Alison Beddard: a voice for women in real estate.

AuthorJohnson, Melanie
PositionAround Utah: Spotlight

Alison Beddard has long been an advocate for women in the commercial real estate industry, and her recent appointment as 2016 president of the CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Network will give her an even greater opportunity to make a difference.

Beddard, who serves as director of office and investments at Cushman & Wakefield/Commerce, hopes she can provide an empowering example of the possibilities for women in business. She notes that women make up about 40 percent of the commercial real estate industry, but only 15 percent hold any kind of key leadership role. To her, that's a real disconnect, and she has some big plans to help those numbers change.

For example, the CREW executive team and board of directors just launched a certificate leadership program where agents can earn an industry-level credential based on various areas of commercial real estate. The certificate program includes courses on anything from confidence building to negotiations and public speaking.

"We found that women don't typically get those opportunities in their work life," Beddard says. "And there's no way to break out of your current role if you're not given some tools to build your leadership abilities."

She believes the leadership program will give more women the skills and confidence to pursue leadership roles. "They probably have not been given the same opportunities and connections to get to the senior leadership positions," she says. "We want to put the best minds in the room and ensure everyone has an equal playing field to get there."

As she embarks on this new leadership role with CREW, Beddard hopes to inspire other women to step into leadership roles in any capacity. "For some it will be to reach the C-suite, for...

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