Age 30
Where are you based at the moment (who do you work for)?
Mace Consult, London, United Kingdom (UK)
In what year did you complete your honours degree?
2015
What path did you follow before ending up with your current company?
I have been with Mace for my whole career so far. I joined Mace in 2016 shortly after completing my studies. I started in the Sub-Saharan Africa business in Johannesburg, where I worked for six months before moving to Mace in the UK to complete the first year of Mace’s Graduate Development Programme. After one year in the UK, I moved back to Johannesburg where I worked for about a year, and then moved back to Mace in the UK in August 2018, and have been here since.
What is your current position and what does the role entail?
I am an Associate Director, and I am the regional lead for Sports & Leisure projects in London and the South of the UK and have recently taken on joint responsibility for the European market. Our key Sports & Leisure focus is stadia, major events (such the Commonwealth Games, and Olympics), leisure centres, high performance centres, and training grounds.
What advice would you give a current construction management student?
Aside from developing academically, you should try to develop your soft skills as much as possible. A large part of your job is going to involve developing relationships, negotiating, attending meetings, presenting, sending emails, and making phone calls, so being able to do these confidently will help you ‘hit the ground running’ when you start working.
What was your favourite module?
Tough to say, but I really enjoyed Construction Management, Environment & Services, and Commercial and Property Law.
Who was your favourite lecturer?
Tie between John and Chris
What are your plans for the next 5 to 10 years?
I plan to make a success of my areas of responsibility and grow the sector. Longer term I hope to be involved in another major Games internationally.