Meet the five finalists in the running for this year’s Women in Industry Excellence in Construction Award
On June 19 at the Carousel in Melbourne, the 2025 Women in Industry Awards will bring together people working across construction, mining, manufacturing, energy, transport and engineering to celebrate the fantastic achievements of women in these industries. Across 11 awards, finalists have now been shortlisted, including five women working within construction whose pioneering efforts are helping to advance the industry. Here, we take a look at those in the running to be crowned the 2025 winner of the Excellence in Construction award, and potentially Woman of the Year.
Kate Blizzard, TasWater
Working in the role of people lead at TasWater – Tasmania’s water and sewage utility – Kate Blizzard is an active champion for attracting and retaining women in the construction workplace. Overseeing project delivery at the utility, Blizzard has assisted with efforts to achieve a female participation rate of 25 per cent through her work on building positive culture, embedding female-friendly programs, mentoring and talent management. One such program – Building A Bridge – Blizzard developed and implemented as a way of providing three months of paid work to migrant women facing the challenge of gaining entry into employment.
Jo Farrell, Kane Construction
The ACT general manager of Kane Construction, Jo Farrell is a changemaker in the industry – leading 50 per cent female site teams compared to just one woman when she joined. Founder of the Built Like A Girl not-for-profit business dedicated to recruiting and retaining women in the trades, Farrell has helped 18 female apprentices enter the industry since 2020. Farrell advocates for long-term cultural change through mentoring, coaching and speaking at events, and engages with schools to raise awareness of trades and support the next generation of tradeswomen to find their place in the industry.
Sharon Pearce, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA)
Currently serving as a crane crew competency officer at CICA, Sharon Pearce was Shell Australia’s first female access technician to achieve full offshore crane operator competency. Delivering competency-based training across Australia and the Pacific, she uses her deep technical expertise to raise safety and skill standards in the industry. A strong advocate for lifting others, Pearce mentors women in the industry, supports leaders in navigating tough conversations, and trains crews to identify and close skills gaps.
Charlotte Maker, Central Coast Council
In her role as project manager waste management at Central Coast Council, Charlotte Maker has made a significant contribution to excellence in the construction industry through demonstrating exceptional leadership and foresight as a key contributor towards the strategic planning, design, approvals and construction of various major construction projects across Central Coast Council’s waste management facilities. Her passion for the environment has led her to be a champion of minimising the impact of construction activities on the environment. This was employed as part of the recent Woy Woy Waste Management Development Strategy where Maker project managed the design and construction of a new landfill, which included extensive work with the local community to build acceptance for the development.
Isolde Piet, Suburban Connect
As Suburban Connect’s construction manager – tunnels, Isolde Piet is now leading the world’s first all-women tunnel boring machine crew, which will work on the Suburban Rail Loop project in Melbourne. The first female TBM pilot in the world, Piet acted as a technical adviser during the recruitment process for the all-women TBM crew and is leading efforts to help the project meet its commitment to support women without construction experience to embark on careers in construction. Piet will oversee a comprehensive training program for the all-women TBM crew members, which will ensure they are ready to start tunnelling together in 2027.
Tickets are still available for the Women in Industry Awards dinner, taking place in Melbourne on Thursday June 19. Book your place here.