Rising Star - Technical Excellence

The Technical Excellence category for the industry’s rising stars seeks to celebrate women in the early stages in their career who are simply great in their specialist field, whether that’s geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, digital design, carbon reduction or construction on site. These nominees deliver excellence combined with innovation and collaboration to make a significant impact in the planning or delivery of a project.

Jennifer Bailey
Dodd Group

Since joining Dodd Group as an apprentice engineer, Jennifer's journey has been nothing short of remarkable, a testament to her unwavering dedication and tireless pursuit of excellence. With each project she not only showcases her growing confidence and competence but also inspires others around her. From overseeing the intricate water booster set replacement to the meticulous Core 18 LV switchgear replacement and a plethora of other critical initiatives—including a landlords CCTV replacement scheme—Jennifer's technical prowess shines brightly. She has meticulous attention to detail and relentless commitment to achieving excellence. Regardless of the demanding hours required, she tirelessly ensures that each project is delivered to the highest standards. Beyond her technical acumen, Jennifer's exceptional empathy and rapport with clients makes her an invaluable asset to our business. Her nomination for this award is not only well-deserved but a testament to her outstanding contributions and unwavering dedication.

Victoria Bukato
Mott MacDonald

As a drainage engineer, I designed a groundwater recharge system for a track drainage in a deep HS2 cutting. Water is pumped up to a pond via a pumping station, attenuated, and then discharged into a nearby river using flow controls. However, the Environmental Agency (EA) expressed concerns about the permanent loss of groundwater in the affected aquifer due to filter drains within the cutting. To address this, I collaborated with the groundwater team to develop a permanent recharge scheme. The goal was to mitigate the consumptive “loss” of groundwater by redirecting it back to the aquifer. The design included infiltration boreholes, balancing pond, and flow controls. Challenges included uncertain attenuating system functionality and resilience to high storm events. After presenting the scheme to the EA, it received approval, and I subsequently applied a similar design to another pumping station. I also shared my design process with colleagues.

Katrina Gresswell
John F Hunt

Kat led a 12-month initiative to enhance internal systems and develop an integrated reporting platform using PowerBI. She has spent months learning the intricacies of the business and learnt where the shortfalls are in the current system, she has then used this to develop a platform that is incredibly effective and given us the confidence to bring in house, something that was previously not on the table as we did not possess the capabilities. She has been able to replicate the output of a professional third party carbon accounting platform in under 6 months with a higher degree of accuracy and pushed the whole department forward.

Anna Ioannidou Kati
Eckersley O'Callaghan

Anna exemplifies the epitome of technical excellence in facade design and engineering. With a career marked by groundbreaking research and innovative project implementations, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of conventional practices. Her contributions to the field, particularly in solar shading optimisation and the introduction of novel construction methodologies, have not only showcased technical prowess but also demonstrated a profound commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency. The Piraeus Tower project, where Anna served as lead facade engineer, stands as a testament to her exceptional abilities, with the project earning multiple accolades including awards from CTBUH and the Aluminium in Architecture Awards. Anna’s relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence has not only advanced the field of facade engineering but has also set a standard for future generations to aspire to.

Anna Jackson
Heidelberg Materials

Joining the business as a LEAD graduate at Padeswood Works, Anna has continued to develop and become a valued member of the reliability team within the MCC but her value to the engineering team as a whole is substantial. Has played a key role in implementing the condition monitoring platform which monitors the site. She has gained both a Level 1 & Level 2 qualification in Vibration Analysis through the Mobius Institute and in September 2022 she was awarded a first class degree with honours in Mechanical Engineering.

Kaja Kacperska
Hochtief-Murphy JV

Kaja's journey in the construction industry is defined by her exceptional achievements and unwavering dedication to quality, innovation, and sustainability. Notably, her instrumental role in the construction of three shafts showcased her ability to implement complex techniques like underpinning and jacked caisson, ensuring works were completed with unparalleled quality and efficiency – in highly critical areas of the project. Her passion for sustainability drove her to spearhead the adoption of cement-free concrete (EFC) on her site, resulting in a world record pour and significant carbon emission reductions. Beyond her technical contributions, Kaja actively promotes diversity and inclusion within the industry, serving as a role model for aspiring professionals. Her exemplary project management skills and commitment to health and safety further highlight her leadership qualities. Overall, Kaja's outstanding achievements and dedication make her a deserving candidate for the Rising Star award, representing an inspiring emerging talent in the construction sector.

Teni Ladipo
Buro Happold

Teni started her career in the U.S., after completion of her PhD focused on building science and environmental design. Since 2017 she has been practicing in the UK as a facade consultant, leading multiple façade retrofit projects. One of Teni’s great contributions with wide industry impact has been achieved through a part-time secondment to the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT), helping to coordinate and being co-author for the industry guidance “How to calculate the embodied carbon of façades: a methodology”, published in September 2022. Teni’s great technical and inter-personal skills and her thought leadership enabled the development and publishing of this important industry guidance in record time, engaging and securing the review of a wide range of façade industry skateholders. Since then, Teni has been an active voice in the industry helping to disseminate this guidance and knowledge through presentations in important industry conferences, CPDs and universities.

Emma Lampard
Fulkers Bailey Russell

Emma is an expert in the field of sustainability and as such has recently been promoted to Sustainability Lead at Fulkers Bailey Russell having spent the last 6 years working as a Project Manager/Senior Project Manager, whilst also going above and beyond the requirements of her day to day role by spearheading Fulkers sustainability efforts and having a significant input into our recent B Corp and EcoVadis accreditations. Emma’s leadership approach considers the holistic impact of Fulkers actions on internal stakeholders, external stakeholders and the environment. Emma looks beyond short-term gains to see the organisation's role and impact on the environment. Emma leads on initiatives that address global environmental, social, and economic dilemmas, creating solutions that encompass the multifaceted challenges our company is facing. Emma consistently delivers excellence combined with innovation and collaboration to make a significant impact in embedding sustainability into all of our processes and decision making.

Carys O'Shea
Hochtief-Murphy JV

Carys has been heavily involved in all aspects of National Grid’s London Power Tunnels Phase 2, from the site setup, shaft sinking, SCL works, TBM launches, to then working in the temporary works team where she has been driving forward the designs for four TBM receptions as well as many other temporary designs required for tunnelling. Carys has been instrumental in the trialling of Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC), where a C16/20 EFC was used for a world record breaking shaft base slab pour and leading ongoing trials of C40/50 EFC. Carys continuously promotes the project and the industry through many volunteering activities, working with schools and inspiring the next generations hosting site visits. Carys has been instrumental in the successful delivery of the project as well as a benchmark, a mentor and an inspiration for the other young engineers within HMJV

Jessica Slamaker
RSK Environment

I am a near surface geophysicist thriving in a male dominated sector. I approach all tasks with enthusiasm and professionalism and seek out new challenges, especially those that will require me to push my technical knowledge further. Through continuous learning and direct application for a wide variety of sites and targets, I have achieved a high technical standard in my field. I have been involved with research opportunities and work best in a collaborative environment where we can work together with our clients to deliver the most useful solution for them. I am always keen to share my knowledge and experience with other colleagues, and co-ordinate and deliver formal learning courses for our team – in addition to careers presentations for university students. I believe it is important that we engage with and provide inspiration for the next generation of (female) geophysicists.