Alexia MacLeod will break the glass ceiling this September when she is named chair of the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), the first female ever to assume the role.
Her response to this feat is genuine and matter of fact: “This isn’t going to be one and done,” she told the Daily Commercial News.
“I love this industry and I want other young girls, middle-aged women, to come in and say, ‘Yes, this is my career path, and this is what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life.’”
MacLeod is a partner and co-owner with Somerville Construction, Consulting and Project Management. She began working at the firm in 2004 as an administrative assistant and came to the company with eight years of management experience which she gained working for The Sports Medicine Specialists and team physicians for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
At Somerville her primary role is managing the company’s financial operations and she also co-ordinates business development. After a successful bid and project award, she serves as controller and financial administrator.
MacLeod has been a member of the OGCA board for more than 10 years and says she has seen the industry evolve, but there’s still work to be done to bring more women into the industry, into bigger corporate roles and onto more boards.
“I am hoping by being in this position and hopefully having more presence and a bigger voice in the organization that we can reach more people, more women in particular,” she says.
“For me, it’s not even about bringing women to the table. We’re here. We have been doing this. I think now it’s more about education. How do we educate men in their position to help grow within their companies?
“For women, in particular, we need to have different negotiating tools. We’re already coming in with a different package.”
OGCA president Giovanni Cautillo says MacLeod is a natural fit for board chair and her impact will be felt in many ways.
“She was very much a pioneer in making sure that women had a place at the table and now women are running the table,” he describes. “Sitting on the board of all men, she stands out. When she does speak her mind, the place goes quiet. She’s seen as someone who provides timely input and provides it in a very refreshing way. Alexia is going to make a huge difference; she has changed the way the board configuration is being looked at.
“This is just the beginning of a new chapter for the OGCA.”
MacLeod succeeds Greg Brokenshire, president of Alberici Constructors.
“Greg has been a wonderful chair,” MacLeod adds. “I hold him in such high regard, and I am so happy to be his successor.”
OGCA WIC gala introduces awards
Before MacLeod officially takes the helm as chair later this year, she will take part in the OGCA’s 2026 Women in Construction Gala on May 21 from 5 to 11 p.m. at Universal EventSpace in Vaughan, Ont.
Since its inception in 2023, the event has been “more of a crescendo than an evolution,” MacLeod states. “The industry was just so excited from the get-go. It is an environment that both men and women can come to.”
This year’s event features speakers Leslie Dibling, director of organizational development at AMC Services, and Agnes Watkinson, founder of AMC Services.
With 19 years of experience in the construction industry, Dibling brings operational insight into leading people and performance in complex, high-stakes environments, the OGCA notes. Her focus includes designing and implementing programs that build workforce capabilities and align with key business objectives.
Watkinson brings over a decade of experience in workforce planning, HR transformation and organizational development across industries. She helps organizations optimize structures, processes, people and culture to achieve strategic goals.
In addition to speakers and networking opportunities, a first is taking place at the gala, in the form of three awards that recognize outstanding women who are making a remarkable impact across the industry.
“We wanted to incorporate a way to give back,” MacLeod says.
Cautillo echoes her comments, stating the event on the whole is meant to change the landscape of construction.
“The gala is our focal point for women in construction,” he states, “but it requires all people in construction to understand the necessity to move in that direction.
“I am putting out an APB, for women in the industry that want to make a difference. You’re already making a difference in your own companies, by joining the OGCA you are making a difference for the industry on the whole.
“There’s a seat at every table for them.”
For more information or to get tickets click here.
