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To mark International Women’s Day 2024, we are profiling one of our inspiring team members via a Q&A with Bronwen Holland, a Senior Project Manager based in Bridge42’s Melbourne office.
Bridge42 is an equal opportunity employer. We proactively and publicly support #WorkplaceDiversity, with Director Anna Broughton driving and championing various diversity-related initiatives within the business and with industry partners, such as the Property Council of Australia and NAWIC WA.
We are proud to maintain a gender balance of typically between 30%-40% of women in our workforce, above the industry standard of circa 12%.
Bronwen Holland joined Bridge42 in 2015, as part of the Melbourne and Perth teams, and has spent 17 years working in the property and construction industry.
Her expertise lies in her ability to adapt and respond to a client’s needs across all stages of project development and delivery. She understands the drivers for project success, stakeholder management, and how to successfully manage projects in live environments.
In 2020, Bronwen was selected for the Property Council of Australia’s ‘500 Women in Property’ national program. In the same year, she was also recognised as the Western Australian ‘Future Project Leader of the Year’ award winner by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM).
What drives your passion for the property and construction industry?
“I enjoy the process of collaborating and creating something tangible for the end user, especially when it is for broad community use. My friend’s granny staged a play in the building of the second project I ever worked on, and it left me with such a lovely feeling of how the built form supports everything we do. I also have an ever-growing appreciation for how much thought and effort goes into creating spaces and buildings – seeing something come out of the ground, or transform through a refurbishment, is really exciting and rewarding.”
Which project(s) has been the highlight(s) of your career to date?
“The redevelopment of the Jacana School for Autism was a most rewarding project for me, because of the impactful legacy outcomes it has delivered for the end user and the school’s community. Working on Curtin University’s game-changing Exchange precinct, including the preceding Main Street projects, offered me incredible opportunities to learn and flex diverse skillsets. There was such a range of considerations when it came to scope, asset type design, logistics, staging, statutory and legal requirements, stakeholder engagement, procurement approaches… the list goes on. It also gave me such a valuable insight into the governance and operations of the tertiary education sector.”
What change(s) would you like to see in our industry, and how might it be achieved?
“Diversity is so important in all areas of our society, not only to provide equitable access to all, but to create new ideas and better ways of doing things. I believe that positive changes in our industry can be encouraged through:
- Increased representation in higher and influential roles in the private sector.
- Policy changes i.e. Victorian Government Building Equality Policy.
- A continued focus on more flexible working and parental leave schemes.
- Programs targeting school students encouraging them to enter the industry.
- Alternative networking opportunities that are more flexible than the standard breakfasts / drinks / golf.”
