Beth Toon, Director and General Manager of international planning and design firm, Place Design Group has taken out the 2017 UDIA QLD and Frasers Property Women in Leadership Award. Announced at the UDIA QLD conference in Brisbane last Thursday, Beth was honoured for her excellence in leadership within the development industry.
Appointed as the first female Director of Place Design Group in 2016, Beth co-leaders the organisation’s International Investment Team. Her remit has been the commercial growth and evolution of all operational areas including the development of a new, international Quality Management System, HR System, and Rebrand. However, it is Beth’s background in Strategic Communications and Marketing, that has enabled her to apply a fresh approach to planning and design practice internally and externally that has seen the greatest impact for the wider industry.
“It is an extremely exciting time for our industry. With the rapid change in technology, and the immediacy of information, we are now seeing an even greater need for transparency in the planning and development of our cities and towns. This fundamentally requires communications and engagement with the community at the start of the process and continued throughout, to ensure we simplify communication to bridge that gap between technical discussion and stakeholder understanding”, said Beth.
“This is increasingly becoming a real point of difference for the group, and an area I am extremely passionate about. The recent establishment of our Strategic Communications offering is successfully working hand-in-hand with our planning and design teams to demystify industry speak and to better understand and inform our client’s projects. We are finding our Strategic Communications in combination with planning and design practice is now starting to lead the industry in a direction that is better serving our work in city shaping and regional development.”
UDIA Queensland President Stephen Harrison said the awards recognise outstanding women from the Queensland property development industry. “Participation of women in our industry is critical. Diversity broadens the perspective of organisations and that’s a good thing”, Mr. Harrison said.
“It is an honour to be alongside such a prestigious group of individuals, and I am very humbled by the recognition”, said Beth. “Thank you to UDIA Queensland for the award and their work in promoting diversity and leadership within the industry; this award is not only about the empowerment of women and diversity but the empowerment of innovative thought and how we can drive better outcomes for the people we are creating places to live, work and play in.”
Finalists alongside Beth Toon for the Women in Leadership award included;
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