In September 2022, Anna Frattini joined PCL as their new Business Development & Relationships Manager in Northern Ontario. Before that, she held a business development, marketing and communications role at TESC Contracting Company Ltd., worked as a Marketing Manager at engineering firm BESTECH and served as the Manager of Economic Development for the Town of Espanola.
“Frattini’s professionalism, positive attitude and ability to connect with individuals of various backgrounds are unique qualities which are valuable in the construction industry,” says Paul Franklin, PCL’s Area Manager for Northern Ontario. “As a local, she is familiar with both the area and the relevant markets and will be a dedicated resource to address the needs of our regional clients.”
PCL is already well-known and respected for its work in commercial applications, health care, long-term care, bridges and institution-building. Through research, outreach and networking, Frattini will increase awareness that the company is also working in the mining, power generation and forest products markets.
Frattini’s role is new for the Sudbury office, a move that reinforces PCL’s commitment as a solution provider to owners and their construction projects in Northern Ontario. Her goal is to learn about clients’ issues and determine how the company can help.
About Anna Frattini
Anna is skilled at building and strengthening crucial client relationships to generate repeat business. Her interpersonal and communication skills, combined with deep market knowledge, help her to understand and meet the needs of customers.
“With a passion for customer service and a unique client relationship approach, Anna is direct, sincere and high-spirited, yet professional and 100% reliable,” says Franklin. “She has 16 years of experience with construction and working with executives, procurement reps, engineers, suppliers and other industry representatives.”
Having successfully coordinated, led and participated in various construction and community economic development initiatives, Anna’s strong organizational skills help her to manage the information related to leads, opportunities and tenders. She has many years of experience working with a key government and community stakeholders, with whom she established cooperative relationships.
Anna was an inaugural 40 Under Forty award-winner in Sudbury, as chosen by Northern Ontario Business. She holds a Master of Business Administration (International) from Griffith University in Australia and an Honors Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University. Anna is also certified in the Change Management process in accordance with Prosci methodologies and tools from the AdPro and the Change Management Learning Center.
Fluent in both English and French, Anna has several years of managerial experience in both the public and private sectors. Known for her superior writing and presentation skills, she is skilled at gaining tender invitations and awards, developing presentations and crafting proposals and other marketing materials. She is also adept at budgeting, negotiating and coordinating initiatives related to marketing, promotion and business development.
Frattini will manage the PCL Northern Ontario business development practices, creating long-term value and encouraging trust and mutual respect with partners. This includes market research, relationship management, market and business development strategies and proposal and presentation development. Her leadership abilities and involvement in the community will encourage her success.
“Anna brings her strong business education background, market knowledge, existing relationships, resourcefulness and enthusiasm to the PCL team and our markets,” says Franklin. “She’ll be leveraging the growth we have been experiencing as a company. We needed someone to facilitate and manage that growth, and she is well-suited to this role.”
Village Media Content Studio sat down with Anna Frattini to talk about her approach, her community involvement and how she sees her new position unfolding.
VM: What is your approach to working with clients?
AF: I am prepared for every phone call and all meetings. I listen intently, while taking notes that provide me with a point of reference for future discussions. I genuinely want to learn about clients’ needs and understand their pinch points first before determining how the team and I can help. I set follow-up action items and I deliver.
Making clients smile and laugh are wins for me, so I try to keep the mood light while always maintaining a professional setting. I don’t pretend I know everything and am upfront with clients from the beginning—I say I may not be able to answer every question today, but I promise that I will find the answers and that I will get back to them—and I do, which show my dependability and build trust.
VM: How do you see this position influencing PCL in the region?
AF: The company will continue to grow throughout Northern Ontario—not just Sudbury— and address construction needs in all areas, including civil work. We want to create awareness that we serve mining, power generation and forest products clients in Northern Ontario with the goal of becoming top of mind for construction in all industries.
VM: What are you most looking forward to in this new role?
AF: I’m excited to work with and learn from my highly skilled team members who bring decades of commercial and mining experience. I’m looking forward to further expanding my market knowledge in health care, long term care, institutional and commercial markets. And of course, creating new relationships and strengthening existing ones.
VM: What kind of community involvement have you participated in?
AF: I am a former member of the Northridge Savings Credit Union and Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Laurentian University’s Faculty of Management External Advisory Council to the Dean. I’ve played soccer since I was a young girl and have been organizing and managing my women’s team since 2008. I’ve also been President of the Beefsteak and Burgundy Wine Club in Sudbury since 2013, where I oversee operations (financials, volunteer), resources and promote sustainability.
VM: Just curious—what have your impressions been so far?
AF: I love it! It is nice to be part of a close-knit and experienced team in Sudbury, but also have the opportunity to work with proficient support staff and subject matter experts in different offices. I’ve been able to connect our various clients to a network of suppliers across Canada and beyond to assist with realizing their construction projects. I am very impressed with the sophisticated systems and polished procedures that PCL applies to all projects.
PCL’s dedication to Ontario’s North
All of the employees in the Northern Ontario office reside in the region. At PCL, all staff are also employee owners, which is quite rare. Since every individual is a shareholder in the company, each employee has a personal interest in serving their clients.
Some of the project’s PCL has on the go include the construction of a warehouse building and a fabric building with mining leader Glencore and repair and installation work at Scott Falls Hydroelectric Dam. The Sudbury office also has a 258-bed long term care facility for Extendicare which has provided significant job creation and economic growth in the region.
“We are from the North and we are here to serve the region,” says Franklin. “Bringing Anna on board shows our commitment to the region. We want to help Northern Ontario thrive because it’s our home too.”
For more information, visit PCL Construction or call 705-995-2225.