Named the 2015 Outstanding Leader by Canada’s Women’s Infrastructure Network, Leslie Woo is Metrolinx’s Chief Planning Officer. Responsible for creating and prioritizing the delivery of The Big Move (2008), a comprehensive 25-year transportation plan for Canada’s largest urban region, a plan that has resulted in over $30 billion in public transit investments in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. She is also a champion for driving sustainability, innovation, design excellence and leads Metrolinx’s network for women in management.

As a member of the Metrolinx Senior Management Team, Leslie oversees long range planning, project development, policy research and integrated transit service planning.

Leslie’s expertise in addressing complex urban challenges is evidenced in her leadership role, from discovery to delivery, of the provincially legislated Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan (2006). Over the last nine years, this growth plan has resulted in urban intensification totalling over 18 per cent increase in multi-family residential development and a two-thirds reduction of greenfield lands consumption, and has conserved about 800 square kilometres of agricultural and rural land.

Leslie has also held senior roles with the Toronto 2008 Olympic bid and Toronto Waterfront Regeneration Trust.

She is a 2011/12 Fellow of the International Women’s Forum, a member of several professional organizations, including the Scientific and Strategy Council of the Institut pour la ville en mouvement (IVM); Council of Executive Women; co-Chair of the Urban Land Institute – Women’s Leadership Initiative Outreach Committee; the American Planning Association and a retired member of the Ontario Association of Architects. Leslie holds many community volunteer roles including Vice Chair of the YMCA for the Greater Toronto Area and founder of shebuildscities.org.

Leslie received a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Waterloo where she studied Urban and Regional Planning. She is also the 2015 recipient of the Renison University College Distinguished Alumna Award.