Meet Nicole White

What is your role at Avison Young?

Principal and Legal Counsel. I am responsible for providing legal support in connection with the company’s strategic growth initiatives, including the hiring, engagement and compensation of Avison Young’s personnel. I also provide advice and counsel to HR on various employment-related matters. Finally, I serve as secretary of the company’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee.

How did you get into commercial real estate?

While there are some people who seek out careers in real estate, in my case, I think it is more apt to say that real estate found me. I was previously working in the legal department of a fortune 100 company in an unrelated industry when the opportunity to join Avison Young’s legal department came across my radar. After learning more about the company and the state of the industry, I was thrilled at the opportunity to join a company with such a disruptive presence in an ever-changing business environment.

What is the best advice you've ever received?

Do not be afraid to seek opportunities outside of your comfort zone. If you are comfortable, you are not growing. I received this piece of advice from one of my mentors, Michele Mayes (General Counsel of the New York Public Library) and it gave me the courage I needed to leave my very first legal job after eight years in search of a more dynamic, growth opportunity – which I am grateful to have found here at Avison Young.

What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?

Be kind to yourself. If there is one thing I’ve learned from all of the mistakes I’ve made along the way, it is that I am often my harshest critic. There isn’t much that can’t be fixed, and we should all give ourselves the grace to fail, to learn from failure and to grow.