A variety of women from Canada’s big banks and insurance companies are among the country’s 100 most powerful women of 2009, the Women’s Executive Network announced on Monday.

The list of women from all sectors of the economy includes more than 20 executives and professionals from the banking and insurance sector. This includes representatives from the Bank of Nova Scotia, TD Bank Financial Group, Royal Bank of Canada, BMO Financial Group, CIBC, National Bank Financial Group, Laurentian Bank, Citibank Canada, Desjardins Group, Manulife Financial, Intact Financial Corp., and Vancouver City Savings Credit Union.

In addition, two financial services representatives are among nine women inducted this year into Canada’s Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame: Kim McKenzie, executive vice president of IT and solutions at Scotiabank, and Teri Currie, executive vice president of HR and corporate and public affairs at TD Bank Financial Group.

The Top 100 Awards will be distributed at a gala comprised of winners, future leaders, and Fortune 100 leaders in Toronto on Monday. Award Winners and Hall of Fame inductees will also be honoured in their own communities of Vancouver on Jan. 21, Calgary on Jan. 26 and Montreal on Feb. 25, 2010.

To date, 460 women across Canada have received this distinction, including 62 women who have gone on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“We applaud the many accomplishments of our very deserving winners from across the country, all of whom achieved their successes in spite of this year’s difficult financial climate,” said Pamela Jeffery, founder of the Women’s Executive Network. “This year’s winners are now part of an amazing group of women, many of whom will go on to become mentors in our WXNWisdom programs. We thank them for their contributions and hope they will continue to inspire others through hard work and mentorship.”