The Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) held its 10th Annual WIN Awards ceremony, honouring emerging and outstanding female leaders across the country. In total, 49 women were nominated across both categories, with a shortlist of five nominees named.

ReNew Canada engaged the winners to share their career journeys and some words of wisdom: Cheryl Nelms, general manager at Metro Vancouver, recipient of the Outstanding Leader award and Andrea McLean, senior vice president at Fengate Asset Management, winner of the Emerging Leader award.

Nelms oversees a portfolio of major infrastructure projects worth over $6 billion for B.C.’s most populated regional district. Previously, she was the deputy general manager of Engineering Services at the City of Vancouver, a department of 2,200 employees.

McLean has 14 years of experience working in project management, consultation and asset management of large infrastructure projects, specifically public-private partnerships (P3), first as a project manager at the Provincial Health Services Authority, then as senior project consultant with Infrastructure BC.

How did it feel to win this prestigious award?

Cheryl Nelms (CN): For me personally, this award is a reminder of the importance of having many different role models in our industry to advance diversity. It is also a reminder that we can achieve pretty great things when we work as a team and support each other. This is particularly meaningful at this point in time, with the need to attract and retain diverse teams to respond to the climate, affordability, and reliability challenges we face in building out critical infrastructure for our communities.

Andrea McLean (AM): I was so honoured just to be nominated and I didn’t expect to win, so it was such a wonderful surprise. There are so many outstanding nominees every year for this award—women who have accomplished so much in their careers and women who you know are just getting started. One of my very favorite parts of the award process has been getting to know the other nominees. By the time the award ceremony rolled around, I felt like every one of those women deserved to win, which made it even more special when I was selected.

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Who inspired you along the way?

CN: I found my way into the engineering and construction industry and haven’t looked back. I’ve grown up in the construction sector and came to it with an interest in building infrastructure that has a positive impact for the community when it comes to creating livable cities. Leading mega national projects using collaborative and alternative delivery approaches has allowed me to work with some of best in the industry. I’ve had several mentors and sponsors along the way, some from similar sectors and some from completely different professions and jurisdictions. Having a wide global network to learn from has enabled me to think beyond my current “day job” and about what is possible on a larger national scale.

AM: I got involved in Infrastructure almost by accident. I had a health sciences background and applied for a project manager role with the BC Cancer Agency to work on the Northern Cancer Control Strategy. I expected to be managing a clinical project, but the selection team decided I’d be the right person to manage the development of the project that was being procured as a public-private-partnership. It was such a positive experience. I remember my boss at the time telling me that once I’d done one infrastructure project, I’d be hooked because there is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing a project develop from an idea to contracts and drawings, to an actual physical asset. He was right—I never looked back. He was my first mentor and I’ve been lucky enough to have others at different stages of my career. Each has helped me learn and grow by being an advocate and having confidence in me, even when I wasn’t that confident myself.

What has been your greatest career achievement so far?

CN: Honestly, I think about achievements in terms of how I may have helped and supported the next generation of leaders, particularly women and new Canadians, to pursue careers in engineering, construction, and infrastructure development. I’m most proud of making connections through the projects I’m leading or through my network as it has created a continuous learning mindset for me, for peers, and for upcoming leaders. I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to teach in the engineering department at UBC, exposing the next generation of engineers to mega projects and helping them make connections with industry.

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AM: I would have to say my greatest achievement has been building and leading my team at Fengate. I am so proud of our group, and I have so much confidence in their abilities. But it’s more than just a group of smart people, it’s the team culture, the fact that they care deeply about these projects, and are always striving for excellence. I’m proud that I’ve fostered an environment where any of them feels like they can reach out and bounce things off me or off each other, and where people feel comfortable enough to be authentic and accountable. Most importantly, although my personal successes on specific projects are great, the ongoing success of my team is what helps make Fengate great. It’s not any one of us; it’s the whole that really moves the needle.

How have you overcome obstacles you’ve faced in the project management field?

CN: Setting up teams to support the operations aspect of delivering a project effectively has been an area that I have enjoyed focusing on, to help organizations and their teams transform. Projects are becoming larger in dollar value and more complex, which has led to an increased need for new collaborative and alternative delivery approaches. This requires even further focus on digital transformation in the organizations delivering these projects, to meet changes in supply chain, commercial risks, and labour shortages.

Creating an interdisciplinary team to lead and implement the transformation has been necessary with new digital and technological skills outside the traditional engineering infrastructure delivery approach. Our willingness to embrace change and evolve is essential for building increasingly sustainable and inclusive infrastructure.

AM: So many things can go wrong in project management, but what has been the hardest at almost every turn is managing the performance of people, teams, or companies over which you have very little to no authority. In all my projects, we are responsible for delivering infrastructure and services that are often performed by other firms. Although there are always contracts to fall back on, there’s only so much detail that can be included in a contract, which often leaves a lot open to interpretation. Generally, if an issue has been escalated to my attention, it’s because my team has been working on it for a while and they have hit a roadblock. Over the years, I’ve found that putting effort into trying to understand different stakeholders and what they are trying to achieve is often the best place to start when managing challenges.

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What are your career goals for the future?

AM: I love where I am in my career. I love the people I work with and my role. It’s challenging and can be frustrating at times, like any job, but it’s always interesting. There’s nothing I like better than a sticky issue that requires out-of-the-box thinking and getting people to work together on a solution. I’m focusing on professional development and employee engagement. I want to better understand what parts of their jobs each of my team members likes the best, what they find meaningful, and where they want to develop. I hope it will lead to an increased sense of empowerment and belonging; two characteristics of a strong performing team.

Any words of wisdom for the next generation of female infrastructure leaders?

CN: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and embrace the importance of lifelong learning with the network and team that you build around yourself. Having a strong network is a great way to build your confidence, learn from others, get the support you need to take chances, have doors opened for you, and have friendships and mentoring opportunities that you’ll value for the rest of your career, and your life for that matter.

Connie Vitello is contributing editor of ReNew Canada.

[This article appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of ReNew Canada.]

Featured image: 2024 Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) Emerging Leader Award winner Andrea McLean (left), and Outstanding Leader Award winner Cheryl Nelms. (Women’s Infrastructure Network)

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