
Arlene Dedier
Avison Young

Arlene Dedier is a pioneering force in the Canadian commercial real estate landscape, serving as the first Black woman to lead a CRE business in the country. As a Principal and Managing Director at Avison Young, Dedier oversees Canadian Project Management Services, where she has successfully grown the business by 40% despite economic headwinds.Known throughout the industry as a "fixer," Dedier is frequently brought in to rescue complex projects that have gone off the rails, leveraging her 30 years of expertise in architecture and construction management to find innovative solutions. She currently manages numerous multi-million-dollar projects for high-profile clients in the financial, legal, and manufacturing sectors.Dedier is a dedicated advocate for diversity, leading the ROOTS community for Black professionals and serving as a Board Trustee for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Foundation. Her commitment to inclusion is reflected in her own team, which is comprised of more than 50% women.Her status as a thought leader is further cemented by her receipt of the Catalyst Canada Honors 2020 Business Leader award and her role as a prominent public speaker on workplace inclusion.
