Arlene Dedier

Arlene Dedier is known for putting out figurative fires.

Dedier heads Avison Young’s project management practice in Canada, serving as an executive vice-president and principal of the Toronto-based global full-service commercial real estate firm. During her career, she frequently has been brought in by other companies to rescue projects that went awry.

She is known for being a dedicated, passionate leader, driven to take on any challenge thrown her way and handle it with grace, professionalism and a can-do, will-do spirit.

She has three decades of extensive experience in architecture and construction management with firms in Canada, the U.S., and France. She has covered office, retail, industrial, and hospitality properties, among others, and developed a proven ability to oversee numerous multi-million-dollar projects simultaneously.

“Arlene continually surprises and impresses those around her by quickly determining a project’s issue and finding ways to solve it,” writes a colleague who nominated Dedier for her Canadian Women in Real Estate Award. “As a diligent, driven problem-solver, she finds opportunities and solutions that others miss. For Arlene, every project is a puzzle, and the challenge is putting together a result that aligns with the client’s operations, business, and real estate strategy.”

Dedier led on the project management of Avison Young’s global headquarters relocation. The non-traditional premises in downtown Toronto have been recognized internationally for their sustainability features.

She is credited with identifying new ways to streamline processes and deliverables in order to complete the project successfully, while leading countless teams, trades and third parties, among others, and always bringing together all stakeholders as one, in the spirit of collaboration and partnership with a common goal.

“This project was an opportunity to create a space that showcases what we do every day for clients globally, reflecting our commitment to creating a workspace that meets the functional needs of employees and fosters collaboration, well-being, and productivity,” writes her colleague.

“Arlene’s charisma, paired with her deep industry knowledge, makes her a natural leader at Avison Young, with an innate ability to motivate her project teams and provide meaningful insight into technical issues for their clients. This skill set has allowed her to thrive.”

In 2020, Dedier received the Catalyst Canada Honours Business Leader Award, which recognizes role models of workplace inclusion in corporate Canada. Catalyst has described her as “a tireless champion of women” who promotes gender equity in management positions and continues to break down barriers.

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is a global non-profit organization strives to build workplaces that welcome women and strives to advance females into corporate leadership positions.

Prior to joining Avison Young, Dedier, an architect by profession, spent about 13 years with Colliers.