Kelly Churchill - NAWIC Excellence Awards Spotlight #1

Kelly Churchill
Contract Performance Engineer
Fulton Hogan
Winner - Professional woman of the year - office - 2021

Kelly won the Professional Woman Of The Year Award - Office based this year. A small snippet of her story was shared at the awards. We thought it may inspire you to know more about her journey so we asked her a few words to share more about her.

What inspired you to get into construction?

I studied Land Surveying at university and really enjoyed the engineering papers I did. My first job was in a gold mine, and I was impressed by the big gear and progress they made with it, and the comradery of the crews. And whilst I spent the next 12 odd years in consulting, I always wanted to be a contractor.

What are you most passionate about in the industry? or what drives you to be involved?

I am passionate about finding more efficient and sustainable ways of working, and keeping up diversity in our thinking to develop better solutions. Keeping Mums in the industry is important to me, but diversity is not just about women, it's all about utilizing diverse minds too.

What would you like to see for the future of women in construction?

I'd like to see Women staying in the industry after they've had children if that's what they want. How can we ensure they return to work after childbirth, not lose their status / progression they've worked so hard to achieve? This is particularly more difficult for women in site/shift based roles. And how can we ensure they get the balance they need to provide for their families and maintain their careers? We can feel so much guilt if we aren't prioritizing one over the other - how can we create a shift in this thinking? How can we create more support for them in their organizations to get the balance they want?

Words of wisdom or tips for women at the start of or considering a career in construction

• Do what YOU want to do - don't let someone tell you what you should be
• Speak up - everyone's opinion is important
• Everything has a way of working out - don't stress the small stuff, and if an opportunity feels right, take it!

What is your favourite thing to do for fun?

I love playing golf which I've just taken up in the last year, and I love taking my girls out to a cafe for a cuppa and a yummy treat.

What has winning this award meant to you?

The most exciting part for me was showing my two daughters my certificate, and seeing their pride was priceless. Every time my 9 year old daughter watches the video of me receiving the award, she cries happy tears, and that to me means everything. I am very lucky to have a job I love, so getting recognition from my employer and NAWIC is really icing on the cake. I'm really chuffed.

To keep in touch about the awards in 2022 check our awards page here.