DHI Canada Honours Our “Women In Construction” 2025 - Jennifer McGill

Jennifer McGill, MBA

President

AMBICO Ltd

Responsibilities:

I lead the day-to-day operations of AMBICO including Sales & Marketing, Operations, Finance and HR. 

What led you to the door and hardware industry?

I have spent 25 years of my career in the building materials industry working in Europe and Africa for Holcim-Lafarge (Gypsum) and then upon my return to Canada for Westlake Building Products.  In 2016, I was approached by Graham Thayer, the head of Forte Opening Solutions (Masonite)'s Architectural Division to run the Canadian Operations.  It was a fantastic opportunity to be a country manager and to lead both the Architectural Wood Door business and the Specialty Wood Door businesses in both Canada and the USA.  I was then promoted in 2022 to VP Strategy & Business development working on Strategy, M&A and turnarounds.  In 2023 when Masonite decided to sell the division, I worked with AMBICO to help build their strategic plan and ultimately came on board to help Jack Shinder & Judah Silverman, the owners execute the plan.

How many years have you been in the industry?

I have been in the Door & Hardware industry going on 9 years. I have been in the building materials industry for 25 years.

What was your first job?

My very first job outside of university was as a Manager of Customer Service at Royal Bank.  I was one of two external hires in the Management training program that year.  During this time, I gained experience in running a branch, managing customer service, overseeing the financial aspects of the operation as well as fostering growth within the community through marketing and community involvement.  All these foundational skills have helped me along with my career - managing a team, putting the customer at the center of everything we do and taking care of the bottom line.

What is your proudest professional moment?

I take a lot of pride in the people I have along the way. I remain in touch with a lot of my former employees and continue to mentor them.  My proudest moment was promoting an employee out of Quebec into a leadership role in Ontario.  English was not her first language and the product was complex withvery high  service demands.  With some initial  support, she grew quickly into her new role and her reach has expanded beyond Canada into projects across the border.  In addition, she went to Western and took a Business Degree in English achieving top marks. When I look at all she has overcome to reach her success, it makes me very proud. I always knew she could do it.  She just needed someone to believe in her. Today, Marie France Therrien is the Manager of Customer Service for Forte Openings in Canada.  Anyone who knows her will agree she has achieved great things for herself, the customer and the company.

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge over the past 20 years continues to be finding the right balance right between my professional life and my responsibilities at home.  I have two sons who are now teenagers.  When my eldest son lost his hearing at 15 months old, it set in motion a move back to Canada with two very young children so he could receive cochlear implants.  I took a year off work to help him learn to hear, listen and speak with his technology.  

When we got his diagnosis, the doctor was quite clear to me that I would not be able to work and would need to be by his side to help him catch up, advocate for him and support him. But, that was not a financial possibility for me nor an intellectual one. InsteadI have taught my son to be a fierce advocate for himself and he is ready to fly without my support.  Through him, I was immersed in the challenges of acoustics and inclusivity. He is now 17 and about to go off to university in the fall.  I have spent every free moment with them both but finding that right balance has always been a struggle.

Who do you consider a mentor or hero?

My greatest mentor was my father.  He spent most of his career following a passion for aviation - working at Air Canada and for the last 10 years as CEO of Canadian Liquid Air (Air Liquide).  In my family, women were expected to marry well - perhaps pursue a career in nursing or education until they had children, and then stay home to raise them.  My father did not set the bar very high for my sisters and I — until we started to show an interest in non- traditional careers for women.  We opened his eyes to what was possible for the new generation of women and he quickly became our biggest supporter,  coaching and mentoring us to succeed in a “man's business world” that was slowly becoming more accessible. We had no pressure from him, our drive was self-motivated, but he was right by our side encouraging our success.  We exceeded anything he ever imagined possible for us.

What is the best advice you ever received?

"Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen" - Doug Conant, Former CEO of Campbell Soup and founder of the Higher Ambition Leadership Institute.  I believe that people are inspired by a strong vision and are willing to work hard when you treat them kindness, gratitude andshow up for them when things get challenging. It is important to remember that people have complete lives outside of the workplace and for some, work is where  they go to recharge from a demanding home life.  I do drive for results, but I always try to  lead with kindness and empathy. 

What is the best advice you never received?

""Focus on continuously improving not perfection."  I spent the early part of my career aiming for perfect results, but I learned that steady progress and improvement are what truly matter. Perfection doesn’t really exist - the journey of learning and having a growth mindset ultimately leads to more meaningful achievements.

What changes have you seen in the industry over recent years?

There have been so many changes in the door and hardware industry over the past decade.  Two stand out - with all the acquisitions and consolidations, family-run companies have become part of larger publicly traded companies.  The magic is trying to keep the special characteristics of what made those family businesses great while allowing them to leverage the benefits of being part of a larger organization.  Secondly, there has been a fundamental shift in how we look at doors and hardware — not just as a building product but as an element of design and performance.  This has meant that products need to be looked at as elements of delivering performance (acoustics, safety & security) in the built environment, while looking beautiful for the students, patients, and employees who live and work with these products for decades to come.  Thats quite exciting!

What changes do you see facing our industry in the future?

There are three main changes I see.  1. I think we will continue to see Smart Access Technology become more mainstream on commercial doors.  2. The role of the door and hardware in the performance of the built environment will continue to accelerate. Enhanced security, acoustics, fire retardancy and energy efficiency will continue to play a key role. To get there, manufacturers will need to continue to invest in R&D, material science and sustainability initiatives.  3. We are going to have to work hard to attract another generation of both men and women to the industry to help with this exciting evolution.  

Fun fact you wish to share

When I lived in South Africa, I was incredibly impressed at the determination of women to build businesses and succeed.  South Africa has one of the highest rates of female entrepreneurship in the world, with around 61% of women self-identifying as entrepreneurs. It is still a patriarchal society where men from the country go into the cities to find work leaving women to fend for themselves and their families.  Despite the numerous challenges they face from lack of education to security or access to capital, South African women entrepreneurs are making significant strides in a wide range of industries, from tech to agriculture, fashion to finance.  When I lived there, I was not allowed to have a bank account without my husband as a signatory.  When the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) program came into place to attempt to create more equality between the whites and the blacks, I had the immense privilege of working with an all women mining board.  These ladies were amazing, joyful and extremely hard working.  They got things done to ensure we could open our mine, including securing electricity, building housing for our workers, and obtaining permits for the mine. Truly inspiring!