TORONTO — Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) has announced Morrison Hershfield COO Catherine Karakatsanis as the newest winner of its Gold Medal Award.
The Gold Medal is given to one candidate each year who has made a “conscientious commitment to public service, technical excellence and outstanding professional leadership,” a statement noting the PEO citation explained.
Andrew Hrymak, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Western University, described Karakatsanis as a natural leader and mentor to colleagues and young people, especially women, in the statement.
“I have rarely come across someone who is so accomplished across all three areas of work, profession and community,” said Hrymak. “Her career exemplifies the best in our profession and she is a true role model for young engineers.”
Karakatsanis joined Morrison Hershfield as a structural engineer and was promoted to her first executive position after 10 years. She was elected to the board by the shareholders for the first time in 2005. Both of these positions were a first for a woman in the firm’s history.
As the company’s COO, she leads a workforce team of nearly 1,000 employees in Canada, the United States and internationally.
As a volunteer, Karakatsanis is the only engineer in Canada to have led a provincial regulator (Professional Engineers Ontario), provincial advocacy body (Ontario Society of Professional Engineers) and national organization (Engineers Canada).
She continues to be involved with her alma mater, Western University, and remains a dedicated advocate for creating a more diverse profession, the statement indicated.
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