Qualico Recognizes Trailblazers for International Women’s Day

Winnipeg, MB - Coinciding with International Women’s Day, Qualico is proud to launch the Katherine Friesen Trailblazers campaign.

The campaign will recognize the company’s next generation of trailblazers and will highlight the stories of 11 women currently working throughout Qualico’s regions and business units. Shared with Qualico employees through the month of March, the series will showcase the work and achievements of women at Qualico.

The inspiration for this series is rooted in Qualico’s commitment to corporate responsibility and its impact area of gender equality. It also honours the legacy of Katherine Friesen, one of the founders of Qualico and Rancho.

On International Women’s Day in 2021, Qualico announced that Katherine Friesen had been named one of Nellie McClung’s Trailblazers. She was one of 150 women in Manitoba recognized during the province’s 150^th birthday celebrations.

Trailblazers by a more formal definition are people who can take a new or less-traveled path, and by forging the way, make it easier for those who follow. There is an inherent sense of courage and conviction in trailblazers.

The qualities that Katherine was recognized for as part of Manitoba’s 150 women trailblazers in history were connected to her role in the real estate sector. Katherine was one of the first women in the province to be a licensed real estate broker, she is noted to be one of the first to introduce the concept of staging a showhome to attract buyers, and at the time, she was one of a small group of women who wholly owned their own business – Rancho Realty. 

Katherine was known as a person who liked to spearhead opportunities. She was never afraid to be the one to get out in front, whether it was being the first of her peer group to get her driver’s license or being a trailblazer that brought women into the male-dominated business world of real estate.

"To be a trailblazer doesn't necessarily mean you need to be at the top of the ladder, or with many years behind your name," said Kevin Van, President and CEO of Qualico. “A trailblazer can be early in their career, or somebody who is trying something for the first time and isn’t afraid of failure. A trailblazer can be somebody who is an advocate for an important cause in their community or somebody who takes the time to mentor or coach those around them. Ultimately, it is the spirit in which a person approaches their life and life in business that translates to them being considered a trailblazer.”