Women at the Core of Building Smarter Sustainable Futures

Joane St-Onge is a visionary leader in engineering with a human-centred strategic approach. She has headed multidisciplinary teams in large-scale infrastructure and R&D undertakings, with innovation as a growth vehicle. She is a Vice President at Norda Stelo and advocates for a sustainable management of assets in line with an impact-driven business.

In conversation with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Joane shares her thoughts on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion redefining the infrastructure in the future. She emphasizes on the strategic position of the engineering profession, intelligence in groups and the leadership of women in building resilient systems, responsible and future-ready systems.

In today’s shifting infrastructure landscape, where sustainability and lifecycle value dominate, what could define tomorrow’s competitive advantage?

In a context where infrastructures are reaching the end of their first life cycle and many emerging issues are reshaping priorities, the often-overlooked element is the ability to integrate asset sustainability as a strategic lever, not merely as a regulatory or technical constraint. Tomorrow’s competitive advantage will not lie solely in technology or cost, but in the ability to embody a sustainable, strategic, and integrated vision of asset management. We must therefore evolve toward an approach based on predictive intelligence to anticipate failures and optimize investments.

How can engineering services reframe infrastructure from a technical discipline into a strategic enabler of climate resilience, community well-being, and inclusive economic growth?

Modern engineering must follow an impact-driven approach, where every infrastructure becomes an opportunity to generate lasting benefits.

It’s not only about extending the lifespan of infrastructures, but also about reducing the extraction of new resources and integrating eco-responsible solutions from the design stage. This approach directly contributes to climate resilience by limiting emissions and optimizing material usage.

From a social perspective, engineering can play a key role by addressing local needs, ensuring the safety of facilities, and promoting inclusion.

Finally, by adopting an innovation-focused strategy, engineering can support inclusive economic growth. This means creating value not only for clients, but also for communities and ecosystems in which projects are embedded.

In a sector still navigating legacy systems, what challenges are embedded in innovation without compromising the stability and trust stakeholders expect from infrastructure projects?

Integrating innovation remains a delicate balancing act. On one hand, it’s essential to preserve stakeholder trust, which often relies on proven practices. On the other, it’s imperative to evolve to meet new technological, environmental, and social demands.

One of the main challenges lies in the ability to make emerging technologies coexist with existing systems. This requires a gradual approach, grounded in listening to field needs, validating solutions in real-world contexts, and establishing clear innovation governance.

It’s not simply about adopting new tools, but about rethinking processes, skills, and collaboration models. Innovation must be aligned with a strategic vision, supported by reliable data, and integrated into a value-driven logic for users, communities, and partners.

What structural shifts are needed in project governance to truly integrate collective intelligence from frontline workers to AI to unlock breakthrough solutions across an asset’s lifecycle?

For several years, our strategy has led us to implement structural transformations to meet this ambition. We first integrated the use of collaborative technological platforms such as the Stelar platform, which combines collective intelligence with the use of AI, we established a governance committee to oversee the ethical and strategic use of data, including those generated by AI and analytical systems and finally, we strengthened our culture of innovation and collaboration, which is based on openness to innovation, talent mobilization, and co-creation of solutions with clients. Valuing collective intelligence as a strategic lever enables us to enhance impact and sustainability.

These structural changes transform project governance into a true engine of innovation, by integrating human and technological knowledge to generate high-impact solutions.

How can women in infrastructure leadership rewrite the dominant decision-making norms to ensure sustainability isn’t just a deliverable, but a lived and measurable mindset across organizations?

The diversity of identities fuels creativity and innovation. Through inclusive leadership, women foster more equitable, innovative, and high-performing workplaces. Their presence transforms professional environments into spaces that are more attuned to diversity.

Today, women represent approximately 20 to 30% of engineering professionals worldwide. This diversity is far more than a matter of equity—it is a powerful driver of innovation. The more diverse the teams, the more creative the solutions they develop to complex challenges.

To make sustainability a mindset rather than just a deliverable, women leaders can transform organizational culture by promoting inclusive, multidisciplinary teams and embedding environmental and social responsibility into every decision. It’s about redefining how we envision the future.

LAST WORD: Advice for Women Leaders on Balancing Discipline & Empathy in Male-Dominated Industries

The world is undergoing profound transformation. In this context, process optimization and the pursuit of performance are reaching new heights. Yet, people and their core values remain essential. Discipline delivers technical results, but empathy, combined with a strong sense of values, offers a 360-degree perspective that enriches business decisions.

To create real impact, it’s vital to balance bold decision-making, the reach of our actions, and the power of innovative solutions. The harmony between rigor and sensitivity fosters a global, inclusive, and sustainable vision. Driving meaningful change means placing people at the heart of every action. It’s not just about shaping the future, it’s about reimagining it with boldness and creativity. This is a powerful path toward a more innovative world.