Nancy Fitzgerald's life exemplifies resilience and determination. She first gained national recognition by winning the Miss Canada title, proudly wearing a homemade dress.
After meeting the love of her life, her world was shattered when she lost him to a
distracted driver. Left a single mother, Nancy turned her grief into fuel, taking the reins
of the company they had started together. Despite lacking experience in auto finance,
she defied all odds, leading the business to unicorn status and solidifying her legacy as
a powerful example of strength and perseverance.
NANCY FITZGERALD founder of THE BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION and her mission to provide a helping hand to families in need
When her dear husband was killed by a distracted driver in 2014 Nancy took the reins and the company they founded together, iLendingDirect, and brought it from a startup to new heights. Best Places to work, Outstanding Woman in Business, Inc. 500 fastest growing private company in the country are just a few of the awards Nancy racked up in her time as CEO.
Nancy’s passion for singing took her along the pageant route. When she found out the Miss Calgary Pageant had a talent scholarship enough to pay for a whole semester of school she was in! In a homemade dress she took to the stage, and with the critic's voices in her head telling her she had no chance at winning and she walked like a dude, she strode to the winner's circle, taking not only the talent scholarship but also the title of Miss Calgary 1993. Off she went to the Miss Canada pageant, again her best friend making her a gown to wear as she couldn’t afford to buy one. Without a talent portion to the pageant and the addition of the dreaded swimsuit category, Nancy once again defied the odds winning the highly acclaimed title and her ticket to the Miss Universe Pageant in Mexico City.
Best Places to work, Outstanding Woman in Business, Inc. 500 fastest growing private company in the country are just a few of the awards Nancy racked up in her time as CEO. The pinnacle of Nancy's career was selling a majority stake in iLending, which had attained unicorn status, to the PE firm JC Flowers in 2021. Nancy continues to sit on the board and consult to this day at iLending but selling the company has enabled her to go after a long-time goal of writing her life story down in this soon to be released memoir, "Crown of Steel."
The pinnacle of Nancy’s career was selling a majority stake in iLending, which had attained unicorn status, to the PE firm J.C. Flowers in 2021. Nancy continues to sit on the board and consult to this day at iLending but selling the company has enabled her to go after a long-time goal of writing her life story down in this soon to be released memoir, “Crown of Steel.”
A story of hope, resilience, and the journey to finding strength in the face of life’s challenges. Crown Of Steel is for every woman who’s ready to take control of her life, rise in her career, and unlock her true potential.
Stay tuned for the release date and exclusive previews. If I can do it, so can you!
27th Mar 2020
27th Mar 2020
