At a Thursday-morning sales meeting that looked “like a scene out of Suits,” Jennica Palecek clocked two things instantly: she was the youngest person in the room, and one of the only women on the entire floor. For a moment, the former front-row keener at SFU who never hesitated to raise her hand felt her confidence wobble. But she used that discomfort as fuel—rising to associate vice-president at Canada’s largest commercial real estate firm, Colliers, by 29. Today, Palecek advises startups as well as Fortune 100 companies on commercial real estate strategy—where to locate, how to scale and which markets to invest in.
For all her rapid success in commercial real estate, Palecek never included brokerage in her career plan. Armed with a dual business and economics degree and a CFA Level I, she built early experience in New York and Brazil helping founders raise capital. She started at Colliers in a finance role within property management, but her manager soon spotted her talent for working directly with businesses. After pivoting to brokerage, she rapidly expanded her portfolio across Canada and 29 U.S. states, eventually leading one of Montreal’s most notable office relocations for a global public company.
Next, the young VP wants to scale her advisory work to bigger global mandates while continuing to back women founders—especially in femtech, which she notes is still “one of the most underfunded areas.” Her ultimate win? Hearing a woman say, “Your support helped me get here.”
A leadership principle you live by
“Dare beyond the ordinary, think without limits, and lift others as you rise.”
