Belén Marquina and Sofía Guerrero were the European winners of the competition, with the Best Women Contractor and Best Woman Civil Engineer awards, respectively. They celebrated their prizes with their Ferrovial Agroman colleagues who were finalists and nominees, namely Victoria Villanua, Sally Marsden, Selen Roa, Flor Paniagua, María del Mar Delgado, Alana Paterson, Silvia Moreno, Nicola Keegan, Rebeca Gómez, Marisa Garay and Rebecca Flint, together with Ewelina Karp, the finalist from Budimex.
Best Women Contractor and Best Woman Civil Engineer
Belén Marquina, Deputy Manager of Construction I in Madrid and Castilla la Mancha and CPDs in Spain, described the event and awards as “highly motivating and very interesting for all architects and engineers who are developing their work both at project design level and in direct project management. I hope that in the coming edition, many professionals will feel encouraged to participate and win”, she added. “This award not only recognizes my career as an architect, it also belongs to my company and my team, who have helped me reach where I am. I would like to thank them all for this”.
“It is a great honor for me to receive this award in this significant category that includes so many women who I admire and respect”, said Sofía Guerrero, Director of Tenders of Ferrovial Agroman UK & Ireland. “This has been an amazing experience. It has meant a great challenge, but it has been well worth it. I will never stop saying to women that we must believe in ourselves, we must work hard, use our skills and be proud of this.”
“This award means a recognition of us all. A recognition of our talent, our perseverance and dedication. We must, therefore, see ourselves represented within it. I hope it is also understood as a contribution to more equal opportunities in the short term”
This is the second edition of these annual awards, addressed to granting recognition to the best female professionals within the European construction and engineering sector. Representatives of major construction companies and contractors from all over Europe, attended the awards ceremony to reaffirm their recognition to the contribution of women in the sector.
Mario Móstoles, Director of Ferrovial Agroman UK & Ireland, stated that “with 11 finalists in different categories, I am very proud to see our team colleagues at these awards, and for them to have the recognition they deserve. I hope that this helps to improve the image of Construction with regard to women, which is an issue we have delayed for far too long”.
Juan Luis Junguito, Director of Madrid and Castilla La Mancha Construction, Extremadura and CPD, is very pleased with the award received by Belén, who he described as “an excellent professional and manager and an outstanding person. An example for us all for her tenacity and her search for excellence in everything she does”.
After the initial nomination process which took place a few months ago, the finalists were invited to the final assessment session. This is when they had the opportunity of presenting before the jury, different subjects that included an explanation of their commitment to construction and details on how they would describe themselves as a model for other women to follow.
During the final assessment day and the awards ceremony, participants were able to listen to speakers with wide experience in the construction sector. The subjects discussed included the experience of women in construction, how they can help to improve the public image and perception of the sector, the support they can find through mentoring programs, plus the importance of using social networks.
Read about Ferrovial joining the international solidarity movement HeForShe
