In light of International Women’s Day 2023 we celebrating all of our women at The Keystone Group and are continuing to create a culture where women thrive in work.
Our Commercial Director for IG Lintels, Caroline Meredith is a true example of this. In 2006 IG Lintels became part of the Keystone Group and Caroline joined the team. Over 16 years later Caroline has progressed, professionally developed and is achieving her career goals.
What advice would you give to young females starting their careers?
“Never stop learning; there’s always something new you can learn every day. Self-improvement is an endless task, and you will reap the benefits. Always be willing to take on any task and always do your best at whatever comes your way. A ‘can do’ attitude will serve you well with your organisation and your customers. Be willing to listen to your colleagues and consider others’ opinions, it’s always good to keep an open mind. Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything you want to.”
What steps does the industry have to take to ensure career success for women in this sector?
“I know that a lot of effort is going towards making the construction industry more accessible for women, with lots of initiatives to increase diversity and tackle the gender gap. I think there may be preconceived ideas about the roles available for women in the industry. From bricklaying and surveying, engineering, customer service, finance and administration, if the variety of roles were promoted more, then this may attract more women into construction. I have seen a shift over the years, and we have more women in certain roles than we did thirty years ago. Such as Technical Engineers, Managers, ASMs, Directors and CEOs. Mindsets have changed and it’s great to see.”
What are your goals for the next five years?
“As I’m a firm believer in progression and succession planning, I will be supporting individuals with their career aspirations within the organisation. We have so much talent within our business and it’s important to support them with their development. This will secure a strong and experienced workforce and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Keystone Group.”
One of Caroline’s favourite quotes by Henry Ford is: ‘Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.’