Group construction director Zara Barrow joined us in 2013 as an assistant site manager before starting in a Group role in 2019 as construction coordinator. Now part of our Group’s senior management team, Zara is pleased to be inspiring the next generation of women into the industry.

Zara said: “I think that girls of a school age need to understand that a career in construction is a possibility. The stigma of it being just for men it out of date. There needs to be more education to promote that it doesn’t just mean being a bricklayer or out on site, there are so many opportunities for women to succeed, do well and make a difference to communities.”

Senior land manager in our Southern Counties division, Nora Dow, studied Architectural Design Technology at Glyndwr University, Wales before joining Redrow’s Graduate Programme in 2015. Nora says growing up she always had an interest in buildings so she decided to study architectural design technology but was surprised that she enjoyed working as part of the land team during her rotational graduate programme. 

Nora says that, despite being a minority in the industry, she is seeing more women joining and has been back to her university to inspire others to join the industry too: 

“Having more women in the industry will benefit a business hugely because it means there’s a wider range of views and approaches to solving problems. I think it’s equally important for businesses to highlight women working in a wide range of roles to inspire the next generation – construction is more than just working on site. Before I joined Redrow, I didn’t know my role existed so providing as much knowledge as possible about job roles is still very much needed.”

Sales director of our NW division, Anna Evans-Kerr, started with Redrow 10 years ago coming from the car industry. She started off as a sales consultant and has worked her way up to sales director for our NW division, a role she was promoted to in 2022. 

“The construction industry is such an exciting one to be in. It’s not just about jobs on site physically building the homes, there’s the land and planning side, technical and commercial, marketing and customer service roles all available. As sales director, I liaise with all departments and really enjoy how varied my job is.

There are so many options and opportunities and there needs to be more women coming through in a range of roles. The old way of thinking of construction being a man’s world needs to be shifted and this is something parents need to be aware of too so they can encourage their children to follow their dreams and have the knowledge of all the roles available to women too.”

Zarah Durowoju a graduate trainee said: “Don’t censor your ambitions 
because of any misconceptions you may have about the industry. We as women are taught that people-pleasing is in our nature, but I’ve learnt that being open to criticism and asking questions is essential to thrive in the industry.

“Due to the relatability in the experiences and challenges women face, it can be easier to seek the support of another woman because of better understanding. Through initiatives like the Mentoring Scheme, I have been able to share experiences, gain representation and advice on my career journey, as well as constant encouragement. I believe that mentorship and other forms of support networks are really effective and have been a source of motivation for me during my time at Redrow.”

Tashai Simms is an apprentice in our South Midlands division. She wanted to choose a career path that women were not necessarily “known for” and starting her carpentry apprenticeship was the route she decided on. She believes breaking down barriers now will help women in the future as the stigma of construction being a male orientated industry will be diminished.

Tashai said: “I didn’t want to conform to society’s set rules of what women should or shouldn’t do, that’s clearly reflected in my choice of apprenticeship. What really drives me is that I am breaking down barriers, helping women succeed in a male dominant industry, and proving people wrong. My advice? Take the jump and go for it.”