Suzanne Wiehler

Meet Suzanne Wiehler

What is your role at Avison Young?

Senior Property Manager.

How did you get into commercial real estate?

I started my career in 1985 working in the engineering and land surveying business for new home developments as an administrative assistant/contracts administrator. In 1994, when Ontario experienced an economic recession and a slump in new home developments, I took a position as an administrative assistant for a small property management company that provided property management services for distressed and takeback properties for mortgage companies. Over the past 27 years I've managed just over 4 million square feet of office, industrial and commercial real estate for companies such as O&Y Enterprise, Summit REIT and for the past 16 years for Avison Young.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life?

My mom, Emily. My mom's an amazing woman. She was a loyal and beloved daughter and a dear sister. Then she met my dad, and became his true love, his wife, his best friend, and his life partner for 60 years. Over a period of 13 years, she and my dad had five children and she became a strong yet warm, nurturing, and loving mom, and eventually a much loved and devoted gramma to her 10 grandchildren and great gramma to her 7 great-grandchildren.

After spending 18 years as a full-time mom, in 1972 at the age 39, she returned to the work force and took a position as an invoicing clerk with a large international watch company. 24 years later she retired as a senior manager of operations for Seiko Canada. Through it all she managed to maintain a balance in both her personal and profession life. At 88 years young she lives happily and independently in her home in Bobcaygeon, does all her own gardening and lawns, enjoys oil painting and having her large extended family visit her. She's my biggest supporter, confidante, favourite style icon, most adventurous travel and shopping companion and I simply could not have had a better labour coach. She's so much more than just my mom — she's my teacher, my strength, my greatest cheerleader, my trusted advisor and one of my dearest best friends.

What advice would you give women starting out in real estate?

Be true to yourself and your core values. In both your professional and personal relationships, always look to lead, inspire, and mentor women to embrace their power, purpose, and value, to take responsibility and control for living the lives they love as they aspire to achieve their personal and professional happiness, fulfillment and success, and to ignite their passion to make a positive contribution by being leaders to those women who will come after us.

This year's IWD theme is Choose to Challenge. What do you choose to challenge or celebrate to help create more inclusion in your community?

I challenge all women to support and lift each other up. No matter where you are in life, inspire and empower the women around you. Success is never achieved alone, and it’s so much sweeter when it’s shared. We hesitate, we question ourselves, and sometimes we let our lack of confidence hold us back. It’s much easier for you to spot the potential in another woman than it is for her to see it in herself. Encourage women to put up their hands for new opportunities, to apply for promotions, to ask for training, to seek mentors. Hold a women’s hand when she wants courage, give her a push when she needs it, and keep reminding her of her talents and abilities. There are some women who will find it easy to pull or keep others down. Be the kind of woman who raises another woman up.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

For the past 12 years, for two long weekends each September, I've captained a 54-foot houseboat in the Kawartha Lakes with two groups of 12 amazing women, all of whom are in the property management industry.

What women’s organizations would you recommend other women get involved with?

CREW, L3 - Networking Made for Success of which I'm a Partner, AY Women's Network. Support and volunteer with charities which support women, such as Ernestine's Women's Shelter and Dress for Success.