2022 C-Suite Awards: Large company | Karen Medeiros, Gilbane Building Co. executive vice president and chief marketing officer
As executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Gilbane Building Co. in Providence, Karen Medeiros does more than promote her company. She’s determined to rebrand the construction industry as an inclusive and innovative environment for a new workforce.
“We need to create that sense of purpose for the next generation entering the workforce,” Medeiros said.
Construction and engineering are not areas generally known for representing diverse populations or rapid advances, but Medeiros is constantly looking for opportunities to change the face of the industry through Gilbane’s various marketing outlets, especially social media.
“I look for nontraditional ways to communicate about the industry,” she said. “We find ways to influence the current and future workforce, promoting the trades in schools and other outlets.”
Medeiros is also a member of the national steering committee of empoWer, Gilbane’s internal employee resource group dedicated to advancing women within the company in an industry that is male-dominated. In that role, she provides leadership in the group’s overall direction and focus.
With more than 3,000 employees and 45 offices worldwide, Gilbane has the resources to make a difference, and the commitment.
“In an industry not traditionally known for diversity, Gilbane is shifting the paradigm to create a more inclusive culture in the construction industry,” Medeiros said.
She understands the field, having held a range of roles at Gilbane during her 20-plus years with the company. During her time in business development, Medeiros helped secure projects in Massachusetts, including renovations at high schools in Malden, Quincy, Salem and Worcester; Goodyear Elementary School in Woburn; Worcester Union Station Garage, a new Integrated Science Building for the University of Massachusetts Amherst; and the $250 million Worcester Psychiatric Hospital.
“Karen has been a critical player in the growth and success of this company,” Gilbane CEO and President Thomas M. Laird Jr. said. “She represents our core values and serves as a role model and mentor for employees and members of the community.”
In 2010, Medeiros was picked to lead the creation and implementation of a centralized marketing and sales structure for the entire company, now called Global Sales and Marketing Services.
Along the way, Medeiros was recognized for her collaboration with staff from other departments and, even more critically, for her efforts to recognize and promote successful employees.
“I want to see people thrive. I enjoy seeing others rise in their careers to become happy and successful, then see them influence others to join the field. That’s what success looks like,” Medeiros said in explaining her philosophy.
More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic brought its own challenges to the industry and Medeiros responded immediately. She served as a key member of the company’s Pandemic Response Task Force, ensuring that employees and clients received the latest information on the precautions necessary to keep everyone safe while continuing to get the job done.
Coming out of the pandemic, she wants to make sure companies make the most of lessons learned, particularly when it comes to the need for more flexibility to keep employees satisfied in their jobs.
Medeiros sees it as “an opportunity to lead the way to create a new, more flexible environment. We need to ask ourselves how the workday should look and feel to keep people happy and productive.”
“She is passionate about the company and about the industry and it shows, especially when she sees growth and innovation,” Laird said. “Those are the things that excite her.”
Medeiros is particularly excited about advances in technology in the industry and knows they are a great way to attract young people to the field.
“There is so much innovation in our industry with robotics and other technology,” she said, “and we need to share our knowledge and information to motivate and inspire them to join us.”
