#WomenAtMilbank – Introducing Chelsea Cutts

Working in construction is not just for men. More and more women are picking up a sledge hammer, breaking down barriers and smashing gender stereotypes.

But women remain massively underrepresented in the sector. And if we have any hope of overcoming the massive skills shortage the UK industry is faced with, it will become ever more crucial to encourage women to choose a career in construction.

We are lucky as an organisation to have a diverse mix of individuals across our departments and are proud to share and celebrate the successes of all employees, no matter their gender, race or sexuality.

In our second instalment of #WomenAtMilbank, we talk to Finance Director, Chelsea Cutts about her experience in the industry and her advice to other women looking to get involved.

Name:

Chelsea Cutts

Job Title:

Fiance Director

Briefly describe your job role:

I have overall responsibility for the finances of MCP with the help of my fantastic team, as well as supporting all our operational teams with analysis and decision making.

Being on the Board also means contributing towards the strategy of the business and driving the values we wish to demonstrate as a supplier, employer, and member of the community.

How did you end up in the Construction industry?

I moved into the Construction industry in Feb-19 having worked in finance roles across a variety of different industries previously (audit, hospitality, retail, publishing & care sector). The role sounded great, but I must admit, I didn’t think the industry was going to be something I was very interested in.

I quite quickly surprised myself, and it has got to be the industry/product type I am most passionate about by far of all those I have worked in!

I’ve found the production & manufacturing processes really interesting (I love getting away from my desk with my hi-viz and hard hat on and seeing it in action) and it helps that the operational teams I have worked with want to help you learn and get involved, and genuinely seem to enjoy and care about what they do.

How do you think Construction can attract more females?

There is a role for EVERYONE in Construction; whether it’s boots on the ground in operations, haulage, support functions, design, commercial/customer facing, etc. but I think what all these different roles do could be explained better, as could where that information is publicised to continue to increase diversity in the industry.

It would be great to see more females that have that understanding so they can consider Construction when thinking about their future careers.

What advice would you give to someone interested in working in Construction?

Don’t be put off by the industry and any pre-conceptions that may come with it, for example, it traditionally being male dominated. I
haven’t found Construction any different to work in compared any other industry.

Unfortunately, there are still instances of barriers to entry/progression that exist for many people not just women everywhere, but I have found that is related to specific companies (more in culture and leadership) rather than it being industry related. There is no reason a company with the right values and people for you is not in Construction.

Feeling inspired? View our available vacancies to join our family!