some customers and colleagues when a woman took over as president of iconic menswear company, E.R. Fisher Ltd. in Ottawa, but third-generation Sonia Fisher was undaunted.

With 117 years of her multigenerational family legacy to uphold, Fisher said she had to remember to shut out what she calls the “unnecessary noise” that can surround gender stereotypes in succession planning.

She also looked to what many female mentors in family enterprise do in terms of great businesswomen in history.

“In history there are many examples of women who lead the family enterprise, often without recognition,” says Susan St. Amand, chair of Family Enterprise Canada and the Executive in Residence of the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute at the University of Ottawa, Telfer Business School, and a third-generation entrepreneur herself.

“There have been times when men have gone off to war and women continued to run businesses, often with increasing success. Women are natural protectors of the family and, as such, they step up when their family is threatened.

“In a family enterprise, a threat to the business and a threat to the family are intertwined. As such, when unexpected, uncontrollable events happen, the strength and resilience of the mother takes the lead. It is natural for a mother to lead, to protect and focus on the purpose and values of the family and business systems.

“The integration of family and business is strengthened by the connections and intersection of one with another.”

Fisher concurs with St. Amand in the telling of her own story, including her belief that women can bring something special to family enterprise when it comes to their unique perspective on “reading the room” and using that in their recipes for success.

Tell us a bit about your family’s multigenerational business background.

“Our menswear company has been family owned and operated in Ottawa for over 117 years. My great-grandfather’s family were farmers, and he left his Southern Ontario roots to get into this new modern industry known in North America as the retailing of ‘dry-goods.’ Our company was first established in Ottawa in 1905, and four generations of the Fisher Family have now owned the business.

Our services include wardrobe consultation, a master tailor and fully equipped on-site tailor shop, made-to-measure service and custom shirts made in Canada, complete formalwear selection and rentals, corporate clothing, uniforms and gifts, and [more.]”

Over the years, what was your role within your family business as it grew?

“I never grew up working in the business. As the third generation, I think my father did not want to make my brother and I feel like it was a career path we had to take. I left Ottawa, lived in the U.K. for nine years and, in return short visits to Canada, found myself increasingly interested in fashion retail and the idea of owning my own business.

I knew we had a great business and all that was needed was a little bit of modernization. I decided to move back to Canada, and buy my aunt and uncle’s controlling shares. And so I went from knowing very little to being president of the company in a very short period of time.

We have a wonderful group of long-standing employees (who I knew had much more retail experience than I did), so I tucked in, absorbed everything I could about the business and industry as a whole and was very lucky to also work with my father who remains a great business partner and mentor.

Sales have doubled since I bought the business in 2008 and we survived the pandemic, two things I am very, very proud of. Quality clothing and a high-level of service would never go out of style.”

How did you witness the evolution of roles for women within family enterprise throughout those decades?

“I would say women have always been at the heart of our business, maybe slightly more behind-the-scenes. They have added and continue to add stability, organization, compassion and openness … and our company would not still be here this many years later without them.

I think it surprised many to hear that a woman was taking over a long-standing menswear company as president. Some may have thought a woman wouldn’t be able to truly understand the needs of our menswear business and industry as a whole.

Did our company lose some of its masculinity when I bought it? It didn’t. I felt our company was very special and didn’t want to change it beyond recognition, just keep it modern.

I’m a person who likes to seek out a variety of opinions before I make a decision.

The feedback I get from my family, the team, suppliers, and, most importantly, our customers keep me focused on the core identity of the company. The truth is there has been a huge shift in the menswear industry as a whole.

Many more women are involved in the industry and – as far as I can see – it has only been a plus. Women, partners, spouses have also been the purchase drivers and initiators for men – whether it be directly or indirectly. That has been something that was true 100 years ago and is still true to this day.”

Did having a child affect your role? And what do you hope for your child, in terms of the family business?

“My father, my aunt and uncles have remained a wonderful source of knowledge for me. I treasure the fact that I have had the business in common with them, and we all like wine, so most of the business discussions have been over a glass or two.

I had my daughter later in life, and after a time of big change and growth in the company. There were a handful of times when she was very little that she’d be in a carrier as I ran around the store. She will grow up knowing about the business very intimately. Teaching her the work ethic, what it takes to run a private company, working in a team, working so directly day-in and day-out with such a wonderful variety of people.

I hope she absorbs the importance of the personal interactions that transpire in a business like ours, managing money and budgets, and most importantly the professional skills of selling, because I think it is an extremely valuable and underrated skill.

However, like my parents did with me, ultimately, I would like her to pursue her own dreams. I’ll let her decide which career path she would like to choose.”

What have you been most proud of throughout your career?

“I am really proud of being able to filter out the ‘noise.’ When I first started in the business, the recession of 2008 had a huge impact, and I learned to be very fiscally responsible very early on. You hear trends come and go – the death of the suit, the end of bricks and mortar – but you really have to shut that all out and lead in a direction you feel confident about.

Getting through the pandemic would have to be my number one [accomplishment]. We’ve survived through many economic downturns over the hundred plus years in business, but never experienced an environment where the population was encouraged not to leave their homes.”

Any advice for next-gen women in family businesses?

“Invest in a business that is viable, tuck in, understand every corner of it – even if you think you know more as a result of your experiences – get to know the specifics of your business and industry inside and out.

Start with the financials … as all roads lead back there. Then, once you get a handle on the business, move forward, trust your gut, hire smart people who challenge you, don’t be afraid to take calculated risks … and shut out the unimportant noise.

I think women are particularly good at reading the room. Use that to your advantage. But whether it be age, gender, or ethnicity, a company that can include the opinions of others, the diversity in the human experience, but still knows its marketplace and customer base is a pretty good recipe for success.”

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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