Sarah Beth Riley | Lewisham Homes
I qualified as a Chartered Architect in 2016 after studying at The Glasgow School of Art, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm, and London Metropolitan University.
Prior to qualifying I worked in a small, mixed-use architecture studio in The Netherlands before moving to London to work exclusively on social housing projects from infill to large scale estate regeneration at a number of practices including HTA Design LLP and Ash Sakula Architects where I was an Associate.
Currently, I am the Design & Technical Manager in the Development Team at Lewisham Homes. My role is to monitor and ensure high quality across all of Lewisham Homes’ new build homes from inception to completion and in-use.
I enjoy the challenge of enabling socially, financially and environmentally sustainable little bits of city and believe that built environment practioners should reflect the communities that we build for. I work hard to encourage a diverse range of voices to join the industry and I am a committee member for Women in Property (WiP), a guest critic at University of Westminster and I mentor as part of both the Lewisham Homes and WiP mentoring schemes.
Katie Nelson | Cushman & Wakefield
How would I describe my career journey? A Wirlwind. Insightful. Exciting. Fun.
I entered the industry as an Apprentice at the age of 18. Since then I have thrown myself into everything that has been passed my way and loved it!
I have been at Cushman & Wakefield since I started in the industry 8 years ago and through the rotational programme I have had exposure to most parts of the industry including EMEA Capital Markets, Valuation, Development, Office Agency & Global Occupier Services. Whilst in Global Occupier Services team, I was responsible for process implementation, portfolios reviews and co-ordinating high volumes of transactions for a large telecom's provider in over eight European countries. My involvement drove strategic expansion, space optimisation and portfolio cost savings to enable the client to meet their financial & business targets. All of these rotations were alongside my studies for my undergraduate degree and my training to become a member of the RICS.
Since qualifying, I have returned to the office agency team as an Occupier Specialist where I am continuing to grow our sector specialisms in areas such as Life Science’s, Media & Telecoms.
Alongside my day job, I am heavily involved with many Diversity & Inclusion and charitable initiatives which include driving C&W’s schools outreach programme, Student Skills Workshop’s and raising money for various school’s charities.
I also actively mentor a number of apprentices within the industry and a founding committee member of CREation Property Network - a non-profit organisation who provide free networking for those who at the start of their career in the property industry regardless of their background.
Winnie Okonkwo | MediaCom
Winnie has been working in Real Estate and Workplace Management for the last decade. Her experience spans a variety of different sectors; from serviced offices, healthcare to media and advertising.
Currently as MediaCom’s Head of Facilities & Property Operations Winnie is focusing on developing the strategic direction of her department. Promoting and leading a positive workplace culture, by implementing best practice procedures, creating policies and demonstrating the correlation between an effective, inspiring workplace and employee productivity and retention.
Prior to joining MediaCom Winnie worked as a Property Manager for Bupa, managing their global head offices. Whilst there in addition to her daily responsibilities she oversaw several of their refurbishment projects; which included a £1m hard service upgrade. She was also part of the project team that designed and fitout their new £20m offices in Bank. Winnie led the FM workstream ensuring that Go Live was seamless and new technologies were implemented.
Winnie is passionate about ensuring Facilities Management is recognised as a cornerstone for organisations. She pushes herself academically to learn more about her field so that she can share this knowledge with her team, her company and others coming up in the FM world.
Outside of her day job Winnie is an ambassador for empowering women within this field. She uses her experiences, network and knowledge of the industry to guide women, into new positions or through their daily work struggles.
Winnie holds a BA (Hons) in Criminology/Sociology from the University of Roehampton. She has a Level 5 Facilities Management Diploma is Prince2 certified and a member of both RICS and IWFM.
Sarah Hayford | The Land Collective / Wasabi Sushi & Bento
Throughout her undergraduate study of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, Sarah interned at a range of different companies across the property industry which include CBRE, Accouter Group and Landsec, which spearheaded her interest in the industry and her plans of becoming a commercial surveyor.
During her year abroad in Ningbo, China in 2016, Sarah started a project called The Land Collective. What initially began as general blog to host her opinions on social issues such as local gentrification and sustainability; organically grew into an international media platform with over twenty-five writers, nine editors and three coordinators. The Land Collective has now been featured in a number of university careers departments in the United Kingdom and United States as a commercial awareness tool for students, despite these universities not even offering property or built environment related courses. The Land Collective's main vision is to engage young people with the built environment industry via critically written articles, events and visual media. Due to her interest in retail specially, Sarah began her role at Japanese food-retailer, Wasabi, where she is sitting her APC to become a Chartered Surveyor alongside studying an MSc in Real Estate.
Frankie Byron | Lambert Smith Hampton
I joined LSH as a graduate surveyor in 2015 as a non-cognate graduate, having studied History at university.
Whilst on the graduate scheme I completed rotational seats in the property management, lease advisory, development and valuations departments, and I also studied part time for a masters in Real Estate.
Whilst in the Property Management department, I found that there was an increasing need for surveyors to support their clients to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings. I saw this as an opportunity to create a new service line for LSH, to better meet our client’s needs, and also better enable us to work towards reducing the environmental impact of our industry. As such I presented a business case to the management board, and when I qualified as MRICS they allowed me to become LSH’s first ‘Sustainability Surveyor’.
I have now been in this role for just under two years, and to date the project has been a success. We have had some brilliant client feedback, generated interest from new clients, delivered on our client’s sustainability targets, reduced the portfolio’s operational energy use, increased the amount of renewable energy technology, and increased tenant engagement on these issues.
Alongside my role I am also studying part time for a sustainability related masters degree which I am due to complete in September 2020 after handing in my thesis.
Amie McCabe | AHR Architects
I am a Senior Project Architect with over 5 years post qualification experience, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver multi million-pound projects across the UK.
My first job as a qualified Architect was the remodelling and refurbishment of the impressive Grade II* Listed City Hall building for Bristol City Council which ignited a passion for refurbishments and sustainability for me, and particularly the reuse and rejuvenation of existing buildings and brownfield sites, to which I relish the challenge that working with existing buildings brings.
Developing a career in the construction industry was never a consideration to me at a young age. This wasn't due to lack of interest but instead due to limited knowledge and awareness about this sector and the potential there was to have a successful career in it, especially as a woman. I instead began my journey as a Biologist due to my passion for science and the environment. It wasn't until I was at University and the science block was located next to the Architecture and Engineering block that I discovered where I really wanted to head in life. I swiftly transferred onto a course to study Architecture and Planning and haven’t looked back since.
Whilst at university I stood as the President of the Architecture society and with the team organised a regular lecture series, social events in the UK and abroad, as well as providing a platform for discussions and debate to take place for all built environment students within the University. In 2014 I graduated with a distinction in PG Certificate Professional Practice and Management in Architecture which enabled me to qualify and register as an Architect.
I am actively involved within my company and have taken on the following additional
roles within my workplace: mentor, CPD coordinator and I have established a group called The People Group which is looking at how the company can be further improved to offer better support and guidance to all staff members, including all aspects of career progression, health, wellbeing, diversity and community, environmental and social responsibilities. The group provides a platform for staff members to be heard and in turn make a different to their workplace.
Outside of the workplace I am an ambassador seeking to increase diversity within this industry by working as an Architectural mentor and Associate Lecturer for the University of the West of England, STEM ambassador and also a Committee member for Women in Property South West. Within Women in Property, I sit on the Outreach subcommittee, where we organise and attend networking events, CV workshops, site visits and mock interviews for local school children. I also sit on the PR and social media subcommittee which allows me to network with a wide range of professionals throughout the South West and beyond.
I have taken on a wide range of additional roles and responsibilities because of my love of my profession and because I so passionately want to encourage others to find their voices and be confident to venture into an industry which is still very much male dominated. I continually strive to be a positive and inspirational female role model and I constantly look for ways to achieve this.
Anuradha Damale | UKSEDS/Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security in the UK/VERTIC/British Pugwash
Anuradha Damale, or Anu, is the UK Director of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, an organisation set up by US Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins to advance the leadership and professional development of women of colour in the fields of international peace, security, and conflict transformation, so that they can champion minority perspectives to solve global issues.
Anu is part of the Verification and Monitoring Team at VERTIC, working on solving arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation issues using science, technology and policy. She is working towards a career in Space Policy. Anu is also currently chair of UKSEDS, the UK's national space charity, and board member for British Pugwash. Anu has an educational background in Physics and Science and Technology Policy. At the centre of most of her work have been the causes of inclusion and diversity, with the belief that in order to form sustainable and innovative technology or policy, inclusion is necessary.
Fatima Zaman | Kofi Annan Foundation
Fatima Zaman is currently an Advocate at the Kofi Annan Foundation, working on building peace, security and overcoming extreme violence in conflict.
Her work involved advising the 7th Secretary General of the United Nations and working with key stakeholders to enhance and uphold human rights. She has extensive knowledge and experience of working in this field at the local and international level. Ms. Zaman is also a member of the Inaugural Class of Obama Scholars, selected by President and Mrs Obama to receive a prestigious, one-of-a-kind leadership scholarship from the Obama Foundation. She was also named as the Chairman's Asian Woman of Achievement, with judges commending her for her internationally groundbreaking work on bringing improvements to peace, security and countering violent extremism in conflict countries. In the laudatio, judges earmarked her as a future Nobel Prize winner.
Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee | BAE Systems
My career began as a Technical Design Engineer at MGR Foamtex in Oxfordshire.
This role entailed the design, development, certification and manufacture of first and business class aircraft interior upholstery systems. I spent 2.5 years there in my first Engineering role after completing a Masters degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering at the University of the West of England.
I was then offered a role at BAE Systems in 2014 as a Flight Systems Engineer for various existing platforms. As a Flight Systems Engineer, my role involved designing, developing and supporting a range of aircraft flight systems.
I took a year of maternity leave in 2018 and following my return to work in 2019 I took on a new job role as a Flight Systems Engineer looking at a next generation future combat aircraft.
Vinita Meissner | IMI Truflo Marine
I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with nearly 8 years industrial experience, the last 2 of which have been in the defence industry designing valves for Naval submarines and surface ships for navies all around the world.
Having attended all girls schools from an early age, engineering was never discussed as a profession for me despite my enthusiasm for Maths and Physics. It was only thanks to a Maths teacher who was a former engineer and an opportunity to participate in the Engineering Education Scheme at age 17 which taught me that engineering wasn't the hands on, manual job I thought it was, enabling me to pursue Engineering as a career. It's become a passion of mine to educate young people about what engineering really is and act as a role model for young girls interested in science to encourage them to consider becoming engineers.
I began my career with a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from Bristol University, however nearly all my industrial experience has been in the marine sector. I spent over 5 years working at MAATS Tech Ltd. as a Finite Element Analysis Engineer, carrying out FEA of deck equipment for huge cable laying vessels, including the NKT Victoria which went on to win Ship of the Year 2017. While there I also carried out FEA consultancy for a number of other sectors including defence for which I performed shock analyses of equipment on board military vehicles for land and sea. My other responsibilities at MAATS Tech included recruiting and training more members of the FEA team and recreating and maintaining the company website and social media accounts.
Since January 2018 I have worked at IMI Truflo Marine designing bespoke valve systems for use on nuclear and conventional submarines for both the UK and international navies. I began as a Design & Development Engineer during which time I worked closely with customers to develop products that met their technical requirements while also using value engineering to improve functionality and reduce material costs. I successfully delivered a variety of technical documentation to validate my innovative valve designs, which led directly to securing further multi-million pound contracts with multiple international customers. Within a year of working at IMI Truflo Marine, having had no previous valve experience, I was leading and training contractors and junior members of the team in producing designs and technical data. I quickly moved on to the organisation and management of a high profile, international project, the success of which has led to a recent promotion to Product Applications & Value Engineering Lead. I now manage a team of engineers and have been hand picked by the company directors to lead multiple strategic projects to accelerate global growth of IMI in 2020.
Alongside work I am a STEM Ambassador and an active member of both the Women in Engineering Society (WES) and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). I try to participate in as much STEM outreach and diversity initiatives as I can and encourage others to do the same. I started a group of STEM volunteers at my company and have organised multiple outreach events including a Walsall Engineers project at a local primary school, an Engineering Education Scheme project with a local high school and representation of my company at the Big Bang Fair. Since I became chartered in 2019 I have been mentoring and guiding colleagues and friends in their route to chartership and have been nominated by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers as a potential short-lister for the 2020 Karen Burt Memorial Award for outstanding female engineers. I am also a key member of my company’s Women’s Equality Network as well as the Diversity and Inclusion group and I regularly organise events for International Women in Engineering Day as well as attend STEM Women careers fairs to both raise the profile of current female employees and increase further recruitment.