Shawmut celebrated Women in Construction Week in all 10 of its offices through various industry events. CEO Les Hiscoe kicked off the celebrations on March 2 as the firm joined in the national effort to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry, which is only 10% women. The week commenced in the firm’s New York office with guest speaker, Allison Robin, principal at Levien & Company and president of the NY Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW NY).
Throughout the week, Shawmut both hosted and joined events and speaking engagements. In its Boston office, the firm held a “Women Who Build” networking event, welcoming more than 100 guests including local women-owned contractors, suppliers, and members from the National Association of Women in Construction and Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts. In its Los Angeles office, Executive Vice President of Shawmut West Greg Skalaski moderated a panel—Paving the Way for Women in the AEC Industry—which included women in architecture, engineering, and construction. The New York office welcomed guest speakers Theresa Waldeck of Lido Lighting and Cathy Leidersdorff of Architectural Flooring Resource, who shared their experiences as women in the industry, as well as tips and tools they used to build their careers.
The week also included tours of projects with women leaders, including Times Square Theater in New York, The Langham, Boston, and eight new-construction custom luxury residences in West Hollywood in Los Angeles.
These were just a few of the many events that Shawmut hosted last week for the annual celebration. Outside of these events, Shawmut continues to be a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion for women and minorities in the industry through various companywide initiatives spearheaded by Hiscoe. Shawmut achieved 100% pay equity through a company-wide audit in 2019 and has sponsorship and mentor programs that ensure employees are receiving support and equal opportunity for promotions. The firm is also a founding member of DICE (Diversity and Inclusion in Construction and Engineering) and has created a Diversity Leadership Council to drive Shawmut’s DEI strategy and efforts.