To celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, which takes place today (8 March), BE News is running a series of interviews with inspirational women who work across the built environment sector
Name: Amy Broadbent
Title: Development manager for Elephant Park at Lendlease
What I do: I’m a development manager working on Lendlease’s Elephant Park, a mixed-use regeneration project that will deliver over 3,000 homes, around 50 shops and restaurants, office space and community uses around a new two-acre park when it completes. I am currently working on the last residential plot delivering 259 new homes and the final plot, which has recently received planning approval for 485,000 sq ft of office, healthcare and community space.
Why I got into the property industry: I’ve always had a great love of architecture and design, and although I didn’t follow this pathway, I felt that being a part of creating spaces and buildings was something I was passionate about and wanted to be involved in.
How I did it: My degree deepened my understanding of how cities and places are shaped and evolve, along with the socio-economic influences behind them. During a summer break, I had the opportunity to undertake work experience with a London-based construction and development company, which provided a wonderful insight into the industry and cemented my decision to pursue a career in this field. Having a good work ethos, enjoying teamwork and being passionate about place-making have all been instrumental.
My first proper job: It was a part-time job in a retail store. It really opened my eyes to the world of work; balancing studying, working as a team, achieving targets, and engaging with customers.
My first big break: After graduating, I started working in business development for an international building contractor. It was a huge learning curve and over the years I was subsequently given the opportunity to work on many different projects in a variety of roles, which was invaluable.
My inspiration(s): Easy, my mum – I couldn’t ask for a better inspiration to always look up to.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: Seeing people work, live, use and visit the buildings or developments you’ve worked on is incredibly rewarding. I’m proud every time I see a completed building that I have played a part in delivering.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: Unfortunately, I think there is a perception from local communities that the property industry is full of developers, whose only objective is to make money. From my perspective, a successful development is reliant on delivering positive place outcomes that reflect the local community, achieving strong socio-economic and sustainability outcomes and creating a lasting legacy that the community is proud of.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: The development and construction sectors play a huge role in changing and re-shaping places. Whilst there are great examples of community engagement across the industry, I would love to see this go even further as there are so many insights we can gain by listening, empathising and where possible, walking in the shoes of existing residents and locals who have lived, worked and visited these areas for decades before we ever step foot in them. It is our responsibility to make sure that they are part of the change journey and that this isn’t done in a tokenistic manner. It’s important to be empathetic and also sympathetic that change can be a difficult experience.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: The industry suffers from a lack of diversity, and I feel this most acutely when attending industry events where there is still a majority representation of stereotypical ‘property’ types. There is such a wide range of job roles and skillsets in the industry that it has the potential to be one of the most inclusive if we can breakdown more of the barriers and accessibility.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: Delivering projects with positive environmental and social outcomes needs to be as important as their economic return. I’m proud to work on a development that has set itself the high ambition of being among the most sustainable inner-city urban regeneration projects in the world and strive to continue being at the forefront of sustainability and innovation.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: Wrapping up the successful delivery of the final plots at Elephant Park and seeing this great neighbourhood continuing to thrive.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: I’m very lucky to have an amazing group of friends around me, so I’d have to pick them.
What I do in my downtime: I love travelling and exploring new sunny places. Otherwise, having the opportunity to relax and read, bake something sweet and listen to some awesome music all help me to de-stress.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I wouldn’t have strayed far from what I do now – possibly interior architecture/design, or maybe a property finder or estate agent.
My advice for someone just starting out: Follow your intuition, do something that you love and take the opportunities that come your way; you never know where things might lead you.
My motto/mantra: Listen, ask questions, and never lose sight of the bigger picture.
Why is IWD important to you: I grew up surrounded by strong, successful, working women, who have continuously supported and encouraged me in my education and career. They were always open and honest in discussing the barriers that they faced both professionally and personally. This has given me a good awareness of the challenges they’ve experienced, the progress that’s been made and the role that I continue to play in supporting women and achieving an equitable future.
