International Women's Day 2018

Katie Metcalf is one of G&T’s rising stars, part of the G&T NextGen programme and a champion of G&T’s Change the Skyline initiative looking to inspire more young people into the industry. Her experience covers a wide range of projects, most recently focusing on retail and commercial developments. 

You’ve been with Gardiner & Theobald for quite a while now. Are there projects you have especially fond memories of?

Yes, of course! The great thing is construction projects are all different, so you enjoy them all for different reasons. I remember my first site visit, my first tender returns, my first mistake – all of which are fond memories because they have been part of the journey.

If I had to pick a recently completed project to mention, it would be the largest in my experience, Westgate Oxford Shopping Centre. The centre opened in October last year and we had a great team, both here at G&T and across the project. Being part of the project from planning stages, through to procurement and delivery was a great experience. The scheme was dynamic, challenging and exciting to work on. I loved it.

Did you always know property was the right profession for you? What inspired you to take up this line of work?

Not at all – I didn’t feel drawn to a particular vocation and had a wide range of interests. I’d started training as an accountant but was yearning for something more real, more tangible and wanted to feel I could make a meaningful contribution to something. I love architecture and design and am fairly practical, but it was luck that someone recommended Quantity Surveying and I secured a job at G&T.

I had no idea the construction industry had so many great opportunities and my role as a Quantity Surveyor would allow me to get involved with so many other disciplines and organisations. The variety of people I work with is inspiring, challenging, and always very rewarding.

Do you feel you are still growing, both as an individual and as a professional? What continues to inspire/ motivate you?

I hope to grow a little every day. As an individual, I like to listen and learn from others and be genuinely interested, which I have found to be an excellent approach to life as a professional as well. The industry is so focussed on people, our individual and combined success is fundamentally based on relationships, collaborative problem-solving and creativity. Inevitably, I find the “me” as an individual and as a professional to be completely intertwined with each other.

I’m inspired by the desire to contribute to a meaningful result; a building that people enjoy, a technology that makes us greener, a space that people love. I enjoy being part of a process that leaves a little footprint on life.

Read the full feature on Built-ID's website and in their new post. 

Find out more about Katie in her profile.

Find out more about G&T’s career and development programmes.