WTS International names Stantec Employer of the Year for 2021

Leading global design firm Stantec has been named Employer of the Year by WTS International, an international organisation dedicated to building the future of transport through the advancement of women. The Employer of the Year distinction is awarded to organisations for their commitment to strengthening the transport industry through recruiting, retaining, and advancing women within the industry, providing career development and opportunities for professional growth within the organisation, and supporting WTS at local and national levels.

WTS International recognised Stantec for advancing professional development opportunities, supporting WTS through membership events and volunteer positions, and encouraging women to enter the transport field through community organisations, youth programmes, and partnerships. Stantec was awarded Employer of the Year by WTS Minnesota in 2020, which was elevated to firmwide status in 2021 on the strength of Stantec’s corporate programmes and the submission by the firm’s Minnesota chapter members.

“We are so proud and honoured to receive this distinction from WTS International,” said Susan Walter, Executive Vice Present, Infrastructure at Stantec. “Over the years, WTS has had a meaningful impact in empowering our professionals to propel the transport industry forward. We will continue to move the needle on gender diversity, which has proven to positively impact our workplace, our clients, and our communities. I would especially like to thank the WTS Minnesota chapter and its Stantec members for showcasing the work we do, and for making our selection for this award possible.”

"WTS is honoured to present the 2021 Employer of the Year award to Stantec Consulting Services Inc.," said Sara Stickler, Executive Director, WTS. "Employer of the year honouree organisations demonstrate a deep commitment to the mission of WTS and our vision of equity and access for women in transport. Stantec was honored for its outstanding focus on programmes that encourage the advancement of women’s careers, diversity initiatives and for its meaningful support of WTS Chapters across North America. This award is well deserved!"

Stantec has made numerous steps to support the advancement of women within the firm and industry. Some key initiatives include:

• Supporting the advancement of women through Women@Stantec, an employee resource group with chapters across the globe.
• Actively working to increase the number of women in its talent pool and leadership roles firmwide. Four of Stantec’s nine Board members (44%) are women. This is also roughly the percent of female Stantec employees in the US.
• Engaging Catalyst, a global nonprofit that promotes inclusive workplaces for women, to conduct a detailed workforce analysis to improve women’s representation in senior leadership.
• Issuing the firm’s first Gender Pay Gap Report in the United Kingdom in 2018 and preparing to conduct a global pay equity study to help identify and address potential issues.
• Signing on as a founding partner of The Diversity Agenda in New Zealand; the goal is to get 20% more women into engineering and architecture roles by 2021.
• Launching the Career Empowerment Pilot Program in Stantec’s US offices, offering 45 women the opportunity to receive three months of training and group coaching to help identify career goals and set simple strategies to put them into action.
• Starting a female-focused sponsorship program called SponsorHer, providing women with high performance and drive with active sponsorship, and strengthening the talent pipeline by increasing the number of women in leadership roles.
• Celebrating International Women’s Day in offices around the world, closely aligning with the firm’s commitment to building a strong culture of inclusion and diversity.

Beyond advancing women specifically, Stantec proactively cultivates all types of demographics within the industry through its corporate-sponsored Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are made up of employees who have historically been underrepresented within the company or face unique circumstances specific to integrating into the organisation.

Learn more about Women@Stantec, and the firm’s approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

For more information about Stantec’s response to COVID-19, visit Responding to COVID-19.

Media Contact                                     

Colin Nekolaichuk
Stantec Media Relations
Ph (437) 225-6384
colin.nekolaichuk@stantec.com

Trevor Eckart
Stantec Media Relations
Ph (215) 665-7187
trevor.eckart@statec.com