The shortlist for the 2013 First Women Awards has been announced and features an outstanding collection of British business talent from across business and public sectors.
From straw homes to naturally ventilated buildings and some of our foremost construction businesses, the shortlist in this year’s "Women in the Built Environment" category is simply inspirational.
Category sponsor COINS, a global provider of business systems and services to the construction sector, is pleased to announce the following finalists:
- Pat Duggan, Regional Director, Balfour Beatty: first female construction director, with responsibility for £600m of activity; lead role in setting up first women's network at Balfour Beatty.
- Barbara Jones, Director, Straw Works: founder-member of UK's first women's builders' co-operative; designed and built the first straw-bale council houses in Britain; developed first load-bearing straw houses in Europe; and enabled, for the first time, car tyres to be used as foundations; established first lime, clay and straw courses at Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.
- Gill Riley, Managing Director, GGR Group: transformed a small, family-run plant hire business to £14m-turnover global business; personally directed the plan to get mini-crane to a record-breaking height while working on London's iconic Shard project; designed and manufactured pioneering robotic glass-lifters.
- Sue Roaf, Professor of Architectural Engineering, Heriot-Watt University: pioneering academic studies into natural air-conditioning systems in desert regions of Iran; vision to “liberate” buildings to be run on ambient energy; and to “warm people, not buildings”; moving architecture towards performance-based ethos; ambition to start the Ecohouse Institute, providing knowledge to help all households to live a comfortable life.
- Jane Wernick, Director, Jane Wernick Associates: at Arup, became the first woman structural engineer to be made an associate; masterminded design of the Millennium Wheel; innovator in the built environment profession, giving her firm to an employee benefit trust in 2010; internationally renowned lecturer.
- Julie White, Managing Director, D-Drill Master Drillers: the first female MD in the drilling and sawing industry; first and (so far) only woman to sit on the UK Drilling and Sawing Association; breakthrough advocate for construction sector, appearing on BBC's Question Time; champion of women in her industry, appointing her company's first female branch manager.
By supporting the First Women in the Built Environment Award, COINS is keen to raise the profile and promote the groundbreaking work performed by women in the construction sector. Bev James, Marketing Director for COINS said, “There were some fantastic nominations in our category this year, which made the shortlisting process a difficult one. We were very pleased with both the number and quality of applications and would like to thank all those who entered for taking the time to nominate.”
The First Women Awards, created by Real Business and championed by the CBI, seek to recognise female trailblazers across the UK. Judging will take place on the May 3 and the winner, who will follow last year's winner Diane Johnson (pictured), will be announced at a special awards ceremony on the June 12 hosted by Claire Balding at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square.
