HEADLINE SPONSORS
Judges
Meet the panel of industry experts who will be judging the nominees for the “Building The Future Awards.” These experts have years of experience and knowledge in the construction industry and have been hand-picked to ensure the most fair and thorough evaluation of the nominees. They represent a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives, and are committed to recognising the achievements of young people in the construction industry. Each judge will bring their unique expertise and experience to the evaluation process, ensuring that the winners truly represent the best and brightest in the industry. We are honoured to have such a distinguished group of individuals serving as our judges and are confident that the awards will be a fair and accurate reflection of the contributions of young people in the construction industry.
Our Judges
Avril Grant
CEO AT AVISION
Avril formed her organisation AVision for Empowerment in 2012, a social enterprise which delivers holistic empowerment interventions that supports people to overcome personal challenges so they can achieve sustainable career success. Avril and her teams work within the Criminal Justice Sector delivering bespoke accredited empowerment courses to over 26 prisons across the UK in partnership with many large prime organisations, transforming attitudes and leading over 5000 delegates including those with serious violence convictions, along the road to desistence and to achieve long term employment and entrepreneurship.
Jayne Hanson
Solihull Council
During her time at Birmingham City Council, she played a key role in supporting the implementation of Social Value commitments across the built environment. Her contributions have spanned major projects such as HS2 and the Commonwealth Games, along with several other strategic developments across the city. She has been instrumental in working with developers, contractors, supply chains, training providers, and stakeholders to address skills gaps and create pathways for underrepresented groups to overcome sector stereotypes and access meaningful opportunities.
She now serves on the Employment and Skills team at Solihull Council, where she supports business growth, inward investment, and the development of sustainable employment pipelines for local unemployed residents.
Sachin Parmar
CHARTERED TOWN PLANNER
Sachin is a Chartered Town Planner based in our Birmingham office and covers the Midlands area. He is proven at shaping and guiding complex development schemes through the planning system to a positive outcome. With a strong background in the public sector being responsible for projects across various sectors, Sachin understands the complexities of the planning system, the role of politics in planning and the ways in which to negotiate the balance in favour of development.
Lee Burke
HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, NFB
Lee Burke is the Head of Business Development for the National Federation of Builders – one of the UK’s longest standing trade federations with unrivalled standards, services, and advocacy. With over a decade of experience in sales and business development, Lee leads the NFB’s work to support construction businesses in saving money, winning more contracts, and keeping up to date with legislation and policy advocacy.
Rosa Wells
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
A former Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer, Rosa has been delivering employer responsive training for the engineering sector for over a decade. As a firm advocate for flexible training solutions to ensure learning opportunities linked to career development are available to employees of all backgrounds, she was invited to join the Trailblazer groups that developed apprenticeships in Civil and Building Services Engineering. More recently, she has taken on a Board Director role for Greater Birmingham & Solihull Insitute of Technology and has been appointed as Executive Dean Engineering, Digital & Sustainable Construction at University College Birmingham (UCB). This is an exciting time for Rosa to be joining UCB as it moves into delivery of new Engineering and Construction courses; design, development and delivery of the new Curriculum is supported by substantial investment and a new accreditation partnership with the University of Warwick.
Lorraine Gregory
Executive Director Of CECA Midlands
Lorraine is the Executive Director of CECA Midlands, (Civil Engineering Contractors Association) Lorraine studied Health and Social Care at college before going onto do a degree in Education and History at University. She started her career in Education, Skills, and Careers with a focus on education policy development and development of employability workshops in schools. She then went into the construction industry working as a recruitment adviser before developing her role to work supporting employers with skills, funding and influencing policy. Lorraine joined CECA in 2022, where she now leads the trade association to support civil engineering businesses to gain work opportunities, support with social value commitments and deliver training.
Keith Shayaam-Smith
Legacy Centre Of Excellence
Keith Shayaam-Smith is an award-winning Business Leader, Social Entrepreneur and Creative Visionary with a passion for community and business development. Keith is the CEO at 7E Youth Academy, and Chairman of The Legacy Centre of Excellence, Europe’s largest Black owned Arts and Business Centre. He is also a trustee and Chair of several professional organisations, a business advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, and has over 20 years of experience in youth engagement.
Byron Dixon OBE
Founder And CEO Of The Award-Winning Brand, Micro-Fresh®
Byron Dixon OBE is the founder and CEO of the award-winning brand, Micro-Fresh®- An innovative technology used globally by manufacturers and retailers to protect and preserve the freshness of their products. Byron began his career as a lab technician, developing leather finishing products for ECCO in Denmark. He returned to the UK with extensive knowledge and a network in the footwear industry to launch Corium Solutions in 2001. In 2006, Byron created the winning formula of Micro-Fresh, which prevents mould, bacteria and viruses on products including shoes and bedding. Now, Micro-Fresh® is found in retailers such as John Lewis, Next and M&S. In 2014 Byron completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 businesses programme and went onto win many awards himself and for the company. Most recently, being named amongst the UK’s top 50 most ambitious business leaders in 2022 by the LDC.
Emma Rhymes
Winvic
Social Value Manager for Winvic Construction Limited, Emma has spent her whole career mainly working within the construction industry or helping people in the not-for-profit sector and her role at Winvic is the perfect blend of these two passions. Starting as an apprentice in construction from finishing school she has worked in an array of construction roles, before having a complete change in career which led her towards the third sector, and becoming a Community Engagement Officer. Very fulfilling, Emma managed funding to deliver support services to the Birmingham communities and seen Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was gaining much momentum at that time (around eight or nine years ago), particularly in construction so focused on this area and undertook online courses to gain qualifications within CSR and move back into construction sharing her third sector and CSR learnings. Emma supported the creation of the virtual ‘Aspire Hub’ one of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability’s (ICRS) Hubs. The Aspire hub is for people who are new to the sector and seek to become a professional in the field. Emma chairs both the North East and South East Social Value Working groups for National Highways, as part of a collaborative group of contractors on their SDF framework. Emma uses her knowledge and project expertise from working across construction sectors and in many areas across the UK to share best practice between communities.
Charlene Wall
Founder of Wood Manor Properties Construction Company
Damini Sharma
CEO The OM Group
Siu Mun Li is a highly respected, multi-award-winning engineer with over two decades of experience in the UK’s built environment. Named Most Influential Woman in Construction 2023/24, she is recognised for her exceptional technical expertise, inclusive leadership, and dedication to driving excellence across the industry.
Throughout her career, Siu has delivered some of the UK’s most complex and iconic infrastructure and commercial projects, including HS1, Stratford Olympic Park Bridges, Crossrail, 100 Bishopsgate, and many other tall towers across the London skyline. Formerly Head of Construction Engineering (Europe) for a global contractor, she now leads Constructing Siu-lutions Ltd, a consultancy focused on advancing temporary works, safety, compliance, and professional standards across the construction sector.
As a Director of the UK’s Temporary Works Forum and member of the IOSH Construction Group committee, Siu plays a pivotal role in shaping national standards and promoting best practice. Passionate about inclusion and talent development, she continues to mentor the next generation of construction professionals while championing innovation and leadership across the industry.
Danny Clarke has decades of experience in the construction industry and is dedicated to building a skilled, inclusive, and future-ready workforce. As the industry evolves, he works to help businesses attract talent, develop essential skills, and drive workforce inclusion. At CITB, he focuses on inspiring new talent, developing training systems, and ensuring diversity and equity across the sector. Danny partners with businesses to address skills gaps, promote inclusion, and support workforce transformation. He leads initiatives like the Top 100 Women in Construction Awards and Neurodiversity research to spotlight talent and innovation. A strong advocate for neurodiversity and mental health, he works to create empowering and supportive workplaces. As a Mates in Mind trustee, he champions mental health awareness across the construction sector. His work includes building employer networks, strengthening workforce development projects, and fostering industry collaboration. Danny welcomes opportunities to support training, workforce development, and inclusion initiatives. His mission is to shape a stronger, more diverse, and future-ready construction industry.
David Browne is a Director at Pareto Projects, bringing over 30 years of experience in the development and construction industry. His career trajectory includes leadership roles in a diverse range of projects, from retail and commercial to large-scale mixed-use developments, with project values ranging from £100k to £160m. In 2005, David played a key role in the management buy-out of the Back Group, which later became DBK and was acquired by RPS in 2016. As a Project Director at RPS, he oversees service delivery, client relationships, and the management of costs, revenues, and fee proposals. David is also focused on recruitment and development, managing teams of Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors. His expertise spans project management, contract administration, and addressing technical, management, and contractual project challenges. A member of the Chartered Institute of Building, he has contributed to the profession by reviewing membership applications and conducting Professional Interviews.
Dr. Bola Abisogun OBE (Hon DUniv, Hon MBA) is a renowned industry disruptor, serial curator, and innovative Systems Architect/Developer specializing in Digital Twin solutions through ConTech and PropTech platforms. As a Gemini Ambassador for the Centre for Digital Built Britain (#CDBB), he co-authored the Gemini Papers and the Digital Twin Business Case Toolkit, published with techUK in February 2021. A Chartered Construction Manager, Chartered Surveyor, and eminent Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Dr. Abisogun has delivered over £8 billion in capital projects across various sectors, with extensive experience in public sector procurement, contract management, and regulatory compliance. Through his independent consultancy, he offers cutting-edge construction cost management and asset management solutions. Awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours for his services to diversity and young people in construction, Dr. Abisogun is unapologetically committed to challenging the status quo and driving positive change in the industry.
Paul Bingham is a seasoned construction industry leader with more than 20 years’ experience delivering large‑scale programmes, driving operational excellence, and strengthening organisational performance. Renowned for his strategic mindset and collaborative leadership style, Paul brings deep expertise across Negotiation, Integration, Contract Management, Affordable Housing, Sustainability, and Procurement—skills that have consistently enabled him to guide complex projects to successful, high‑value outcomes.
A Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Paul is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and continuous development. His career began at just 16 as an apprentice Bench Joiner, where his dedication to quality craftsmanship laid the foundation for a progressive career spanning construction, refurbishment, and facilities management. This hands-on beginning continues to shape his grounded approach to leadership and his ability to connect operational detail with strategic direction.
Paul currently serves as Managing Director for RE:GEN Midlands, where he leads a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team responsible for delivering multi-million-pound refurbishment and construction programmes across the region. His leadership has supported major client partnerships, with individual portfolios exceeding £200m per annum, reinforcing his reputation for reliability, commercial acumen, and strong stakeholder engagement.
Across every role, Paul has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to performance, innovation, and impactful delivery. His ability to navigate operational challenges, inspire teams, and drive sustainable, customer-focused results has positioned him as a respected and influential figure within the construction sector.
Sarah Taitt is the Chief Property and Services Officer at Wickes, where she leads a multi-functional team and drives one of the company’s key growth strategies. With extensive experience in senior leadership roles, Sarah has successfully designed and implemented strategies that foster business growth and operational efficiency. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving change and managing diverse operations within organizations. Passionate about mentorship, she is dedicated to nurturing and supporting future generations of diverse leadership in retail. Sarah’s expertise and commitment to development continue to shape Wickes’ success in the home improvement sector.
Assistant Director Development (Places, Prosperity & Sustainability Directorate) Birmingham City Council
As our BTF Award Alumni Network Co-Chair, she has been incredibly supportive, committed, and passionate about championing the next generation and we’re excited to have her bring that same energy and insight to the judging panel this year.
With over two decades of experience, Linda has become a recognised stakeholder in learning and development for early career professionals. She has led transformative, high-impact campaigns at a national level, including a £12 million HEFCE funded collaboration representing seven universities across the South East, designed to elevate the profile of Physics within academia and industry.
At Brathay, her leadership extended to five consecutive national campaigns for the National Apprenticeship Service’s prestigious Apprentice Team of the Year programme, engaging teams from more than 80 major employers. Through this government-backed initiative, thousands of young apprentices were empowered to develop critical capabilities in leadership, teamwork, logistical planning, and communication, while actively promoting the value of apprenticeships through regional and national outreach.
Building on this success, Linda went on to spearhead the annual Balfour Beatty Brathay Apprentice Challenge; a flagship programme specifically designed to identify and nurture leadership and teamwork potential through an intensive 18-month development journey, equipping hundreds of apprentices with the skills, confidence, and vision to become the next generation of construction industry high performers.
CEO of Gallaway Construction
Renee Preston — a nationally recognised leader in the construction industry, founder of the Construction for Women initiative, and champion of inclusion, mentoring, and talent development, will serve as a judge for the Building the Future Awards 2026, bringing her visionary leadership and commitment to positive change to the judging panel.