With a prestigious career that spanned almost 18 years at the international level, Karina LeBlanc is one of the longest serving soccer players for Canada. She participated in five FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games, bringing home a bronze medal at the 2016 Games. LeBlanc knows how to create an Olympic culture within any organization. She inspires and motivates her audiences to ask the hard questions and engage in challenging conversations to become the best version of themselves, at home and work.
LeBlanc retired from professional soccer at the end of the 2015 season. She was a goalkeeper for the Canadian women’s national team and, at time of retirement, playing for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In 2018, LeBlanc joined CONCACAF as the head of women’s football, where she led the confederation in developing and growing the women’s game. In 2021, she stepped down from CONCACAF to accept the role of general manager of NWSL’s Portland Thorns. In 2020, LeBlanc was inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame.
As a highly sought-after motivational speaker, LeBlanc shares insight into developing the mindset of an Olympian, how she transitioned from an elite athlete to a leader in the corporate world, and how she learned to thrive in the uncomfortableness of change. Her audiences have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. She has also addressed the United Nations General Assembly twice and spoke at the United Nations Race Against Climate Change and Canada’s 150th celebration. In 2015, LeBlanc hosted TEDxVancouver.
LeBlanc is a passionate advocate for inclusion, diversity, and humanitarianism. As president of the Karina LeBlanc Foundation, she mentors and provides scholarships to young women in sport. LeBlanc is especially proud of her role as an Honourary Captain of the Canadian Navy and as a UNICEF ambassador.
