Diane joined our Project Management Team in January 2020 and has over 20 years’ experience in this field. After Spending five years working as a Facilities Manager on School Projects, Diane made the switch to Project Management and hasn’t looked back since.
What do you think makes you stand out as Project Manager?
Whilst I have the technical knowledge and expertise to deliver projects, strategic thinking, risk management, communication, and the ability to facilitate collaboration are my key strengths.
What do you enjoy most about the job?
Every day is different in the role as a PM, and that is definitely a positive aspect of being in this profession. I also enjoy the satisfaction of working on projects which when complete make a difference to peoples’ lives and the communities they serve.
What is the biggest challenge you face in this role?
Commencing any project without a clearly defined brief which sets out the project’s objectives, deliverables and budget is a significant challenge often faced by project managers. Working collectively through an intelligent briefing process with key gateway approval stages is a good way to overcome this issue thus allowing a project to progress smoothly with the checks in place to take corrective action at an earlier stage in order to ensure client expectations and budget are met. Experience has taught me that any challenge can be overcome when working with a collaborative and cohesive team.
Tell us about a memorable project you’ve delivered:
From 2009 to 2016 I delivered a programme of refurbishments and new build projects for Mental Health patients. Working closely during the process with the staff and patients was very humbling and rewarding. We started the process with a strategy and vision for modernising mental health and delivered 21st Century fit for purpose facilities. The buildings created healing environments which lifted the spirits of staff, patients and visitors alike.