Landscape management can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Challenges for sustainable development become evident in the emergence of land-use conflicts. Facing multiple, and in sometimes conflicting land-use objectives and policies, it can help elaborate on the potential of landscape management to support multi-functionality and integration across various sectors and scales. To face these conflicts a sustainable solution is required.
Meet Kimberly Khoury, the Chief Commercial Officer and Vice President of Sustainability at Clintar Commercial Outdoor Services; one of the largest, most widely recognized commercial landscaping companies in Canada. Kimberly manages a variety of projects involving customer service, operations, sales, marketing, and human resources.
Stronger Roots
With a Master’s degree, over 23 years of international work experience, and over 20 years as a high ranking executive, Kimberly’s passion is working alongside others, and leveraging her extensive business background to empower and help other’s achieve success.
Kimberly laid the foundation and set out on the path to leading Clintar-founded organization – Women of Commercial Landscaping (WCL) – to empower other women to reach similar success. She has worked to encourage women to gain confidence in their decisionmaking, enrich themselves through education, and fulfil their leadership potential in their chosen fields.
Transformational Change
Kimberly’s degree changed her life. When she was younger, she did not believe in education, which caused her to struggle in school – it took her a while to decide what she wanted to study. As she got older and had children, she wanted to show them that their mother had a dream to finish her education, and she accomplished that goal.
After going back to school, when she was 19, Kimberly got on her first international plane to the Middle East. This was an experience she will never forget, as it was her first time traveling long-distance. She was supposed to be travelling from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom, but she got on the wrong plane and was headed for Switzerland!
A humorous story that brought a great learning experience. Traveling abroad allowed Kimberly to support, and be supported by differing cultures to help build a solid work ethic around diversity.
Facing Hurdles and Overcoming them
Kimberly has persevered through a stringent, long learning curve on the path to her career in a historically male-dominated industry, but she believes that her career chose her, and for a good reason.
Kimberly excels in managing a variety of projects involving customer service, operations, sales, marketing, and human resources.
Kimberly states, “plowing snow for our customers at 30°C temperatures late at night is not your typical nine to five job; it takes a strong individual to complete these tasks, and more females are taking on snow removal and everything that goes with it.”
Maintaining Stability of Life & Work
It has not been easy to maintain a professional and personal balance, but Kimberly believe that her ability to multi-task has helped. Although it has not always been easy, she has been fortunate to have had a family who believe in her, as well as a management teams that have supported her throughout her journey.
Kimberly is extremely proud to have been able to raise her children and help them reach their goals, including attending college, while still excelling in her professional career.
Coherent Solutions
Clintar’s solutions are diverse, to begin with, as they provide complete business solutions for every aspect of a client’s commercial outdoor management needs.
Clintar aims to make it easy and seamless for its target audience to manage their properties, and the goal is to obtain a total share of wallet of all service requests for a customer’s exterior space. From landscape design, snow removal services, and irrigation to parking lot services and signpost repairs; Clintar’s got it covered.
Foreseeable Future
Clintar’s standards and practices are rooted in preserving natural resources for a positive environmental impact and protection of our earth for future generations. As a company offering landscape management and snow and ice removal services, Clintar understands the importance of sustainable practices and the ability to make a significant impact by way of small changes.
Clintar’s goal is to become the North American sustainability leader in the field of landscape management and snow removal. Their work towards a brighter future through the reduction of emissions and eco-friendly practices continues to grow. Clintar is committed to ensuring client success by helping them to be more sustainable and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint through green projects and practices; making our environment a better place for everyone.
Kimberly continues to play a founding, operational role in Clintar, Clintar C.A.R.E.S., and Women of Commercial Landscaping. She has not only made strides towards achievements in her career and industry – but she has also committed to helping others excel. She is laying stepping stones for the success of future generations.
Enriching Achievements
Kimberly’s focus on business and education has led her to become passionate about carving a path that would lead her to make a difference through her industry. She embodies Clintar’s dedication to sustainability, Ecofriendly initiatives, and commitment towards a brighter future. Through her coaching and mentor-ship style of leadership, Kimberly has led her team to many successes, including the achievement of multiple awards and certifications.
In 2019, Kimberly received silver for Woman of the Year at the International Business Awards and led Clintar to win bronze for the Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year. She has played an integral role in Clintar being announced as a winner of Deloitte’s 2019 Canada’s Best Managed Companies award and becoming certified as a Great Place to Work by Great Place to Work Institute Canada.
Kimberly has also played an integral role in Clintar receiving the Franchisees’ Choice Designation in 2018, as well as becoming the first Canadian landscape and snow removal corporation to get their Corporate Social Responsibility Practitioner (CSRP) certification.
Paving Ways for Uprising Leaders
Through Women of Commercial Landscaping, Kimberly has worked towards her goal of fostering a culture of empowerment, and “women supporting women” in industries like her own, which have been traditionally male-dominated – especially at the senior executive level. Kimberly believes it is essential to get involved in whatever you set your mind to and to persevere towards your goals, despite challenges.
Kimberly believes that the key to being a successful businesswoman starts with courage; the courage to try anything you set your mind. She believes that confidence is key to accomplishing goals, and that ambition, determination, and passion are the backbone to success.