CEO Sam Gartside on Gender at RML

I’ve been with the business for over two years now, and it is very clear that the diversity apparent everywhere I look is a real strength that adds value right across the business.

Having recently been offered – and accepted – the role of Chief Executive gave me a very clear indication of how open this business is to change.

When General Manager Matt Korny and I look around the business, we see a team where talent, hard work and potential are the most prized attributes among colleagues right across the country, rather than gender, which is exactly how it should be – gender isn’t even part of the conversation.

Women are very well represented at the top level of the business, leading Finance, HR and Marketing as well as the more technical Design function, but there is also a tremendous group of up-and-coming females either already in or marching towards middle management posts and who will in turn move into senior leadership roles in the future. In every single function, we’re proud to have strong women working on an equal footing with their male colleagues.

While this is not unusual in many sectors – and it’s true that RML had some way to go when Simon Kidney and Mark Smy undertook their MBO six and a half years ago – we are now well ahead of the curve in our sector.

However, one of the things I love about this business – and intend to continue to encourage – is that we never stand on our laurels. We will continue to drive gender diversity to mirror the society we all live in and I know the business will gain further strength from that.

Best of all, I know all the members of RML’s Senior Leadership team – itself well gender balanced – are 100% behind us in our drive to equality.

Watch out for our blog on Friday about a very exciting project designed to make a substantial impact on the construction sector and its gender balance!