Willmott Dixon celebrating female success in construction

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Willmott Dixon is celebrating the successes of two of its East Midlands employees as part of its drive to encourage more women into the construction industry.

Michelle Cotterill has been promoted to the role of director and will sit on the board of directors for the midlands region, while management trainee, Simone Codrington has received two prestigious awards.

Michelle first joined the company as a HR co-ordinator in 2006 before progressing up the ranks to take up a number of roles; her latest responsibility includes heading up the company’s involvement with the Adjuto funding scheme, a partnership that enables public sector organisations to seek funding for new developments.

Michelle said: “Willmott Dixon has given me a number of opportunities to progress my career, and to be promoted to the board of directors is fantastic.

“Working in the industry gives me a great deal of enjoyment. We work on a diverse range of projects and to see the impact they have on people’s lives once complete is very satisfying. As part of our women in construction events, we discuss how we can break down the barriers together and pave the way for talented women embarking on their careers

“The construction industry has huge opportunities outside of the traditional hands-on trades and we need people with a variety of skillsets to continue our success. It’s vital that we help people to understand this, and change the perception of the industry.”

Willmott Dixon has committed to reaching a 50/50 gender split across the business by 2030, with the midlands region already boasting a 50/50 split amongst its management trainees.

Nick Gibb, deputy managing director of Willmott Dixon in the region, said: “Michelle and Simone’s successes are the perfect example of the exceptional opportunities available in the construction industry.”