Colleen Munro - recognized advocate for women in leadership and female leader in a male-dominated industry.
Established business owner in heavy construction and proven entrepreneurial innovator.
Recognized internationally for women in leadership advocacy.
Established leader in northern and Indigenous communities.
Upon high school graduation, when her friends were going travelling "to find themselves," Colleen Munro's dad told her she could be "found" by walking across the yard and getting to work on the family business. Colleen immediately got to work on the legacy heavy construction company started by her late father, Hugh. Still, any privilege or special treatment that came with the Munro name was buried like a freshly laid pipe underneath a newly paved road.
Colleen was often delegated the hardest and grittiest jobs on the construction site by her dad, "Hughie," a poster boy for the old boys' club, who was relentlessly tough on Colleen, and everyone around her at the company soon followed her father's tough-guy lead with enthusiasm, most notably the other men. While she was knocked down many times on the job, both figuratively and literally, she constantly challenged herself to get back up, steadfast in her resolve to not let the boys bury her.
Four decades later (and counting!) Colleen shares she ultimately benefited from Hughie's "help," taking over the company and leading it through an excruciating yet groundbreaking period of innovation that has seen The Munro Group expand into extremely successful new ventures. Along the way, Colleen has become an internationally recognized advocate for women in leadership and a sought-after advisor and speaker for her business acumen. She not only survived but thrived in the long run due to her experience of being thrust into a business led by a heavily dysfunctional family in a notoriously male-dominated industry. Accordingly, Colleen has learned some extraordinary lessons in life and business from the ol' boys' club, and you will, too.
In Colleen’s popular keynote presentation, Lessons From the Old Boys Club: A Girl’s Guide to Building a Better Business, you will:
Learn Colleen’s top-five professional Dig Deep Lessons learned from running a family business, transitioned from an enigmatic first-generation owner.
Learn Colleen’s top five personal Bury or Beware Lessons that will keep you savvy and sane in any industry that may not always welcome you – at first.
And more!
Colleen is an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the 38 Combat Engineer Regiment
Colleen was board chair of the Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC) from 2017 - 2023
Colleen was the first female chair of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association from 1996 - 1998
For more information about Colleen Munro or to book her now for your event or conference, please Contact Us.
