Anticipation for Construction Leaders Forum builds

The stage is set for one of the best networking and thought leadership events of the year. 

On Sept. 25 SiteNews will host the first ever Construction Leaders Forum, a gathering of award-winning professionals to discuss the industry’s biggest issues. 

To learn more about the event and to secure your spot, visit constructionleadersforum.com.

The event is calling on past and current winners of the Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction program to meet at the Fairmont Royal York. This group includes CEOs, vice presidents, top lawyers, directors and many others who are helping get billions of dollars worth of construction projects across the finish line for some of the nation’s largest, most sophisticated companies.

The one-day event will feature multiple panels, keynotes, a tour and more. Here is some of what we have planned: 

Keynote: Build What Matters

Former Chandos President Coldwell shares his philosophy of how business can be a force for good. He shares his story growing up distanced from his Indigenous heritage and how reconnecting with those roots informed the launch of his new company, Enska Advisors.  

40 Under 40: Catching Up With Past Winners

What are construction’s brightest minds up to now?This panel will feature 40 Under 40 alumni, including Vice President & General Manager for Turner Construction Company’s Vancouver Business Unit Amit Patel, Creative Energy Senior Vice President of Development Diego Mandelbaum and others. 

Insights from Presidents on Succession and Legacy

How do we equip the next generation of construction leaders is critical for the industry’s success? We will hear from senior-level professionals about their strategies to fill key leadership positions and how they cultivate talent. Panelists include Cooper Equipment President Darryl Cooper, RSG President Lisa Laronde and others. 

Infrastructure and Risk

Major infrastructure projects take years to plan and build. Staying on time and on budget has become a major challenge as a multitude of risks threaten to derail project teams. Attendees will hear from Aon’s Director of Infrastructure & Senior Vice President, Construction & Infrastructure Practice Chay DeLorey, Kiewit’s vVIce President of Infrastructure, Markets & Strategy, and more about how they mitigate these risks. 

Tech + Talent: Keys to winning

Can you feel that? We are in the midst of a major technological shift that could upend how we build. We will speak with recruitment, economic and technological experts like RARE’s Director of Economic Research Daniel Foch and Procore’s Industry Culture Strategist Yasmeen Tonnos about how whole new career pathways are emerging in the construction sector that deal with drones, VDC, sustainability and more.

Royal York Decarbonization Project Tour

Attendees will also be able to participate in a guided tour of the Royal York’s $65 million decarbonization project. In collaboration with KingSett Capital, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Enwave Energy Corporation, PCL Construction completed major retrofits to the building last year. The project achieved net zero status after close to five years of detailed planning and execution. The retrofits will eliminate more than 7,000 tonnes of carbon annually, or 80% of the hotel’s annual carbon emissions.

The Construction Leaders Forum would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors, including our presenting sponsor Procore Technologies. We would like to also thank our other event supporters: PCL Construction, Cooper Equipment Rentals Limited, Aon, Flynn Group of Companies, HammerTech, Bird Mechanical Ltd., NuFrame Group, Northbridge Insurance, Stormtec Water Management, Maxan Interior Systems, SiteMax, Hillcore Group, SitePartners and SiteTechnology.

We will see you in Toronto this month.