AWP Safety’s Women in Leadership Program Supports Diversity in Infrastructure

While construction and infrastructure have traditionally been viewed as male-dominated industries, that’s all changing. More women are pursuing careers in these fields and serve in crucial roles.

At AWP Safety, women embrace a variety of work, from field supervision to recruiting to environmental health and safety. The company’s Women in Leadership (WIL) program empowers women with high career potential to develop their leadership capabilities now while preparing for more advance roles in the future. WIL also delivers a six-month immersive learning and networking experience that supports greater leadership diversity in infrastructure and builds AWP Safety’s bench strength for female leaders.

These women exhibit traits of resilience, integrity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Recently, an inaugural class of 14 women from across all North American operations completed the program, which encourages leaders like Amanda Poirier, area manager at Safety First, an AWP Safety company in Canada, to embrace and build upon these qualities.

 

Amanda Poirer, area manager at Safety First, an AWP Safety Company in Canada, participates in AWP Safety’s Women in Leadership program. Poirier brings a unique and diverse perspective to her role at AWP Safety. Before joining the company, she worked in other traditionally male industries like oil and gas and funeral services.

“They are investing in our futures and they’re developing our strengths,” she says. “The leadership team pulled this group together and now we’re cheerleaders for each other.”

Amanda initially joined AWP Safety in 2021 as an operations manager, quickly advancing to roles as an area manager. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing safety, management, and the ongoing growth of AWP Safety’s presence in Nova Scotia. This involves leading safety initiatives to protect employees, customers, and assets, as well as managing, supervising, and supporting the growth and development of her team. Amanda appreciates the dynamic nature of working at AWP Safety. “Every day is different,” she says. “That’s what makes it great—you never know who you’re going to interact with or which crews you’ll encounter.”

Amanda takes pride in being a member of AWP Safety’s Women in Leadership program, which she views as a testament to the company’s commitment to developing female leaders.

“It brings together like-minded women, and demonstrates AWP Safety’s dedication to helping us succeed through a collaborative culture,” she says. “It shows us that there is no longer a glass ceiling holding us back. Our company wants us to thrive and shows it by investing in our futures and developing our strengths.”

As a strong female leader, Amanda has this advice for both female and male leaders in the workplace: “Always speak up. Never be afraid to ask questions and challenge the norm. Boost each other, support each other’s successes, and comfort each other during setbacks. “It’s exciting to be part of something bigger,” she adds “The WIL program helped me know that there are others like me within the company.”

More from Women in Leadership

 

Amanda Overholt, Procurement Manager
Joined AWP Safety: 2020
Key responsibilities: Ensures AWP gets the best possible value and price for the products and services it purchases; as well as oversees sourcing and supplier management, cost control, quality assurance, and compliance management.

“Participating in the Women in Leadership program has given me the opportunity to grow as a leader, build confidence, and develop new skills that will allow me to take on greater responsibilities and make a more significant impact. I really liked engaging with the other women in the program who share similar goals and challenges, and learning from their experiences.”

 

 

Rachael Greene, Area Manager – Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson S.C.
Joined AWP Safety: 2013
Key responsibilities: Oversees safety, management and ongoing growth for AWP Safety in South Carolina’s western region.

“Having the opportunity to be around such impactful female leaders within our organization has been inspirational. We all come from different parts of the country and different styles of leadership. Coming together to learn, network and mentor with each other gets me excited, not only for our trailblazing group, but for the groups that will come after us as we create this massive network of support amongst women in leadership — in a field of work that is so openly advertised as a ‘male dominated field.’”

Working at AWP Safety isn’t just a job; it’s a career. Read about one leader’s journey from protector to vice president.  Looking to join our team? Visit the Careers page to learn more and to search for current career opportunities with AWP Safety.