Julie Ricketts Daniel never set out to be a real estate executive. With a degree in commerce from Concordia University and an early career in procurement, she joined Bell Canada in 2000 as a category manager. What she did have, though, was a keen eye for structure, a natural inclination for leadership when the moment called for it, and a commitment to bridging business needs with operational excellence. Those attributes—paired with humility, discipline, and a collaborative spirit—would ultimately pave the way for her ascent to vice president of real estate for one of Canada’s largest and most iconic companies.
Julie Ricketts Daniel | Bell Canada | VP of Real Estate
Today, Ricketts Daniel oversees a vast nationwide real estate portfolio spanning thousands of sites. Her journey from negotiating contracts in procurement to leading a team of 200 professionals across four specialized departments is one marked by continuous learning, trust-building, and an unshakable belief in the power of people.
Before stepping into her current role in 2022, Ricketts Daniel took on two strategic positions within Bell’s real estate division—first in governance and then in asset management. Though she had no formal background in real estate, her years in procurement had equipped her with transferable skills in contract negotiation, performance management, and business intelligence. When the asset management director position opened, she didn’t land it initially, but the opportunity came back around. By then, she had completed a one-year graduate certificate program in commercial real estate at Harvard, built a network of industry professionals, and deepened her understanding of the field from every angle.
That investment paid off. She not only secured the role but also gained valuable on-the-ground experience that would prove critical when she was tasked with leading Bell’s operational response from a buildings perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coordinating large-scale logistics, guiding teams through unprecedented uncertainty, and ensuring business continuity cemented her status as a trusted leader.
“I had to rely on my team and build that trust over time,” she says. “We’ve been able to create something really special—a team that knows how to communicate, knows when to ask for help, and understands that our work is visible across the company.”
Four teams, one mission
Under Ricketts Daniel’s leadership, Bell’s real estate division is organized into four key areas: facilities engineering, operations, energy and project management, and asset management and workplace experience. Together, these teams manage a sprawling and complex portfolio that includes network infrastructure sites, work centers, media and broadcast locations, and administrative buildings, though not retail stores or towers.
The engineering team, comprising mechanical and electrical engineers, architects and other infrastructure experts, focuses on foundational systems and ensures the operational integrity of mission-critical environments. Facility managers in the operations team oversee day-to-day functions and are often responsible for multiple buildings, balancing the needs of both people and essential equipment.
Then there’s the energy transformation and project management team, a group tasked with executing up to two dozen energy optimization initiatives at any given time and over 1,000 projects annually in base building infrastructure upgrades (think generators, emergency power, transformers, cooling units, chillers, structural–roofing, building facades, etc.).
Given that Bell consumes significant power across its portfolio, this team is a vital lever for cost control. Projects may include installing new HVAC systems with smart controls, implementing free cooling strategies during heatwaves, or deploying alternative power sources—all to support a capital budget ranging from $75 million to $100 million annually.
Finally, the asset management and workplace team is responsible for leasing, acquisition, disposition, and overall optimization of Bell’s real estate assets. This team led a landmark consolidation initiative, which reduced the company’s administrative footprint by nearly 30 percent—from 12 million square feet to a more sustainable volume—by introducing shared work environments, terminating underutilized leases, and repurposing space.
“We weren’t just shoving people into smaller spaces,” Ricketts Daniel explains. “We were reimagining what the workplace could look like—adding larger monitors, sit-stand desks, open collaborative areas, a better choice of work postures, more access to natural light and thoughtful design that makes people want to come in.”
Smart spaces & strategic impact
The workplace consolidation effort, dubbed “Smart Spaces,” wasn’t just a cost-saving initiative—it was a cultural shift. Rolled out in the summer of 2020 and supported at the highest levels of leadership, the program ultimately impacted thousands of employees across more than 15 major locations. The timing was ideal; the pandemic had forced a reckoning with remote work, and Bell, like many organizations, recognized an office vacancy rate even before COVID. The shift to hybrid work simply accelerated the move toward more flexible, collaborative, and engaging work environments.
Crucially, the business units within Bell were eager participants in the journey.
“We had an excess of office space, and our business partners had the appetite to join us in solving that problem,” Ricketts Daniel says. “We showed that it wasn’t just about cutting back. It was about making spaces better—more aligned with how people work throughout a day.”
That people-first mindset is a direct extension of Bell’s broader values. The company’s Bell Let’s Talk campaign has been a leader in raising awareness and access to mental health services across Canada. Internally, that translates to creating environments where employees can thrive—physically, mentally, and professionally.
Ricketts Daniel and her team continue to evolve their approach, always looking for ways to enhance the occupant experience while supporting the company’s operational and environmental goals. From landscaping and parking improvements to energy-efficient infrastructure upgrades, each project is viewed through a lens of both performance and well-being.
Leadership, humility & vision
What sets Ricketts Daniel apart as a leader is her blend of structure and openness. She embraces systems and processes that ensure consistent delivery across a vast portfolio, while also carving out space for creativity and innovation.
“You can’t have a large organization and a large portfolio without structure,” she says. “But you also have to be flexible and humble enough to listen to new ideas and know you don’t have all the answers. That’s why you have a team.”
That mindset has allowed her to grow into leadership rather than chase it. From organizing dance rehearsals in high school to large cultural events in college, to stepping up during corporate transitions, she has always responded to need with action.
“I never sought out leadership roles,” she reflects. “But when there was a gap, I wanted to fill it. That’s always been who I am.”
Her early experiences in procurement taught her how to manage contracts, stakeholders, and most importantly, outcomes—a skillset that transferred seamlessly into real estate governance. But it was the relationships she cultivated, the networks she built, and the trust she earned that truly propelled her.
“I came into the real estate team with no experience, but I understood governance, how to structure teams and the importance of execution,” she says. “What I needed was to learn the business, listen to the experts, and build credibility over time.”
She now brings that credibility to the table every day, whether she’s collaborating with HR to enhance workplace engagement or guiding her team through complex infrastructure projects. She views her team not just as operators, but as strategic business partners who drive value across the organization.
“We’re not just property managers,” she says. “We’re enablers of business success.”
A legacy of excellence
As Bell continues to modernize its facilities and embrace a future shaped by flexibility, sustainability, and innovation, Julie Ricketts Daniel remains at the forefront of that transformation. Her leadership embodies the values of a company that prioritizes doing right by its people and the communities it serves.
The real estate function she leads is no longer just about bricks and mortar. It’s about creating spaces where employees can do their best work, enabling infrastructure that supports vital services, and ensuring Bell remains agile and responsive in an ever-changing world.
There will always be challenges, she acknowledges—but those challenges are what make the work meaningful.
“What I’m most proud of,” she says, “is how we’ve built trust—with our teams, our partners, and across the company. You can see it in the spaces we create, the building resiliency we support and the value we deliver. That’s what success looks like.”
And it’s a success story still in progress—built on a foundation of humility, strategic thinking, and a deep respect for the people who make it all possible.
Corporations managing nationwide real-estate portfolios — such as Bell Canada — often need dedicated HR & people-operations staffing for maintenance, compliance and operations across multiple sites.
