Susan Tienhaara
Quality Manager Govan Brown & Associates Ltd.
My current role as Quality Manager has developed into a multi-faceted job description, from Pre-Con constructability reviews to engaging the site management teams to implementing Quality Checklists, Quality Site Audits for Quality Control issues and reviewing projects after completion for Lessons Learned. My skills and experiences are focused on Corporate Interior Design, Healthcare and Institutional Design in both private and public sector businesses. I hold BCIN Qualification for Large, Small (House), Legal with the Building Code Act 1992 and the Ontario Building Code. Part 9 study in progress for HCRA certification. I was appointed to the “Ontario Buildings Materials Evaluation Commission (BMEC)” by the Lieutenant Governor, with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) for the maximum term of 10 years.
Seminars
- Embedding quality at the RFP and estimating stage to define realistic quality budgets and turnover strategy from day one
- Partnering with estimators, designers, and trades early to strengthen constructability, reduce scope gaps, and prevent downstream rework
- Managing evolving bid documents and design changes collaboratively to protect cost control and schedule certainty
- Shifting from a policing mindset to a support mindset to build trust and demonstrate that quality is there to assist, not expose
- Equipping QC teams with the soft skills to handle difficult conversations while balancing collaboration with contractual compliance
- Teaching risk-based decision-making under schedule pressure, so teams know when to stand firm and how to defend the standards professionally
