I am a Colombian civil engineer, I have 15 years of experience working in different sectors (Consulting, Construction and Project Management). In 2019 I decided to study something that I was passionate about (MSC Historic Building Conservation) and came to London looking for new opportunities and experiences. As a foreigner, you must start from 0 in order to validate your experience and studies. I started as an assistant in an architecture studio, placing orders and controlling the purchases and lead times of some projects. Later, I was accepted and hired by a Spanish Construction Company that manufactures the precast segments for one of the tunnel projects of the HS2 project.

What attracted me to the industry? The idea of building housing, schools, hospitals, etc. makes me feel that I am contributing something to the well-being of other people.

I have lots of perseverance. When I set my mind to something and set a goal, I work to achieve it. It happens in my professional and personal life.

My key skills are project planning, project management, team leadership, strategic management, analytical and problem-solving, and budget optimisation.

Unfortunately, we are still living in a patriarchal society. On some occasions, women are still seen as physically weak human beings. But that doesn’t take into consideration our intelligence and skill.

One of the biggest challenges is drawing that line of respect, working one on one, shoulder to shoulder regardless of gender.

If you are passionate about the construction industry, do it, people should always do what they love. In my experience when I built a school, after not having slept many nights to achieve it in record time. In the end, to see the children enjoying the infrastructure is an honour and joy for the heart