Kristen Fitzgerald
Associate Director
Consultancy, UK
- How did your career lead you to Mace?
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I left university with a degree in sociology and started temping as an administrator on a private finance initiative (PFI) project at a hospital. The experience was a real eye opener as I got to meet and work with architects, engineers, lawyers and contractors.
Before I knew it I was carving out a career as a capital project manager and I quickly realised there was no way back – I was hooked!
When I was ready to move onto bigger challenges, I looked to Mace as one of the leaders in construction and consultancy with a dynamic approach to developing its workforce. I wasn’t wrong – we all work incredibly hard, but there are plenty of opportunities to progress and the atmosphere is really energetic. I certainly never get bored!
- How has your career progressed since joining Mace?
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After ten years experience in delivering hospital projects of all different sizes, it was a really natural fit for me to join the health and social care team at Mace. I was seconded into the client’s Capital Projects team before progressing to senior project manager. Now I am working on an exciting new development in London.
I’ve also had the opportunity to go on Mace’s Developing Success programme. It’s been a fantastic way to establish a network across the business where we learn from each other. The programme has given me the confidence to push my career and has really encouraged me to be creative and forward thinking.
- What is your proudest achievement at Mace?
- One of my first projects at Mace was working with The Royal Free Hospital in London. As the only Mace representative I saw it as a huge opportunity to go in, deliver and show what I and Mace are capable of. I am proud to say that our account has grown substantially with seven Mace employees now working together to meet the client’s ambitions.
- What skills do you need to be good at your job?
- Ambition. I don’t mean in terms of being really competitive, but I always try and push myself to be the best person I can be to achieve my potential.
- What advice would you give to someone looking to get into what you do?
- Do some work experience. There’s nothing quite like rolling your sleeves up and getting into the thick of it to know if you’ll enjoy it. Don’t be put off by not having a technical background. You don’t need a qualification to be in the industry, so much of what you learn is on the job. Try and get a mentor – they are a great way to get guidance and support. Don’t be afraid to open up to people about what you want, they will help support you to make it a reality!
- What do you see as the big trend for your specialism in the next five years?
- In the health and social care sector, technology is increasingly becoming a big part of the projects that we deliver. It’s really important to keep abreast of technology as it can significantly impact the way you design a project. Even during the lifespan of a project, the type of technology you need to integrate at the end may completely change, so you always need to be prepared for that.
- What are you passionate about outside of work?
- Right now, when I’m not seeing friends and family, I’m studying for my chartership with the RICS. There aren’t enough hours in the day!
“I looked to Mace as one of the leaders in construction and consultancy with a dynamic approach to developing its workforce. I wasn’t wrong – we all work incredibly hard, but there are plenty of opportunities to progress.”
