How I got to where I am today

I’m the Head of Social Impact and Inclusion at BAM Nuttall. That means I’m responsible for the strategy around how our company creates value for society, stakeholders and customers in the communities we work. From creating employment opportunities for under-represented groups to enhance social mobility, to donating our time and resources to local charities and enterprises we make sure our work has a positive impact. I love my job because I get to help people.

I came through a non-traditional route, starting as an administrator! I had a genuine interest for the construction industry early on, and spent time trying out different things such as commercial, procurement, and health, safety and environment.

I started to take a real interest in what was called ‘CSR’ back then (corporate social responsibility) when I worked on a hospital refurbishment project in Leeds in 2008. The project team raised a large amount of money for the paediatric oncology wing to buy toys for the sick children. It was so moving to see their faces when we handed out computer games and books, some of them spent all day in a hospital bed and it was such a precious gift to be able to brighten their day. It changed me and I wanted to do more. It went from there really.

Celebrate success and feel proud

When I think of my greatest achievements, there are a couple of moments that really spring to mind! Back in 2012, I pulled a team of volunteers together and we transformed a dis-used garden centre in Irlam, Greater Manchester, into a Horticultural NVQ training facility for local people with additional learning needs. In the same year, another group of volunteers transformed an old out of service bus into a mobile library in a disadvantaged area of Leeds with low levels of primary school age reading. I think personally my greatest achievement is the number of women I have supported from entry-level roles through career succession routes in my role as a mentor. I want other woman to have access to the same opportunities I had.

Focus on strengths

More recently, I’ve had the opportunity to build a ‘Centre of Expertise’ in BAM and we support our projects to deliver and measure their social value. We want every project to meet or exceed the requirements of the UK Government PPN 06-20 amendment to the Public Services Act. This requires public sector contracts to account for the additional financial and social benefits allowing us to measure our social return on investment. I believe that will drive better behaviours and more collaboration with customers, funders, commissioners, and asset maintainers as we take a more outcome-led approach across project life cycles.

Why I #ChooseToChallenge

Being a woman in construction has been a mixed bag, but generally a great experience. We have certainly come a long way and women do not tend to experience the kind of things we used to. Sixteen years ago I remember a senior member of a client organisation calling me ‘the girl who makes the tea’ instead of my name. There was a lot of unwanted physical contact and language. There was not always a female toilet on construction sites, and there was no female PPE so everything was ten sizes too big!

I think anyone can succeed with enough determination and a hard work ethic. Having said that, I have definitely experienced barriers that male peers do not experience, and as such, have developed a kind of confidence to ‘put myself out there’ to ensure I am not overlooked for opportunities. In the end, I got those jobs and I turned out to be the best person for the job! Dare I say it, even better than what they were looking for because I worked even harder just to prove myself? Yet we have to understand that everyone is different, and that sometimes we need to invest in building people’s confidence and see the potential.

Role-models; allies and mentors

I absolutely love to watch people blossom and flourish in their careers because they have the right support, tools and access to opportunities. One of my previous mentors believed in me when nobody else did and pushed me forwards in my career. She taught me a lot but what stays with me to this day is that you can be a force for good, and you can break the mould, and you can definitely not take no for an answer if you truly believe something is the right thing to do!

Over the years, I have come to value male allies and the impact they can have when they ensure you are included in conversation, call out inappropriate language or behaviour of their peers, and support you in ensuring you have equal access to career opportunities.

In BAM, we tend to do this naturally, as it is part of our culture, and my experience since joining BAM four years ago has been a positive one. We are launching our gender focused diversity network and are ensuring the network is full of male allies as the gender parity challenge is one that we all need to work on together - it benefits everyone! I also sit on the ICE Infrastructure Client Group ED&I steering group working towards greater joined up thinking on an industry level.

Final word

That is why the opportunities to create change in BAM are so important, our people are empowered to make a difference every day. I have watched people grow in confidence as they realise they can make a difference to their workplace – for themselves and future generations. The people in this business are everything, I meet so many amazing people every day.
Celebrate #IWD.