News & Insights
Rebecca Bowman: ‘Women in senior roles helping to break construction stereotypes’
As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we have renewed our ‘Women in Construction’ series which focuses on interviews highlighting the achievements of Mercury’s female employees and their allies.
The first two interviews of 2022’s series explored the career achievements of Amy Doyle, EHS advisor and Carmen Marco Cosgaya, Junior Project Manager, which you can read by clicking on the relevant link above.
While there is a perception that construction is a male dominated industry, we are striving to change this image. As an employer of choice, we are obliged to address any gender imbalances by inspiring more females to choose a career in STEM.
Our latest interview focuses on the achievements of Rebecca Bowman, a Senior Project Planner who is based on a data centre project in Frankfurt, Germany. Rebecca joined Mercury in April 2019 as a Project Planner, before receiving promotion to the role of Senior Project Planner in August 2021.
You can read Rebecca’s full story below.
What do you think is the most important change happening in the construction industry right now?
“The advancement of women into more senior roles within the construction industry is a notable change. It is fantastic to see so many women at Mercury, and many in senior roles where they can make a real difference. I think that this will be of great benefit to Mercury in the long term. It shows that we are breaking stereotypes, while staying dynamic and diverse.”
What are the biggest challenges of being a woman in construction?
“Women who work in construction are walking into a world that has long been tailored to men’s needs. Within this industry, women may find that they are the only female on a project site, or even the only women in the company, which in turn can make them feel out of place. Even a strong, confident woman might find it hard to earn respect, or in finding a company that listens to men and women equally. Thankfully this is something that Mercury does very well.”
What has been your biggest career milestone to date?
“I was promoted to Senior Project Planner in August 2021, after spending just over two years with Mercury. This was a significant achievement for me and I hope to continue my career progression with Mercury in the coming years.”
What advice do you have for women who want to pursue a career in the construction industry?
“Develop confidence in your abilities and in your own voice. It took me around two years of working in this sector to grow the confidence to speak up, voice my opinion, share my ideas, and most importantly – not be afraid to ask questions. As women, we sometimes underestimate our abilities, despite knowing that we are just as qualified as our male counterparts and often more prepared.”
What is the most surprising aspect of working in construction as a woman?
“Society still has a lost of biases about men and women, and in no other sector more than construction, is this so prevalent. However, I have found that women in this sector really advocate for one another and this is vitally important in continuing to attract bright female minds to our industry.”
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022 AT MERCURY
As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we have renewed our ‘Women in Construction’ series which focuses on interviews with Mercury’s female employees and their allies. You can read the first two articles which feature Amy Doyle, EHS advisor, and Carmen Marco Cosgaya, Junior Project Manager by clicking on the relevant link.
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