The construction industry has a bad reputation for not being diverse and inclusive enough and many actions are being taken to change this situation.
Creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce enhances creativity, productivity, satisfaction, and resilience.
This should be understood by employees and employers and can only be harnessed if collaborative efforts are made by educational institutions, professional bodies, and construction companies.
Join us for this webinar to hear different perspectives on the existing diversity initiatives and other actions needed to make the construction workforce more diverse and future-proof.

Moderator, Elleyn Lester
Assistant Dean of Construction and Architectural Technologies
Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA
Ellyn was previously the Director of Built Environment Programs and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Prior to Stevens, at New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego, and in positions such as Vice President of Membership and Marketing at the Design-Build Institute of America, she advocated for excellence in the AEC Industry.

She has recently presented at several conferences including: ECC International, CMAA National, and the ENR BuildTECH International.

Her awards include the SMPS Striving for Excellence Grand Prize in 2001, DBIA Chapter of the Year in 2003, the 2012 AIA California Council Associate of the Year, and the 2020 Carol A. Keuker Construction Education Visionary Award.

Presenter, Dr Mehreen Gul BEng PhD MEI FHEA
Assistant Professor in Architectural Engineering
School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh
Dr Mehreen Gul is an Assistant Professor in Architectural Engineering in the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Her key expertise is in solar radiation modeling, energy yield enhancement and characterization of solar technologies, and stakeholder engagement to elicit insights, user behavior, and attitude towards energy conservation/efficiency.

She was the chair of EGIS Athena Swan (AS) committee from 2019 to 2021 and led a large team to consult and develop actions to improve gender equality, eventually leading a AS Bronze award for EGIS.

Panelist, Louise Collins
Head of Project & Development Services UAE and Head of Engineering & Energy MEA
JLL
Louise Collins leads both the Project & Development Services business in the UAE and the Engineering & Energy business across MEA.
With over 21 years of experience in the construction industry in Europe and the GCC, Louise has extensive design management and project delivery experience across various industry sectors, including sustainable projects.
Having spent most of her career in engineering consultancy, she is passionate about designing and delivering buildings that operate sustainably with low energy and water usage. She works with clients across the region to implement new and retrofit rollouts that include short- and long-term sustainability objectives, including Net-Zero.
As someone who has managed multiple teams comprising primarily men, Louise is a strong advocate for women in the industry and often works with schools and organisations to raise awareness about female representation.

Panelist, Ahmad Al Darwish
CEO
Falcon Robotics
Ahmad is an Engineer, Entrepreneur, and Inventor dedicated to building cutting-edge AI technology that delivers practical value. He started his career as an Aircraft Broker at ACS, UK and then as a Flight Operations Engineer at Emirates Airlines, where he successfully led parts of the digital transformation of Emirates’ Fleet, saved millions in fuel costs and lowered carbon emissions by millions of tons. In 2018 he founded Falcon Robotics and currently serves as the CEO.

His career thus far has seen him earn prestigious entrepreneurship awards, recently recognized as CEO of the Year 2021 for UAE by CEO Review Magazine UK. Ahmad has an educational background in Aerospace Engineering from ERAU, Florida. He is an active member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS) and currently serves as the regional leader for MENA airlines at Airbus Fuel Efficiency group.