BREAKING NEW GROUND
Julia Zhang JD Development Group
AS A RELATIVE NEWCOMER TO CANADA, I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THIS WAY SO QUICKLY. IT IS EXTREMELY EXCITING AND A HUGE ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHER IMMIGRANT WOMEN WHO, LIKE ME, ARE WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. IT SHOWS THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE, AND FOR THAT I AM VERY THANKFUL — JULIA ZHANG, PRESIDENT/CEO, JD DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Julia Zhang is a pioneer, change-maker and groundbreaker in the traditionally male-dominated construction sector.
For more than a decade Zhang has been driving the development of luxury rental accommodations across southern Ontario for students living away from home. Zhang helped to unleash the potential of this under-serviced niche market and has delivered a new standard of excellence that has proven the demand real, even during the recent downturn, when occupancy remained at 97 per cent.
As president and CEO of JD Development Group, Zhang plays a visionary role with a clear view of what is necessary to accomplish her goals. She understands that to succeed there is a need to surround herself with committed expertise that shares her mission and vision. With several complex projects under development simultaneously — as well as a property management division to oversee — Zhang knows the importance of a cohesive team. She provides that team with a steady hand, open communication, and an environment of continuous improvement.
Zhang is no stranger to challenge. Born and educated in China, Zhang has a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Masters in law. During her university days in Beijing, she witnessed first-hand the effects of the 1989 student democratic movement. “That changed my way of thinking forever. Overcoming the trauma of those events was very difficult,” she says. “I ultimately moved away from the city to the south of China to work in business and entrepreneurship.”
By 2002, Zhang was a mother of two and had established her own business, importing and exporting equipment and heavy machinery. “It was difficult, but also a great experience as it taught me how to manage multiple aspects of my life and work.”
Ultimately, Zhang wanted a different environment in which to raise and educate her young children, and in 2008 she emigrated to Canada. When she arrived, she discovered a deficit in luxury housing for international students, and JD Development Group was born. “At that time, Canada was about a decade behind Europe, the U.K. and U.S. in this area. I wanted to bring a different way of living for those far
away from home. To do it effectively meant listening to parents and students and incorporating their needs into our designs and services.”
Getting started was no mean feat. Securing funding for a new venture is never easy. Add the prospective of an untested sector, along with student residents as the target audience, and the whole venture was viewed with some measure of skepticism. Zhang’s perseverance paid off, however. She was able to find the necessary funds to complete her first two buildings, which opened in Waterloo in 2012 and 2013. Today, just eight short years later, the Waterloo region boasts six buildings in the JD Development Group portfolio.
As the pandemic hit, and with almost half of occupants
being overseas students, JD Development Group was in a potentially precarious position. “COVID-19 taught us to be prepared at all times. It was testing us on our journey. I am a thinker and do a great deal of preparation for everything we do. All the hard work paid off and helped us to work through the crisis. As I read in a book, when making a choice, opt for the more difficult because it will not only prepare you for the now, it will prepare you for the future. That has proven very useful in my career.”
It also proved successful for Zhang’s company — as occupancy rates dropped in other Ontario residences, those for JD Development Group spiked. The organization had its best-ever year financially in 2020. “We proved that safe, good-quality student residences have a great deal of resilience in a downturn,” notes Zhang.
Today, JD Development Group’s student residence properties house close to 3,000 student tenants each year who attend University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College.
The continued success of the organization has helped Zhang move into broader markets. Nine new residential projects are currently under development across Ontario, each selling out as they are listed for purchase. The most recent project coming to market is MW Condos, a contemporary 312-suite high-rise community located adjacent to the Cooksville Go station in Mississauga.
Zhang’s dedication and connection to community runs deep. She has volunteered with the Hong Fook Mental Health Foundation since her early days in Canada and in 2011 became a board director. The association seeks to improve the lives of Asian and other communities across the Greater Toronto Area through a continuum of mental health services. Her contributions have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year through outreach and creative fundraising events.
“I see so many young people who are affected by mental health issues. We must encourage open communication to eliminate the stigma and prevent suicidal thoughts and incidents from happening. We all have to do a little more,” notes Zhang. “In my organization that means designing, planning and providing services in our buildings that put the mental health and stability of our student tenants at the forefront.”
In addition to her work with Hong Fook, Zhang is an avid philanthropist. Her five-year commitment to the Markham Stouffville Hospital is helping to fund the MSH Care Beyond Our Walls strategic initiative. The goal is to provide proactive patient care through community service organizations that creates a seamless transition from hospital to home. She also helped to raise more than 100,000 units of PPE for the hospital’s health-care workers during the pandemic through the Markham Cares Campaign. In 2019, JD Development Group donated a $1.45 million property to the Dream Home Lottery in support of hospitals in London, Ont. Zhang also supports a great many community groups including student sports, music, engineering and social clubs.
Julia Zhang is a recipient of the WXN BMO Entrepreneurs Award. She is a role model for women everywhere and an inspiring leader to those in the construction industry.
A choice of careers that go beyond gender norms is something that comes naturally, says Zhang. “I have an active mind that wants to learn and I love a challenge. To develop a strategy, negotiate the deal, break barriers and be successful in your own enterprise is both interesting and rewarding,” she says.
In today’s changing world, full of new opportunities for women, Zhang advises aspiring young professionals to be open-minded and keep learning new things. “I am still taking e-cornell courses to expand my mind, and enriching my life by learning golf. Life must have balance.”
Zhang never imagined she would be considered a change-maker. “I grew up in a family filled with love. My father influenced me a great deal and he shaped who I am today. He was a role model and teacher full of integrity and humility. I wish he were here to see all that I have achieved,” she says. “Along the way there have been a lot of other supporters — I simply moved the stone and people started to follow. That is how change happens.”
Achieving this award is one of the proudest moments of her life, she adds. “As a relative newcomer to Canada, I never expected to be recognized in this way so quickly. It is extremely exciting and a huge encouragement to other immigrant women who, like me, are working hard to achieve success. It shows that dreams can come true, and for that I am very thankful.”