A company that champions diversity
During the welcome remarks, Crystelle Cormier, Executive Director of Les Elles de la construction, and Pierre-Philippe Guérette, General Manager of Centura, highlighted the importance of this gathering.
Beyond showcasing the branch’s expansion, Centura wanted to shine a light on the leadership of Catherine Martineau, who led the expansion of the Quebec City facilities from start to finish.
Diversity is also at the heart of the company’s culture: the branch’s management team is made up of 12 people, six women and six men. Pierre-Philippe Guérette sees this balance as a real strength.
Established in Quebec for 60 years, Centura is also preparing to celebrate Centura Canada’s 100th anniversary in 2029.
Catherine Martineau: authentic leadership
A highlight of the evening, Catherine Martineau’s talk shared a vision of leadership grounded in competence, perseverance, collaboration and authenticity.
For her, the goal is not to be recognized for being a woman, but for the value of her contribution, her ability to rally her team and the results she achieves. Her journey shows how important it is to stay true to yourself and build on your strengths to move things forward.
Her message to women looking to grow in the industry was especially powerful:
“You don’t need to become someone else to be credible. You don’t need to speak louder than everyone else. You don’t need to take on a personality that isn’t yours. Be yourself, but be prepared, be curious, be capable, be present, and above all, don’t be afraid to take your place. Because taking your place doesn’t mean taking someone else’s. It simply means accepting that yours exists.”
Catherine Martineau also stressed the importance of normalizing women’s presence in every sector where they want to work and have the skills to succeed, without their sex or identity ever being a limitation.
Her message echoes the mission of Les Elles de la construction: to promote recognition of women’s skills and enable them to contribute fully to the industry’s evolution.
A tour full of discoveries and conversations
As soon as they arrived, guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks while getting to know one another in a warm, relaxed atmosphere.
The spacious, bright and welcoming showroom gave them a glimpse of the environment where the Centura Québec team works. Catherine Martineau then guided groups through the warehouse, sharing fun anecdotes about the various stages of construction along the way.
To make networking easier, Centura had also prepared stickers designed especially to spark conversations. This thoughtful touch helped create new connections within the community.
Les Elles de la construction warmly thanks Centura, Pierre-Philippe Guérette, Catherine Martineau and the whole team for their generous welcome and this inspiring evening, which highlighted the importance of collaboration and of recognizing every talent.
Relive the event in pictures
Relive the best moments of the event by browsing all the photos below.
