Conference Day Two - Thursday, 27 March

08:15
Welcome coffee
08:50
Opening remarks from the Chair
HOW MEN AND WOMEN CAN WORK TOGETHER TO DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE
09:00
How men can ally with and empower women to grow in the construction industry
  • The impact of promoting gender equality through policies that provide equal opportunities for everyone in the construction industry
  • How recognising and celebrating women’s achievements in construction can influence their future development
  • Inspiring and motivating both men and women to work together for greater diversity and equality

Matt Bourne
Chief Executive Officer
Roberts Co

09:30
PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we action the shared responsibility of men and women to drive positive change?
  • How can we ensure the entire workforce, including men, truly understand & appreciate the issues facing women in construction?
  • Why is diversity alone not enough?
  • How can men advocate for an equitable and safe work environment for women?
  • How do we create accountability and drive real & lasting change?

Panellists:

Natasha Adamsas
General Manager – Corporate Affairs, Communications & Brand
CPB Contractors

Kurt Warren
National HSE & Quality Manager
Hansen Yuncken

Donna Hoblos
Chief People Officer
Buildcorp

Gladys Woods
General Manager
Haslin Constructions

Jakeline Sandoval
Site Engineer
Parkview Constructions

Peter Bennett
Chief Executive Officer
Clough

10:20
Morning tea
10:50
Understanding, solving and eliminating unconscious bias in the industry
  • Identifying, addressing and confronting cases of unconscious bias in the workplace
  • Examining the causes that plant unconscious gender bias in people’s mind
  • Assessing and determining which biases are most likely to affect your work
  • Incorporating training in diverse teams with equal men and women

Dean Riha
Alliance General Manager
Fulton Hogan

CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH IN CONSTRUCTION
11:20
From the site to the boardroom: navigating a male-dominated industry
  • Strategies for career progression into leadership roles and standing out in the crowd
  • Tracking your progress towards established goals and using feedback in a productive way
  • Examining some key business and corporate realities in the construction industry

Dawn Watt
Chief Executive Officer
Coffey Testing

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK AND UPDATES
11:50
Achieving government policy objectives through Building Equality Policy implementation
  • How industry can influence policy development
  • Establishing strong communication between industry and government to ensure policy objectives are meaningful and achievable
  • The practical obstacles industry must overcome to realise policy goals
  • Early adopters and how they can forge a path for others to follow

Amy Pitchford
Construction Manager
Multiplex

12:20
Networking Lunch
13:20
Sustainability trends in 2024 that will impact you, your projects & your organisation
  • Circular economy: How to action circular economy strategies in construction
  • Embodied carbon: reducing embodied-carbon for lower environmental impact
  • Health: Putting human health at the centre of design and construction
  • Social Impact: Leveraging your supply chain for social benefit

Clare Gallagher
National Sustainability Manager
Built

13:50
Leveraging technology to transform the construction industry & your role
  • Streamlining design with the latest developments in digital twins, virtual and augmented reality, and BIM
  • Maximising the uses & benefits of 3D printing
  • Exploring the transformative impact of robotics and automation
  • Using AI, software adaptation, cloud computing & predictive analytics to optimise construction management, improves processes, reduce costs, and boost quality & efficiency

Sally Walkom
General Manager Innovation and Enablement
John Holland

RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
14:20
Effective communication and collaboration between stakeholders: the key to project success
  • Utilising communication and collaboration to drive workflows and reduce delays & costs
  • Identifying & addressing issues early on through clear communication
  • Driving innovation and facilitating knowledge sharing among project stakeholders
  • Effectively communicating the progress of a project to keep stakeholders informed

Ashley Barnes
Design Manager
Richard Crookes Constructions

14:50
Afternoon Tea
15:20
Pre-planning solutions to meet deadlines, reduce costs & achieve project success
  • Exploring different paths & identifying the best one at the outset
  • Creating a strategic plan and defining goals to create a clear vision of the project
  • Commissioning processes to facilitate knowledge transfer between construction and operations
  • Including operations and maintenance in the design phase to ensure long-term efficiency

Rebecca McKelvey
Manager of Contracts
City of Gold Coast

15:50
Using data and analytics to elevate project management
  • Using data analytics to optimise costs in construction projects
  • How data collection can improve collaboration between stakeholders by sharing a bigger range of information
  • Improving the safety standards on site and during the project by enabling systems and software to keep shared information up-to-date

Maria Koutsimpiris
Project Controls Manager – Southern Region
Acciona Australia

16:20
Closing comments from the Chair
16:25
End of Women in Construction Summit 2024