Although women make up just 15 per cent of the construction industry, their impact is far from small. Construction Wave takes a look at 10 female leaders currently shaping the sector, with some sharing their insights on why representation matters
Bam UK & Ireland. Credit: Morgan Sindall, Skanska UK and Bam UK & Ireland.
In the spring of 2023, Katy Dowding was appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Skanska UK, succeeding Gregor Craig.
Since joining the company in 2003, Dowding held various positions, and prior to her current role was executive vice president.
Speaking on the importance of female representation in construction, Dowding said: “Strong leadership is about bringing together different perspectives, applying critical thinking and making decisions that create long-term value.
“Greater female representation in leadership teams strengthens our ability to do that.”
Earlier this year, a series of high-value contract wins helped push revenue for Skanska UK past the £1.3 billion mark, a 7.5 per cent increase on the previous year.
Alice Woodwark
In February of this year Alice Woodwark joined the construction equipment rental specialist, Vp Plc, as its CEO and currently serves as Vistry Group’s independent non-executive director.
Prior to Vp she was managing director at Mitie Group and has held leadership roles at Compass Group and Compass UK.
She began her career at management consultancy, McKinsey & Company, working with “senior leaders of many different backgrounds and orientations” across infrastructure and transport sectors throughout the UK and US and is “grateful” for her early experiences.
She said: “Now, later in my career, I want to make sure others coming into the workforce also feel they can ‘make it’ whoever they are. We all deserve that chance”.
Vp posted ‘resilient’ results post its £20 million restructure with revenue reaching £358.3 million.
Meg Reed
At Munnelly Group, Meg Reed is managing director for its support services arm, an end-to-end construction logistics provider, and has held the role since her appointment last October.
Prior to this, she worked as a group creative director at Wilson James and has senior leadership experience across construction, logistics, infrastructure and aviation.
For Reed more female representation in the sector is “vital” to retaining and attracting a wealth of talent.
She added: “When women are represented at every level of leadership, businesses benefit from a wider range of perspectives and diversity of thought, which delivers better outcomes for our people and clients, as well as the communities we serve.”
For the year ended 31 December 2025, Munnelly Group posted revenue of £167 million, supported by pre-tax profit of £1.5 million. Munnelly Support Services contributed approx. £40 million of total group revenue.
Meliha Duymaz
Meliha Duymaz joined Skanska in 2022 as chief financial officer and executive vice president.
Since last year she has overseen HS2 operations in London, working alongside STRABAG and Costain Group.
Prior to working at the firm she was finance director for Network Rail and held responsibility for its budget and investment of various programmes and costings.
Emphasising the importance of “visible female leadership” Duymaz says it encourages others to follow suit.
She said: “The challenges facing businesses today require leaders who can think strategically, adapt to change and build strong relationships. Diverse leadership teams bring a wider range of perspectives, which supports better decision-making and stronger outcomes.”
Kelly Gangotra
At Morgan Sindall, Kelly Gangotra leads financial strategy as chief financial officer and commercial officer.
Since joining the company in 2024, she has supported the business in strengthening its balance sheet and its overall growth.
Prior to Morgan Sindall, Gangotra worked in the healthcare sector as CFO for Halmo UK. From 2012 to 2022, she was finance director and later CFO at Skanska UK.
In May, the company’s annual revenue surpassed £5 billion for the first time in its history, supported by an operating profit of £224.9 million and prompting group shares to jump up by 10 per cent on the London Stock Exchange.
Kate Fancourt
Kate Fancourt has been group finance director at GMI Construction since 2024, contributing to the “financial governance” and the company’s growth.
Prior to GMI, Fancourt was CFO at a medical tech company, ITECHOHealth from 2020 to 2024.
Speaking on her pivot into the sector, she said she was “struck” by the gender imbalance, due to “few women” entering the industry.
She added: “Visible female leadership matters because it challenges outdated perceptions of construction as a ‘man’s world’ and gives the next generation credible role models.
“Representation must be meaningful, however. The aim should be to create genuine opportunities for talented people to enter, progress and succeed, supported by an inclusive culture in which different experiences and perspectives are valued.”
In February, Leeds-headquartered GMI maintained a stable revenue of £233 million for FY2025 and delivered a 123 per cent increase in pre-tax profit, reaching £2.3 million (FY2024: £1 million).
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Clare Rodgers
In July, Clare Rodgers was appointed Business Unit Leader for Expanded Geotechnical, Laing O’Rourke’s engineering solutions company. She succeeded Ronan O’Rourke, son of Laing O’Rourke’s co-founder Des O’Rourke.
Rodgers is the first woman to hold the position at the firm, and is a multiple Women in Construction & Engineering (WICE) award-winner.
Prior to Expanded, she was business stream leader for Select Plant Hire between 2021 to 2024, before moving to lifting solutions in the same role until this year.
This year, Laing O’Rourke posted a record order book of £17.2 billion, its largest in the company’s history and backed by £3.7 billion in revenue.
Kim Sides
Kim Sides joined Bam UK & Ireland as executive director – construction in 2024.
She has more than 25 years experience in the global property and infrastructure sector, and has held leadership roles across stakeholder management, construction finance and legal.
Prior to Bam, Sides worked at Mura Technology as chief strategy officer and was the founding director of battery technology firm Gelion in Sydney, Australia.
Part of Netherlands-headquartered Royal BAM Group, the UK arm increased revenue by 9.2 per cent to £851.1 million in the year ended 31 December 2025.
Claire Kershaw
Claire Kershaw is the chief executive of United Infrastructure’s Social Infrastructure division, and has been so since March 2025.
With more than 20 years in social housing, Kershaw built her career across
property maintenance, refurbishment and regeneration, and prior to her role, she was regional operations director for Keir and has held leadership positions at Mitie and Willmott Dixon.
On the importance of women in leadership roles, Kershaw says diverse leadership challenges “conventional thinking” adding she would like to be known as a good leader as opposed to a female one.
She continued: “But if my appointment helps another woman believe she belongs in this industry, or gives her the confidence to put herself forward for the next promotion, then it carries a responsibility as well as a privilege.”
For the year ended 31 March 2026, group revenues increased by 17.8 per cent to £845.8 million amassing a total group order book worth £4.6 billion.
Catherine Duffy
Catherine Duffy joined Costain in 2006 and has held a number of roles, including as director of learning and development and corporate responsibility (CR) and investor relations director.
Currently, she is the chief people and sustainability officer and has been so since 2022.
Since beginning her 20-year career at Costain, Duffy has supported the company’s implementation of its first CR strategy and to achieve Platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index in 2013.
Speaking on more women in the sector, Duffy said: “The industry has made progress, but there is more to be done. By celebrating the achievements of women and addressing underrepresentation in senior and management roles, younger generations will be more inspired by a career in the sector and feel confident they can thrive in their careers.”
For FY2025, Costain generated £153.53 million backed by an order book that is now worth £4.6 billion.
Have we missed any? If so, please email elohor@wavenews.co.uk with your suggestions!
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