I deliver projects safely, on budget and on time, and to the right quality for my client by ensuring that the right people are in the right place, at the right time, with the right paperwork, tools and materials to carry out the work. It’s all a giant jigsaw puzzle!
I enjoy that no two days are ever the same, from doing tender reviews for major subcontracts, to large concrete pours, third party audits, and even standing in an empty field with one drawing, envisioning how we are going to deliver for our client.
Coming into construction was pretty much by accident. I wanted to be a teacher but realised I didn’t have the temperament for it (teachers are a lot more patient than I am!) I started applying to random graduate schemes and got accepted into a Network Rail programme. Three years’ service in return for a master’s degree sounded like a good deal, even if it I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career. From the first week I knew I was in construction for life.
I quickly realised that everyone in construction is applying a subtle yet crucial change to our country. The gas pipe I helped construct heats thousands of homes in winter and the bridge I helped build is crossed by hundreds of people every day, so that people can get to work or see their families.
My favourite project is Farnworth Tunnel, which I worked on in 2015. We had challenges, as projects often do, but there was this intense one team spirit. Everything and everyone just fit together so well, and we keep in touch to this day.
