Wednesday, July 30, 2025
The Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) held its 11th Annual WIN Awards ceremony, which honoured female infrastructure leaders across the country. The event took place in six different locations: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
In total, 66 women were nominated across the Outstanding and Emerging leaders’ categories, with a shortlist of 11 finalists named.
Angela Clayton, interim president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario was named Outstanding Leader and Holynde Smiechowski, project manager, PCL Construction was the recipient of the Emerging Leader award.
Outstanding Leader—Angela Clayton
“It is a true honour to be recognized as an Outstanding Leader by the Women’s Infrastructure Network,” said Clayton. “Over the past decade, WIN has played a significant role in my own professional development, offering a platform not only to contribute to the growth of programs that uplift women across our industry, but also to cultivate a network of support, collaboration, and lasting friendships.
“Now more than ever, the importance of diverse talent and authentic leadership has never been clearer. I am deeply grateful to those who have championed my development, and I remain committed to creating space and opportunity for the next generation of leaders in infrastructure.”
With more than 25 years’ experience in the Canadian infrastructure industry, Clayton’s leadership has benefitted both the private and public sectors. Throughout her career, Angela has brought her tenacity, expertise and pragmatism to leading complex infrastructure projects to completion in unpredictable and changing markets.
In her current capacity as the interim president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, as well as her prior role as IO’s president, Project Delivery, the organization has completed 13 hospitals, nine transit/transportation, seven justice facilities and five public works projects across the province. Throughout this work, she has championed innovative approaches, including the use of a wide variety of procurement models and approaches to deliver critical and complex projects for the people of Ontario, while navigating unprecedented challenges.
Angela has expertly navigated the most complex challenges facing IO and the infrastructure sector at large. Upon her return to IO in April 2021 as President of Project Delivery, Angela led her team through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while spearheading the most ambitious infrastructure investment program in Canada. Her leadership has been instrumental in adapting IO’s project delivery program to meet the demands of a rapidly changing market and increasingly complex projects.
During the intervening years, from 2015 to 2021, she was group head, Buildings Division with Plenary Group, overseeing the design, construction, operations, and maintenance of all Plenary building projects in North America. She spent her early career in property and asset management, working for Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls for nine years where she managed outsourced facility management contracts for national clients.
Angela has been a key member of the influential industry organization, the Future of Infrastructure Group, advising the Minister of Infrastructure on various industry issues, including Infrastructure Ontario’s evolution. A passionate advocate for diversity in the construction industry, she has also served as a member of the Women’s Infrastructure Network for the past eight years. She currently is a member of the Toronto chapter steering committee.
Emerging Leader—Holynde Smiechowski
“I did not realize what it meant to me when I was first nominated for the Emerging Leader Award,” said Smiechowski. “Being honoured amongst so many incredible female leaders across Canada was its own award. Becoming a finalist, that felt like the cherry on top. Winning this award, it felt like a dream that came true. Now that I’ve had time to reflect on this, being recognized as the 2025 Emerging Leader means the world.
“I am incredibly proud and love the work I do. When people ask me what I do, I often joke and say, ‘I play real world Lego.’ Its challenging, has its ups and downs, and an ability to continuously teach you knew things.
“The wins achieved in construction are often seeing that concept on a piece of paper turn into that physical functioning object. That satisfying feeling of seeing it in operation and knowing, I helped build that.
“The true win is the people I get to work with, learn from and mentor. My receipt of this award is a testament to all those amazing people.”
With over 12 years of experience in the construction industry, Smiechowski has successfully led a diverse range of projects across various contract types, including retrofits and new builds in the health, commercial, private, and civil sectors. Her ability to balance intricate details with a strategic, big-picture perspective has established her as a leader in design, constructability, planning, contract administration, risk management, productivity, profitability, commissioning, quality, and safety. Her collaborative work style, strategic thinking, and passion for technology have driven innovation and field adoption within her company. She is a respected mentor and teacher who fosters an inclusive environment where teams thrive and learn. Her dedication to developing others, combined with the adversity she has overcome, drives her to pave the way for women in infrastructure while contributing significantly to the industry’s evolution.
[This article appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of ReNew Canada.]
Featured image: Angela Clayton, president and CEO of Infrastructure was named the 2025 WIN Outstanding Leader award winner. (WIN)
