March 12, 2013 - News
The chairman of Conlon Construction, Theresa Noblett, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at a national event which celebrates women working in the construction industry.
The National Women in Construction Awards, held at Lancashire County Cricket Club in Manchester, recognised Theresa’s dedication and leadership in construction since joining the industry in the early 1980s.
Director at Conlon for 21 years and chairman for 16 years, Theresa was presented with the accolade at the glittering ceremony on Wednesday (27 February).
I am absolutely delighted to have won this award and I couldn’t have done it without the great team at Conlon Construction, It is important to keep raising awareness of the opportunities for women in this great industry and I am honoured to have received the award.
Under Theresa’s leadership, the number of women working for Conlon Construction has tripled and more than a quarter of women in the firm occupy managerial roles.
Theresa has steered a board of six directors since being appointed executive chairman in 1997 and supported the company through structural changes during the tough economic climate. This has resulted in successful levels of company performance in terms of turnover and profit over a sustained period.
The awards, which are now in their sixth year, showcase the brightest and the best female achievers in housebuilding and wider construction, in what can be a predominantly male dominated industry.
Theresa explains how she initially struggled to buck the trend when she first graduated from university.
In my first attempt to find work in construction I was on a shortlist of one for a position, but my prospective employers just couldn’t bring themselves to appoint a woman – that was the honest feedback I received back then. I was one of four women studying Quantity Surveying at Liverpool Polytechnic, which is now Liverpool John Moores University, and when we graduated in the early 1980’s we were headline news in the Liverpool Echo!
Under Theresa’s guidance, Conlon has grown its turnover of £8m to £36m in 10 years and has initiated the firm’s three-year sponsorship of OnSide North West, a charity which helps build, deliver and sustain state-of-the-art youth zones to provide high-quality facilities where youngsters can spend their leisure time.
She has also supported investment in the Preston Vocational Centre which seeks to provide alternative education and training for young people in the Preston area that are not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Photography by: Daniel Vernon