Beverley Busson is a champion for women in the workforce. With a law degree from the University of British Columbia, her career as a law enforcement officer was a career of firsts. A member of the first class of women to enter the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), she has worked in various positions, including investigating frauds, drugs, and serious crimes, and she was among the first women to work in plain clothes and undercover.
Mrs. Busson rose steadily through the ranks, becoming the first woman commissioned officer, the first woman criminal operations officer, the first woman commanding officer, and the first woman deputy commissioner of a region. Her efforts to push gender-based barriers and her increasing expertise in security led to the pinnacle of her career in law enforcement when she was named Commissioner of the RCMP in 2006. She was the first woman to hold the position.
Following her retirement from the force, Mrs. Busson served as a member of the RCMP Reform Implementation Council. She has also volunteered her time as a director with the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the Okanagan College Foundation, as well as with the Women’s Executive Network mentorship program.
For her long-standing contributions to Canadian security and advancing women in the workforce, Mrs. Busson was invested as a Commander of the Order of Merit of Police Forces, awarded the Canadian Forces Vice Chief of Defence Staff Commendation and the Order of British Columbia, and appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.