Congratulations Katy!
An East Yorkshire project manager has been named the UK’s Most Influential Woman In Construction. Katy Robinson, who has worked for East Riding Of Yorkshire Council’s infrastructure and facilities department for five years, received the prestigious accolade at the national 100 Most Influential Women In Construction Awards 2025, held by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
She also secured the Local Hero award for the North East region at the ceremony. The 26 year old, from Driffield, bagged the awards for leading a nationwide campaign advocating for more inclusive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for women working in the construction sector, who often struggle with poorly-fitting and hazardous workwear.
Katy said: “I feel honoured and deeply grateful. To win these awards during the same week that our new British Standard BS 30417 – Provision of Inclusive PPE – has been released feels like a full-circle moment.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’m so inspired by the incredible people across the construction industry who are driving progress and change in their own ways.”
Despite her fairly short career so far, Katy has already secured five other national and regional accolades, including Technical Apprentice Of The Year, Hull & Humber Top 30 Under 30, and a Future Leaders award. She also serves as the campaign Leader for the National Association of Women in Construction for Yorkshire (NAWIC).
Katy said: “When I began the PPE campaign two years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the journey it would take me on. From highlighting the clear need for change, to building awareness through webinars and seminars, receiving national media coverage, working closely with the British Standards Institute, and even gaining recognition in Parliament – it has been an incredible effort to drive meaningful change.
“The release of the new British Standard marks the achievement of one of the campaign’s main goals, but, this is not the end of the journey – rather the beginning of a wider culture shift. I’m looking forward to seeing how the standard is adopted, not only in construction, but in all other industries too.”
East Riding Of Yorkshire Council has spearheaded Katy’s PPE campaign by providing inclusive workwear for employees, and also contacted the Government pressing for inclusive PPE to become mandatory within the sector. During her time at the council, Katy has taken part in numerous prominent projects as assistant project manager and project manager, including the development of the RaisE Business Centre at Goole, the construction of St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College and Appleton Court Extra Care Facility, both at Hessle, the Mill outdoor gym at East Riding Leisure Beverley, as well as various affordable and sheltered housing developments throughout the East Riding.
Councillor Gary McMaster, the council’s cabinet member for planning, housing and infrastructure, said: “Congratulations to Katy for achieving such a prestigious, national honour for leading such a successful campaign. Katy is a real shining star in the industry, and we are lucky to have her expertise at the council.”
Deborah Madden, executive director, nations engagement at the CITB, praised Katy’s efforts, saying: “Katy’s excellent work around changing the structure of PPE for women and overcoming the challenges of co-ordinating and negotiating school engagement are examples of the impact that Katy has brought to her projects and the wider industry.
“Katy has also shown support and commitment to other women in construction while developing her own skills and knowledge and raising awareness of the opportunities available for women across the built environment. Katy’s nomination clearly demonstrated her resilience and leadership – and how she faces challenges head-on to achieve a positive impact on barriers to change.”
The Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction was launched in 2022 and aims to showcase the influential women that work across the sector. The awards highlight the significant contributions of women from across the construction industry and showcase women in the sector in order to make role models more visible and accessible.