What is your name?

Hannah Smith

What is your current job?

Financial Controller at Morris & Spottiswood

What job did you want to do when you were younger?

I wanted to be a vet – but I was useless at biology…

Could you describe a typical day in your current job?

My job is always very varied, so there’s not really a typical day! I am responsible for a team who cover all areas of finance – including payroll, credit control, purchase ledger, cash management, management & statutory accounts.

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I have worked in various industries as part of my career, but construction has always been where I feel most at home. Out with practice accountancy, finance should work as a support function, and the nature of the work and cash flows in particular that are involved in construction mean that the finance team must work collaboratively with both commercial & operation staff. That makes the work really interesting.

Did you have any reservations or concerns about joining the industry as a woman? Have these changed?

Any reservations I had would have been around my own misconceptions of the industry. In reality, I find that most men are very receptive to a woman’s viewpoint and it’s not something that I am often concerned with.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge of being a woman working within construction?

In my role, I don’t feel that there are construction industry specific challenges out with those in general experienced by women in employment.

What is the favourite part of your job?

The people that I work with – M&S has a great finance team. Accountancy has a reputation for being a bit boring, but the varied nature of working in accounting within the construction industry means that there’s never a dull day. I also have a great love of spreadsheets.

What’s been the biggest surprise since joining the construction industry?

The pace at which workstreams can change was quite surprising to me. Also, the ability that M&S has to adapt to these changes quickly.

Would you recommend a career in construction to women? Why?

Absolutely! Despite the indisputable fact that construction is a male dominated industry, there are some amazing careers in construction for women and I genuinely believe that misconceptions about gender-specific roles are diminishing.

Do you have any advice to any woman who’s currently thinking about coming into the construction industry?

Do it!