Cassandra Loveless: Quiet Leadership, Big Impact
Cassandra Loveless, CFA’s 2025 Rising Star Award recipient, shows us what it means to lead with precision, purpose, and vision. As Senior Operations Coordinator at North Atlantic in St. John’s, she plays a critical role in safeguarding Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy security — a responsibility she carries out with technical skill and a collaborative mindset.
A 2018 graduate of Memorial University’s process engineering program, Cassandra began her career at North Atlantic in 2019. After a brief departure, she returned in 2022 and quickly advanced into a senior operations role.
Today, she oversees the importation and coordination of approximately 60% of the province’s fuel, managing supply and demand in one of Atlantic Canada’s most high-stakes logistics environments—where weather delays can ripple across industries and impact the province’s entire economy.
“Every shipment count,” she explains. “A delay doesn’t just impact one delivery — it affects multiple industries. What I do every day has a direct line to people being able to heat their homes and transport goods. That’s a responsibility I take seriously.”
Though no longer in a traditional engineering role, Cassandra still draws heavily on her training.
“Engineering taught me to problem-solve, to analyze systems, and to always look for better ways of doing things,” she says. “I may not be designing machines, but I’m designing processes that help the business run better.”
That mindset is now guiding North Atlantic through ISO 9001:2015 certification — a rigorous quality management initiative she is leading with minimal external support. “It’s about creating a culture of consistency and quality,” she says. “I want people to feel confident in the systems we put in place.”
Cassandra’s approach also blends technical rigor with emotional intelligence. She is known for building strong relationships across government, industry partners, and internal teams — connections that help her navigate critical challenges.
“Relationships are everything in this role,” she notes. “When something urgent happens, those one-on-one connections make the difference.”
Her peers describe her as dependable, visionary, and driven — a quiet force who leads with clarity and a long-term view. Whether managing inventory, coordinating with regulators, or aligning stakeholders, she brings purpose and calm to every challenge.
Outside of work, Cassandra channels her creativity into Slumberly, a baby and toddler clothing brand she founded and scaled across North America. One of her product lines directed a portion of proceeds to breast cancer research — a cause close to her heart.
As she is preparing to welcome her second child, she is also building sustainable systems her team can rely on during her parental leave. “It’s a busy season,” she laughs, “but I love building things — whether it’s a new system at work, a business at home, or the life my family and I are creating together.”
Cassandra Loveless isn’t just rising — she’s quietly reshaping Canada’s energy future with smart systems, steady leadership, and a powerful sense of purpose.
