Behind the Curtin

From starting her career in Liverpool after completing her Master's degree at Liverpool John Moore's University to making the move to London, Giulia shares how Curtins supported her relocation and professional development. She also reflects on her experience of the Graduate Academy programme and the impact it has had on her growth as an engineer.​Having moved to the UK from her hometown in Italy, Giulia offers a personal perspective on building a career while adapting to life in a new country. The conversation also explores gender balance within the construction industry, the experiences of women in technical engineering roles and how our new Women's Network could help support more women on their leadership journeys.​Tune in for an insightful discussion on career development, relocation and mentoring, as well as the opportunity to get to know Giulia a little better.

Katy begins by giving us an insight into the Bid team and how they stay connected despite working remotely and being widespread across the UK.​We also discuss the new bid process framework Katy has introduced. As part of our 2030 Plan, having a consistent approach to bidding is essential, and the new framework helps ensure best practice and consistency across the business.​Finally, we explore the role of AI in the bid process. Katy was instrumental in launching the Copilot Case Study Agent earlier this year and shares how AI can help improve quality, save time and support bid teams, while highlighting where human expertise and judgement remain critical.​Looking ahead, Katy also discusses how digital tools could transform the way we approach bids, making for a thought-provoking and insightful conversation.

Kate Clegg is joined by Jonny Sole, Design Director in our Bristol office. Jonny gives us a real insight into life in Bristol, from the culture they’ve created within the team to the introduction of roundtables, designed to make sure everyone has an opportunity to have their voice heard.We also talk profitability, a topic Jonny is particularly passionate about and hear how the Cost Tracker he introduced last year is helping the team keep a closer eye on project performance.Jonny shares some of the projects keeping the Bristol office busy including how they use Investigation & Appraisals work to develop the more junior members of the team, before looking ahead to the People, Places, Progress event in Bristol this November.There’s plenty packed into this episode and it’s a brilliant opportunity to get to know Jonny and the Bristol team a little better. 

Across the 30-minute episode, Kate Clegg and Steph cover everything from inclusive recruitment practices through to benefits perks you might have forgotten about.To round off the episode, Steph talks about the qualities that help people thrive at Curtins as we look ahead to our 2027 graduate recruitment programme, which launches this month.

In the latest episode of Behind the Curtin, Kate Clegg sits down with Board Director Andy Roberts, who oversees our Kendal, Isle of Man, Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow offices.Andy shares his career journey, from moving to our Kendal office from Leeds in 2013 to lead a team of just five people, to growing the office into the thriving team of 17 it is today. He reflects on the lessons learned from that growth and how he has applied them to support the development of other regions across Curtins.The conversation also explores Andy's passion for Conservation and Heritage, and why preserving and restoring historic buildings remains such an important part of our work.Alongside this, Andy discusses the importance of improving gender balance at Curtins and the role he has played in supporting this agenda. He also talks about our new Women's Network, which will provide 1:1 mentoring and coaching opportunities for female colleagues across the business, delivered by an incredible group of female leaders from a range of backgrounds outside Curtins.

Kate shares her career journey from Branch Secretary to Head of Marketing alongside  some highs and lows in her personal life. She also discusses Curtins' employee ownership, the unique Getogether event and how Curtins continues to evolve in response to emerging markets. 

In this episode we are joined by the brilliant and inspiring Laura Rodriguez. Laura’s career journey hasn’t followed a traditional path. She began her career as an architect before transitioning into engineering, and ultimately finding her place within our Learning and Development team at Curtins. Laura shares the story behind her career changes and reflects on how returning from maternity leave prompted her to reassess her goals and consider new possibilities. She offers honest insights into how she navigated that transition, along with some great advice for those just starting out in their careers, encouraging everyone to follow their own path rather than feeling pressured to fit a predefined route.Finally, Laura highlights the development opportunities available within Curtins, particularly through apprenticeships. She explains how to go about requesting these opportunities and how the Learning and Development team can support colleagues who are looking to grow their skills and continue learning within the business.

In this episode of Behind the Curtin, Tom Gorman and Rebecca King dive into all things learning and development, with a spotlight on Curtins' new CMI Leadership qualification launching later this year. They explore how the qualification complements Curtins’ already established development programmes, including the Academy and Step Ahead, and discuss the value and benefits it will bring to both individuals and the wider business in the short and long-term.

This week on Behind the Curtin, we sit down with Andy MacFarlane to talk all things Insite, which is Curtins’ new offering and very much Andy’s brainchild. Always boundary‑pushing and forward‑thinking in his approach, Andy shares how Insite builds on what Curtins already does brilliantly, while bringing a fresh perspective to our services.We also explore Andy’s career journey, from joining Curtins on work experience as a student, to starting as a Graduate Engineer in 2002, and how he’s progressed through the business to become a Board Director today.