More Regions
2023 Canadian Women in Real Estate Awards
Ontario
Michelle Brown
Responsible for 11 MSF of office and industrial assets
Global lead for BGO Women's Network, chairs firm's EDI executive council
Michelle Brown has been dedicated to what is now known as BentallGreenOak for a long time.
Brown, a managing director in the company’s property management segment, began working with a BGO legacy company in 2000. Since then, she has held progressively senior positions with the organization.
Based in Mississauga, Ont., she is responsible for the property management and leasing of more than 11 million square feet of office and industrial assets and 465 tenants across 78 properties in the Greater Toronto Area and Winnipeg. Prior to joining BGO, she worked in the property management industry for a number of firms, including TrizecHahn and Nexacor Realty Management.
“Michelle is tech savvy, process improvement driven, forward-thinking and is a role model and mentor to many,” says a longtime colleague who nominated Brown for her Canadian Women in Real Estate Award.
Brown is a member of BGO’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity (EDI) Executive Council; the global lead for the BGO Women’s Network; and co-chair of Partners in Project Green, an internationally recognized community of leaders advancing environmental action and economic prosperity across the GTA.
“Michelle is unstoppable when she puts her mind to something,” says her colleague. “Michelle is also an amazing leader. She creates a safe environment for her team to show up authentically each and every day.
“Being a woman in commercial real estate is not easy, but Michelle does it with grace, humour and a lot of humility. Michelle radiates a keen enthusiasm that inspires confidence and lifts up everyone around her. She is impossible to resist and makes us all want to give our best.”
Brown’s colleague is impressed by her ability to think quickly and creatively.
“I see it when she needs to prepare for, or react quickly, to emergency situations or rework a pool of building operators to match the right people with the right mix of buildings, clients and square footage.”
Among her many qualifications, Brown is a LEED Green Associate; Certified Property Manager, as designated by the Real Estate Institute of Canada; and a credentialed Real Property Administrator under the auspices of the Building Owners and Management Institute.
She has also been active with CREW and attended the group’s 2023 international conference.