Recently joining the Bovis Homes team as build manager in the South East of England, Suzanne Jamison believes the housebuilding industry is well behind where it should be in bringing more women to the workforce, especially on site.
With over 30 years’ experience in the sector, she is in a perfect position to see how things have changed over the years, and to point out that housebuilders should have done more, and sooner, to attract women on board and improve the male-female ratio.
“There are more women in the industry, but not enough in construction positions,” she says. “Not in terms of site or project managers. There needs to be an increase and that’s why I joined Bovis Homes, which is all about equality and the promotion of women within their ranks – that was the attraction for me.”
Very much a self-starter, Suzanne was 15-years-old when she left school, working for herself for 17 years in the painting and decorating industry. During this time, she took evening classes in interior design and people management, later moving from London to Middlesex.
There, and armed with her new skills, she joined a property developer as project manager, a job she held for 13 years. She is now overseeing developments in Hampshire and Surrey for Bovis Homes’ Southern Counties.
She says more women in the workforce would shake it up and help the industry keep up-to-date in the best way to operate and achieve its goals: “The construction industry needs to improve. There is definitely progress but it needs to be quicker. We are ripping up the rulebook in terms of what’s possible in the construction industry and bringing fresh ideas and a different approach to what has always been a very male-orientated place.”
She became impressed by her new employer’s approach to this issue. “I had been watching Bovis Homes for more than five years and knew it was the housebuilder I wanted to work for,” she said. “I’ve seen the progress they’ve made in all parts of the business and I believe over the next few years they will be the benchmark for the industry.”
Her new role comes with the level of responsibilities she yearned for. “I will be supporting the site teams so that they are able to hit their targets and project aims. I will be an anchor and help across departments including with procurement, technical aspects and customer service.”
While the job utilises her professional abilities in management and technical knowledge, she believes personal qualities are essential to success, such as being a good listener, impartiality, strong people skills and trustworthy.
Andy Knight, regional build director, is delighted to have her on board: “Suzanne has had a great start at Bovis Homes and we’re so excited to have her join the team. More women need to join the housebuilding industry, particularly in construction roles, for the future success of the sector.”
