Inspirational Leader - Consultant

This is a category aimed at women in leadership positions in engineering or construction consultants who have used their positions to inspire and engage the workforce and improve outcomes for customers and their business.

Arcadis
Farheen Ahmed

Leaders can be many, however to inspire other people in your workforce, community and wider sector is different. Leadership style varies but inspiration is vital. Hence, I am always finding ways to inspire, encourage, mentor and support. I work with schools, colleges/universities thus inspiring the next generation of engineers especially women and kids from deprived areas, motivating them and answering their queries. I am a women of colour and have learned a great deal throughout my career. Sharing those lesson learned is my way of paving roads for other who will be joining. I have created CIHT West Midlands Women Network, with aim to inspire people across different organisation not just my team, through which will create future leaders and long lasting positive relationships. My selection for this award will provide me a platform to inspire more people through my leadership .

Mace
Sophie Bevington

Sophie Bevington is Health, Safety and Wellbeing Operations Director in Mace Consult. She is HS&W Lead for the Property side of the business in UK and Europe, leads a team of HS&W professionals and is part of the Global Mace Consult HS&W Leadership group. She is also part of the Women at Mace (WAM) network. Sophie truly is one of a kind. Her technical expertise has made her a trusted partner in the senior leadership team in Mace Consult. This combined with her passion to create a culture of care has enabled Health and Safety Leadership across the Consult Business to go from strength to strength. She inspires her team to deliver great things for their clients, and champions inclusion and diversity across the team. The support and encouragement that she provides to her team and those around her should serve as an example to all leaders.

Eckersley O'Callaghan
Charis Cosmas

Charis has championed a collaborative engineering approach throughout her career, emphasizing teamwork and innovation. Her extensive portfolio reflects adaptability across various markets, fostering environments where brilliance thrives. Beyond project delivery, she influences industry leadership and policy-making, shaping the future of built environments. Charis prioritizes team culture, nurturing exceptional teams and driving success. Embracing new technologies and research, she delivers cutting-edge solutions. As a mentor, Charis prioritizes support and growth, both professionally and personally. Beyond work, she advocates for diversity and sustainability, inspiring the next generation. Charis embodies the qualities of an industry trailblazer, achieving excellence and inspiring others to do the same.

Construction Coach 
Maria Coulter

A micro construction consultancy with a big reach and massive impact on the industry driven by a Founder who has gone from being a Project Manager to an Industry Leader of an award-winning business in the last 10 years. Core values are Fairness, Connection and Making a Difference demonstrated in the projects undertaken the businesses supported and voluntary contributions made. I have experienced some scary times but have always felt that my business is more like a mission. I could have given up, particularly in the early years, but was driven by the passion to make a difference and that tenacity and drive is making an impact. Last year alone over £800,000 of profit was generated through my work. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I can do and I’m excited by the future I’m creating. 

Arcadis
Joanna De Waal

The combination of a high professional attitude, high personal skills and a very high drive to move Arcadis in the direction to become a real global company she aligns our operating companies around this and motivates colleagues all around the globe to become part of this.

Anderson Acoustics
Emma Greenland

Dr Emma Greenland is a dedicated passionate female professional striving to make a difference leading the industry to apply the science of acoustics to improve the built learning environment for students and staff alike. She is a recognised leading specialist on acoustics for education environments and has worked on a large range of education projects, with a deep understanding of acoustics in teaching and learning spaces. Emma has helped shape our 25 strong person company to achieve an Employee Ownership culture that reaches far beyond the minimum EO financial model, with a conscious and democratic approach to business, which we believe helps women working in construction, and can serve as an exemplar model for all EO companies in the construction sector. Now as a company director she acts as a role model for female staff in our company

Fairhurst
Ellen Halkon

Ellen's impact as a Technical Director at Fairhurst radiates through her extraordinary leadership and uses her position to inspire and engage her colleagues. Her dedication is evident beyond project management as she consistently delivers positive outcomes for her clients and the broader community. Ellen has been recognised as having the skills, knowledge and experience of a leader in the profession by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), who have recently acknowledged her as a Fellow. She currently serves as the Senior Vice Chair, having committed over 10 years to ICE Scotland and is still extensively involved in various initiatives, particularly regarding sustainability. Her mentorship approach nurtures talent and cultivates a positive environment that drives her team’s ambition. Ellen's influence extends beyond her team as she serves as an inspirational role model setting a benchmark for leadership and paving the way for future generations.

Pick Everard
Emelye Kenyon

Emelye’s leadership at Pick Everard exemplifies her eligibility for the Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards. A key member of our Women in Leadership Forum, Emelye drives initiatives that tackle gender challenges within the industry, implementing actionable solutions that enhance company culture and empower female staff. Her mentoring nurtures numerous junior employees, fostering new leaders within Pick Everard. She has led significant projects for clients like Wycombe District Council, integrating innovative designs and sustainability principles to enhance site remediation. Her focus on aligning project outcomes with client expectations has strengthened the firm’s reputation. Emelye's long-standing volunteer work showcases her commitment to community engagement and youth development. Her holistic leadership approach—merging technical prowess with emotional intelligence—creates a supportive and innovative work environment. This not only promotes growth within Pick Everard but also advances the role of women in our industry, making Emelye a distinguished candidate for this award.

IPInitiatives
Louise Lado-Byrnes

Louise is driven to improve the way the industry works and as such is part of a team that has radically changed the way a project is procured and run including a newly written Alliance Contract - currently sitting in the control of her business IPInitiatives (IPI). Louise's role as director of the business, and on every trial project in her role as Independent Facilitator, is to challenge and inspire teams to behave and think differently. She does this with ease and with the admiration of the teams she woks with (testament in supporting evidence). Under her guidance young and diverse teams including many seasoned professionals, go through a journey of thinking differently without the underlying perils of self protection (insurance and risk based). This inevitably brings innovative thinking and solutions not normally considered. Everyone who's worked on an IPI project wants to do another extensively because of her influence!

Arcadis
Deborah Nutt

Deborah is a Senior Director at Arcadis with the last 19 years administering contracts on behalf of the Environment Agency so her work to champion equity, drive change and support others as a role model is inspirational and above and beyond her day job. Her leadership style is very inclusive and makes her “one of a kind”. Throughout her career, Deborah has been and continues to be, an inspirational leader and role model to all those around them. She is respected by her colleagues and peers as a leader, mentor, trusted colleague and friend and is best demonstrated by the supporting evidence testimonials provided where clearly she has impacted people’s careers at all levels and across the business. The evidence speaks for itself.

Aecom
Kim Smith

I want to make a difference in construction and help guide the direction of engineering in tackling the biggest challenges of our time including climate change and the BSA, whilst not losing sight of improving equality, diversity, and inclusion. I promote ED&I through various initiatives, and I’m shaping the response to the BSA and championing low carbon design. Having recognition from IWICE will afford me a bigger platform to share knowledge whilst advocating for change and educating others. I want to share my achievements with others and inspire those around me, with a view to helping them reach their own potential. The award would allow me to demonstrate to those who may not understand, just how rewarding and fulfilling a career in Structural Engineering can be. It is a diverse, all-encompassing career which has the potential to mould our future and will need inspired minds to do so.

Useful Simple Trust
Judith Sykes

Having started my career as a Civil Engineer, my journey to CEO of the Useful Simple Trust has been defined by breaking barriers and championing women in leadership. From steering landmark projects like the London 2012 Olympics to spearheading initiatives like the Astana City Plan, I've demonstrated that excellence knows no gender. At the helm of the Useful Simple Trust, I've orchestrated a paradigm shift, empowering women to take the reins of leadership. My advocacy for diversity and mentorship of women in the industry has extended beyond the boardroom and had a profound impact on our workforce, resulting in improved outcomes for the business and enhanced community relations. This visibility and impact within the industry serve as a testament to the transformative power of women in leadership. As an unwavering advocate for progress, I'm committed to paving the way for future generations of trailblazers.