Growing up in rural Nova Scotia in a small town called Hantsport gave Jen Carver her grit, tenacity and determination; being in the industry for 16 years – 14 of those with Top 40 supplier PCNA as its field sales manager in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada – honed her talent to multitask and respond to client needs at a superhero level and hold a room spellbound with her witty, informative and never-dull presentations. But it’s her other talent – an Adele-esque booming voice that could shake the shingles off a house – that really sets Carver apart. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to see her sing at an industry event, you’d be forgiven for your jaw careening to the ground.

“I’m a person who gets bored very easily and needs to be challenged to stay motivated,” Carver says. “Rarely does the same day happen twice in this industry, and I love that.”

Genumark’s (asi/204588) Tracey Clingen, who nominated Carver for this year’s Hot List, ticked off a list of reasons why: “Jen has the right combo of work ethic (always gets me answers fast when I need them); customer service (fixes things when they go sideways); presentation skills (both seriousness and general hilariousness); and is an all-around generally good person,” Clingen says. “She’s been in this industry for ages and is truly a unique individual who’s not afraid to be herself and to do it bravely. And she knows how to have a good time.”

In case you were wondering, Carver’s song of choice is Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” Of course.