Next-generation leadership
Olivia Falcone (left) and Kaylie Chan say the Developing Professionals Network has enriched their experience as employees of WSP in Canada and helped them progress in their careers in numerous ways. supplied
Employee-led network gives young professionals new tools to advance their careers
When Olivia Falcone joined a Greater Toronto Area office of WSP in Canada as a transportation planner in 2018, she was fresh out of university and uncertain about how she would fare in the corporate world. Describing herself at the time as timid, overwhelmed and reluctant to speak up in unfamiliar settings, she took the opportunity to join an employee-led resource group for emerging professionals that had just been formed that year in her local office.
Becoming part of the nascent Developing Professionals Network (DPN) at WSP provided Ms. Falcone with immediate and lasting value, she says. “It quickly became a community that I could rely on – where I could forge meaningful connections with peers who shared similar experiences and challenges, and receive valuable guidance and mentorship from WSP team members who were a bit more experienced than me.”
The professional and personal development programs offered by the network helped her gain confidence, navigate everything from developing practical skills to the foundations of goal-setting, and notably, form enduring friendships with team members. “It was such a fun and positive experience that I got excited about contributing to the DPN as a leader,” she says.
She began by getting involved in her local chapter committee, and in the years since – and as the DPN expanded across WSP in Canada – Ms. Falcone took on progressively larger responsibilities at regional and national levels. This year, she became the Chair of the DPN national committee, a position she will hold until the end of 2025.
“The growth over the past six years has been phenomenal, and we now have 29 local chapters and over 4,500 members Canada-wide,” she says. “It’s true that juggling my DPN responsibilities with my job as a transportation planner for road infrastructure projects can be challenging, but I welcome that challenge because it is incredibly rewarding to help make an impact and support the growth of WSP’s developing professionals.”
“DPN has accelerated my development because it has allowed me to grow my skills in areas like leadership, project management, finance, marketing and delivering presentations, which I’ve incorporated into my WSP responsibilities. ”
Providing unique support to co-op students at WSP
The DPN includes chapters specifically for students on co-op placements at WSP.
Kaylie Chan is on her third co-op term with WSP, where she is currently working as a transportation planning student on the Active Transportation and Complete Streets team. In the final year of her studies in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Waterloo, Ms. Chan says being engaged with the DPN student chapter from the start has enriched her experience at WSP in immeasurable ways.
“It’s so helpful to enter a workplace in a junior position and have the opportunity to start building a network with others in the same situation,” says Ms. Chan. “What I particularly love about the student chapter is that it’s completely student run, allowing us to develop programs that meet our needs. It fosters a harmonious sense of community amongst all the co-op students, bringing everyone together to form relationships that grow with us.”
Ms. Chan has also taken on leadership roles and is currently the Ontario student chapter president. “Being involved in DPN organizing activities gives us so many opportunities to develop our leadership and communication skills, as well as enhance our ability to work in teams.”
“What I particularly love about the student chapter is that it’s completely student run, allowing us to develop programs that meet our needs. It fosters a harmonious sense of community amongst all the co-op students, bringing everyone together to form relationships that grow with us. ”
An extension and complement to WSP culture
The DPN has a presence in many of WSP’s global regions, including at WSP in Canada. The Canadian DPN began as a grassroots initiative to create a community focused on professional and personal growth for emerging professionals. It is designed for employees who have fewer than 10 years of experience or are 35 years old or younger – although the events and programs are open to all employees who wish to participate, recognizing that professional development occurs at all stages of each career.
Remaining rooted to its beginnings, the DPN is still entirely operated by the young professionals themselves, and it is very much a reflection of the values of WSP in terms of nurturing the careers of more junior and intermediate employees. The DPN is also strongly supported by people managers and senior leaders at the company.
“We are very fortunate that we had the support of managers, as well as executive and senior leaders when it was first created and still do,” says Ms. Falcone.
WSP executives rotate through the role of being DPN executive sponsor. “We regularly meet with our Executive Sponsor to outline our goals and projects, and receive their mentorship on how to effectively run the DPN and make sure our work is aligned with WSP goals and values,” she says.
“Having the support of the DPN is very much consistent with the overall culture of WSP in Canada,” adds Ms. Chan. “While you might expect a large company to be full of internal competition, WSP is quite the opposite. Everyone at all levels is committed to uplifting and helping you grow.”
The DPN organizes its activities around four main programs. Professional development includes a range of programs to support development of hard and soft skills to help employees advance in their careers – such as lunch-and-learn events on how to become a licensed engineer, project-management and technical-writing workshops, and webinars on how to effectively prepare a proposal and make a budget presentation.
Personal development is another theme, with programs aimed at promoting wellness and personal growth – everything from fitness classes and mental health events, and guidance on how to buy your first home and prepare a personal budget.
The collaboration focuses on networking and social events. This can include events designed to contribute to the community and important causes. For example, Ms. Chan took part in a CN Tower climb that raised money for homelessness initiatives in coordination with the United Way. And Ms. Falcone was involved in a National Committee initiative to foster the marking of Earth Day through activities organized by the local chapters across the country.
The final theme is clients and industry, providing opportunities for emerging professionals to visit client sites or receive client presentations on project results.
“When we first join as junior staff, we’re very focused on our individual work and often don’t have direct exposure to the clients,” says Ms. Falcone. “Having the DPN gives us an opportunity to learn about the impact of our work on the end-user and helps us learn how to manage relationships with clients.”
Both Ms. Chan and Ms. Falcone say the DPN has allowed them to develop in areas they wouldn’t otherwise get exposure to until much later in their careers.
“My work with the student DPN has definitely enhanced my leadership skills and my ability to manage multiple priorities,” says Ms. Chan.
“When you join as a planner, engineer, or in any type of role as emerging professional at WSP, you primarily focus on technical tasks,” says Ms. Falcone. “DPN has accelerated my development because it has allowed me to grow my skills in areas like leadership, project management, finance, marketing and delivering presentations, which I’ve incorporated into my WSP responsibilities.”
Scan for more information
To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com
To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Next-generation leadership