Young CEO raises the bar for green design and women in business
At the age of 33, Cassandra Nordell has accomplished more in her career than your average 30-something. The CEO of design firm William Standen Co. in Sarnia, ON, Canada has already received numerous commendations after co-founding the firm with her husband, Patrick MacLean, in 2010. Nordell holds the title of one of the top 100 female Canadian entrepreneurs as ranked by Canadian Business magazine in 2016. She was also recognized in the PROFIT 500 for leading the fourth fastest-growing consumer services and construction company in Canada. And, in 2014, she was named to the NKBA’s “30 Under 30.”
Nordell believes that good design can have a true impact, changing the way people live. In the same vein, it can also have a positive impact on the environment. In keeping with those ideas, she has made sure that William Standen Co. remains a leader in green design, and that each project the firm takes on has a green element to it. The result has been numerous green design awards. “We were green from the get-go, despite the lack of interest. It has always been important to me to provide healthier spaces for our community and clients,” she says. Nordell plans to take her firm’s award-winning green-design consciousness and expand it into multiple Canadian cities in the future.
