Women in Construction: Why It Has Never Been a Better Time

In celebration of Women in Construction Week, we are highlighting stories from some of the most influential and groundbreaking women in the industry. In today’s post, we speak with Rose Hall, Cheri Hanes, and Milena Russo at AXA XL who serve their construction clients through AXA’s innovation group.

How did you get started in the construction industry? 

Rose: I went to school for civil engineering and when I graduated, I could design any type of building, but I had NO IDEA how it went from plans to reality! I decided to go to graduate school to find out. And once I started studying construction management, I was hooked on the practical application of all the theoretical calculations – construction was then my home! 

Cheri: I grew up on a ranch in Texas, and we built whatever we needed. I never really thought about the fact that construction was a potential career until much later, when my husband and I formed a small construction company focused on residential new build and renovations and tenant improvements. That’s also where my passion for subcontractor default risk came from. If my subs didn’t show, I might end up hanging drywall or framing, or whatever needed to be done myself, because keeping the promises we made was so personally important to me. I made the shift to commercial construction because I wanted to have a hand in building bigger and more interesting projects, and boy have I had the opportunity to do that – both in construction and in insurance!

Milena: I chose to start my career in the insurance industry by majoring in Risk Management and attending St. John’s University school of Risk Management. Unlike most folks, I did not “fall into insurance” rather I was the insurance nerd.

What challenges do you face being a woman in the industry? 

Rose: “Male-dominated industry” is a gross understatement when it comes to construction! Being the “only” was tough when I was younger, but the culture is much more inclusive now, and I’ve seen a tremendous amount of opportunity as a female in construction…at the very least, you’re certainly noticed! 

Cheri: Really, just what you would expect since I’ve been in the industry for so long – having my ideas overlooked, having to defend them more thoroughly than might be typical, being perceived as pushy, etc. I am grateful for all of this, however, as the experiences I’ve had have made me more diligent in preparation, which led to being more sure of myself and my contributions, and ready to advocate for myself when I have ideas that matter. It also made me really ready to advocate for other women facing similar challenges.

Milena: By only being in the field for 5 years, I am fortunate to not have really seen or dealt with any difficulties due to being a woman. I believe the women who came before me have paved a way for the younger generation to not have to be subjected to the challenges they were. To me, the older generations have made progress we are benefiting from today.

What advice would you give to women wanting to break into the construction industry?

Rose: The same advice I would give to men (see what I did there?! #equality). 1) Be yourself – meaning don’t act different to fit in, and don’t try to emulate anyone else. When you are authentically yourself, you’ll find your fit, your leadership style, and eventually your path to success. 2) Learn from others – always be listening and learning from those who came ahead of you; 3) Teach others what you’ve learned – pay it forward so that others can be successful too.

Cheri: First, I would say that there has never been a better time to get into construction overall! The industry is shifting from a brute force enterprise to a tech rich and sustainable environment that values finesse and rewards hard work better than almost any other industry. If a woman wants to break into construction, she should just throw her hat into the ring. Once in, never turn down a chance to become “the expert” on a new tech or initiative that looks interesting. The shifting nature of the industry means there are so many opportunities to grow with it, and those opportunities are seized by those who jump into new challenges frequently.

Milena: If I had one piece of advice I would say: define yourself by your strengths and highlight what you bring to the table. Be confident, and know your worth.

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At Document Crunch we're fortunate to work with these talented women from AXA XL to help their clients better understand their contract risks. Learn about our new contract benchmarking initiative here.