Samuel Fuller and Jennifer Arbuckle say they want to balance “tradition and innovation” as they take on new leadership roles within the family business, the 86-year-old Fuller Group of Companies.
Last month, the company’s board announced that Fuller would be stepping into the role of president of Thomas Fuller Construction, while Arbuckle takes over as president of Metview Realty and Metcalfe Realty Company Limited.
The promotions come after Bill Fuller and Antony Fuller “effectively resigned” as presidents of those organizations in May.
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“We have decided to step out of daily operations to fully devote the balance of our careers within the Family Business, at the Board level, working on vision, strategy, direction, oversight, mentoring and succession,” they announced in a memorandum from the board last month.
For Arbuckle, the intention was not to follow in her father’s footsteps.
“I went to school for sports medicine,” she told OBJ on Monday. “But it’s funny. I asked my dad for a summer job (in the family business) and fell in love with the people and the world. Now I’m in year 15 of my summer job.”
Arbuckle started within the company with a focus on leasing and property management but over the years expanded into facilities management, earned her brokers licence, and became a chair of BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) Ottawa.
She said she started as a leasing coordinator before going on to become a broker and later a broker of record in 2020. Still, she said, the most recent decision was “a bit of a surprise.”
“I thought maybe it was a couple of years off,” she said. “So it’s a huge encouragement and vote of confidence from our family, that they know we’re ready for it.”
Unlike Arbuckle, Fuller said he knew what he wanted to do by age 12.
“I got into constructions at a very young age, it was sort of a passion of mine,” he told OBJ. “As a kid, I joked with my dad that I’d thought about it long and hard and I’m pretty sure this is what I want to get into. He sort of went, ‘Are you sure? You don’t have to do what I do.’”
Like Arbuckle, Fuller said he took to the work immediately.
He spent some time with PCL Construction working as a field engineer while he was in school before joining Thomas Fuller Construction in 2010. Starting as a surveyor, he rose through the ranks to field engineer and then coordinator and has now been a project manager since 2015. He has also been manager of business development for almost as long.
According to the memo from the company’s board, technology innovations and new challenges prompted the leadership change.
“Change is not only inevitable, it is required to ensure the future prosperity for all concerned. We learned from our father who embraced advancements in technology, tactics and situational awareness,” read the memo. “The next few years will bring new challenges resulting from AI and the external factors on the Canadian economy from the unpredictable policies in the USA. However, with every seismic shift, new opportunities emerge.”
Fuller said he’s learned a lot during his years with the company that he can apply to future challenges.
“There was a massive technological leap in 2009 to 2013,” he said. “Coming into Fuller (at the time) and learning all the old systems was, I think, instrumental. Anytime a new system would come in to make your life easier — if you don’t know the fundamentals and the first principles of how to do things, it doesn’t matter what the system is.”
Fuller and Arbuckle agree that they want to bring the company into the future without losing sight of the past.
“I don’t see it as, I’m replacing my father as president,” Arbuckle said. “I see it as, I’m carrying forward his values and putting my own energy into the role. I’m very fortunate to work alongside my cousin Sam. Both our dads have set up that standard of excellence and we get to work together to balance tradition and innovation.”
Other people on the move
CityBuildHERS co-founder Kristen Buter announced this week that she will be taking on a new role as general manager of Ottawa-based real estate firm Cavanagh Realty Inc. In a post on LinkedIn, Buter said the new position is the kind that “you just can’t walk away from.” Buter brings more than a decade of experience, including leadership roles as executive coordinator for Bassi Construction and vice-president positions with JB Holdings and Mastercraft Starwood.
Pankaj Mehta has been appointed general manager of the future Moxy Ottawa hotel in the ByWard Market. Construction remains underway, with the hotel expected to open in early 2026. On LinkedIn, the hotel said Mehta brings 17 years of experience in hospitality with brands such as Hilton, Radisson, Best Western and Days Inn. Most recently he served as regional director of performance for Tasico Hospitality, where he oversaw hotels in Cincinnati and Ottawa. His work has taken him from North America and Europe to the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
After a 38-year career with Ottawa property investor Regional Group, John Clark is retiring from his role of vice-president of its tax and valuation department. The company said on LinkedIn that Clark has been a long-standing leader in the company and a “pillar of the appraisal community.” In addition to his decades-long career with Regional Group, the company said Clark’s influence extended beyond his role, including as president of the Appraisal Institute of Canada in 2001.
Hats off!
Two Ottawa companies have been nominated for the fifth annual Ontario Made Awards, which recognize manufacturers and retailers for helping consumers make informed choices through awareness of locally made products. Disegno Fine Jewellery, which is owned by Pamela Coulston and located in the ByWard Market, and Gloucester manufacturer Ambico Limited, which specializes in doors, frames and windows, were among multiple nominees from across Ontario.
The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) announced finalists for its 2025 Awards of Distinction and this year’s group includes two Ottawa-based companies. Amsted Design-Build, which specializes in planning and executing home renovations, is up for two awards: small volume builder of the year and renovator of the year. In the latter category, the company is joined by fellow Ottawa finalist Lagois Design Build Renovate, which provides services for renovations, additions and custom homebuilding. Winners will be announced at the 2025 OHBA Conference awards gala on Sept. 30.
