Leanne always knew she wanted to work in the industry; she toyed with studying architecture because of her love for hands-on design, but the math side won out and she instead pursued engineering at Queen’s. While there she met a couple of RJCers at a career fair who piqued her curiosity in the firm. She reached out after graduating and was hired immediately. She believes engineering programs at university probably prepare people better than other professions to start immediately in their field, but even with that, she still had a steep learning curve. She credits her mentors who, from day one, encouraged her participation and growth by working on a variety of different projects, learning by exposure, and embracing the knowledge gained from mistakes.

Ten years on Leanne is a Project Engineer with Toronto’s Structural team. There are more women working in the field today than ever before, but she knows there is still a long way to go; at one point she was one of the most senior female engineers on the team while still quite young. She hasn’t let it intimidate her though and welcomes mentorship wherever she can find it. Leanne is excited by the talent and enthusiasm new people bring to the team and willingly shares her experience and the institutional RJC knowledge with all of them. In fact, she was recognized for her mentorship by her colleagues as one of the youngest—and definitely the first female—recipients of the Rick Banman Mentorship Award.

The variety of work was partly what attracted Leanne to RJC initially and it’s still very true of her work today. She enjoys the work her team has been doing to pave the way in the continually developing niche segment—mass timber structures; learning, trying new things, establishing the team as early innovators in this emerging market. Projects like the Centennial College expansion are enabling her to test her limits on a professional level as well, as a young woman in construction, demonstrating to clients and industry partners that she has what it takes to lead.

Leanne encourages new RJCers to get involved, be willing to try anything, ask lots of questions, and be sponges for learning opportunities when they arise. She sees a bright future for the team, largely because she knows everyone is supported in both professional and personal growth, and she’s excited to be a part of the next generation of RJCers extending the firm’s reputation for leadership and quality.