Student Festival 2025

Rebecca Thompson is the Director of Property for St Paul’s Cathedral, responsible for the maintenance, repair and conservation of the Cathedral, Chapter House, Amen Court and the Tillingham Estate.  Rebecca’s passion is developing people and maintaining the relevance and availability of heritage craft skills by championing apprenticeships and leading the development of a Centre of Excellence at St Paul’s.   Rebecca is a Fellow and Past President of the Chartered Institute Of Building and Chairs the Heritage Advisory Panel.  Rebecca is a member of the Institute for Historic Building Conservation and the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings.

Amanda is Head of Environmental Sustainability at the Chartered Institute of Building, as well as a Subject Matter Specialist (sustainability) for Ofqual. She has worked as a sustainability practitioner for around 20 years and has broad experience, having worked in the higher education, land and facilities management, defence, and manufacturing sectors as well as on policy and regional liaison for a Green member of the European Parliament. She is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA). 

Amir Mahdiyar is a Senior Researcher, Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Central Florida, and an incoming Associate Research Scholar at Princeton University. He is also a Chartered Construction Manager and a certified Senior Construction Professional. Amir has been actively engaged in research on digital and sustainable construction, with over 50 publications in prestigious academic journals. He is also one of two recipients of the CIOB Construction Innovation and Quality Scholarship 2024 for his proposal to develop a decision support tool aimed at enhancing the success rate of Digital Twin adoption in construction projects.

Diya is a PhD candidate at UNSW Sydney, specialising in the application of AI and machine learning techniques to analyse women's career advancements in the Australian construction industry. Her work contributes to empowering women in construction, a traditionally male-dominated field. As a research assistant on a government-funded, award-winning 'Women in Construction' project, Diya has developed virtual reality construction site tours and contributed to workshops and presentations that have reached nearly 4,000 female high school students. Her academic journey includes a Master of Research in Construction Safety and a Bachelor of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying from Bond University. With over 5 years of experience as a quantity surveyor, she brings industry insights to academia. She currently serves as a casual academic at UNSW, delivering construction management lectures and tutorials to more than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students. She also works as an academic supervisor for research-related courses and a study skills support mentor to provide inclusive academic support. Passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry, Diya is dedicated to fostering innovation in construction education and research. Her work aims to explore the future of construction – a future where diversity and innovation thrive together.

Jane Sacco is a strategic Careers Adviser and Project Manager with over 15 years of experience in social enterprise projects and career education and development. With a deep commitment to advancing social mobility and inclusion, she empowers individuals of all ages and backgrounds to unlock their career potential. Raised in a poor rural area in Brazil, Jane has focused her career on creating and leading programs that bridge the gap for disadvantaged groups, helping them access career information and opportunities and thrive in the workforce. As an entrepreneurial professional, she has successfully led business and social enterprise ventures in Brazil and UK. Jane is focused on expanding the impact of her work by continuing to create innovative, inclusive career support initiatives that bridge the gap for underrepresented groups in the workforce and promote social justice, equality, and diversity in the world of work.

Jessica joined Kier Construction as a Graduate Design Manager in September 2021. Prior to joining Kier, I studied for 5 years for a Masters of Engineering in Architectural Engineering; a holistic degree refining technical capability in building services expertise with an appreciation and understanding of all inputs including sustainability, civils, structural, acoustic and architectural design. A role in Design Management generally involves management, organization of the delivery of design information in accordance with the agreed design briefs, programmes and deliverable schedules; in both preconstruction and construction stages of a project.

Langanani is a Construction Manager skilled and experienced in different fields in the construction industry such as building, civil and maintenance construction for more than 3 years. She holds a Master of Building Science from Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa amongst other construction qualifications. She is registered with the South African construction council (SACPCMP) as a Candidate Construction Project Manager and in the process of upgrading her membership with CIOB to become a MCIOB. She is a Tomorrow's Leaders Representative of the Johannesburg Hub Committee, loves to give motivational talks to students at the higher institutions of learning and uplifting others in the field.

Langanani is an author of two published conference papers which can be identified as:

1. Evaluating the Benefits Experienced by Professional Women Working in the Construction industry in South Africa, published under the Twelfth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-12)

2. Challenges Faced by Professionally Registered Construction Women in South Africa's Construction published under the 8th International Conference on Development and Investment in Infrastructure (DII-2022).

In addition, a journal article about factors that motivate women to still be in the construction field will be published this year. 

Wandile Sihiya is an award-winning tech entrepreneur, robotics facilitator, and the CEO of Robotic Hover Holdings, a consultancy specializing in IoT and machine learning solutions for the construction and built environment. With a background in Quantity Surveying and a Diploma in Construction Management, Wandi is pursuing a BSc in Construction Studies. He is a recognized innovator, having won first place in an international MICA mining competition and the DUT INNOBIZ Innovation of the Year Award in 2023 for his pioneering drone technology. Wandile's work focuses on real-time data analysis and digital twins in construction, leveraging drones integrated with AI to improve project management efficiency. As a mentor and facilitator, he has inspired young minds through his involvement with AlgoAtWork and the CHIETA Robotics Club, helping students from underserved communities develop advanced technical skills. Wandi is also a nominee for the prestigious BRICS Young Innovator Prize and has presented at various industry events, sharing his vision for the future of technology in construction.

Chia Oh is a corporate wellbeing specialist, accredited meditation teacher, Reiki master teacher and hypnotherapist, with over 20 years experience. Having worked in construction, she has provided career development and pastoral support to hundreds of construction students and graduates. Chia is a sought-after speaker, regularly presenting at conferences, and being featured both in UK and international magazines. Chia's uplifting and positive, yet calm style, has led her to speak in corporates, including the CIOB, VolkerWessels and at events, including the Mind Body Spirit festival in London.

Bayu is a strong advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration in the built environment to foster innovation. A recent civil engineering graduate from Universitas Indonesia, he captained the winning team in the CIOB Global Student Challenge 2024. Driven by his passion, he founded BluScape Indonesia, an interdisciplinary community for students and young professionals to share ideas and collaborate in the built environment.

He also participated in the Young Leaders for Indonesia program, which aims to prepare the country for its future. Through his work in civil engineering and community initiatives, Bayu hopes to make a positive impact and contribute to a sustainable and innovative future for Indonesia and globally.

Zeinab Zamir is a Learning, Development and Talent Advisor at Kier Group. She began her career in healthcare, earning a Nursing BSc (Hons) before making a successful transition into People Management. To support this career change, she completed a CIPD Level 5 qualification in People Management. Passionate about helping others thrive, Zeinab takes pride in contributing to the growth and development of individuals across the organisation.

A Construction Management Trainee at Willmott Dixon and a Tomorrow’s Leaders Representative for the CIOB Northeast Committee. I am passionate about learning through real-world experiences and enjoy working alongside industry professionals to develop practical skills and grow within the construction industry. I am also passionate about showing young people the opportunities available in the industry and inspiring them to consider careers in construction. 

I am Assistant Framework Manager at Southern Construction Framework, supporting clients & contractors through 2 stage procurement process. I have a bachelor's in architecture & master's in construction project management. I have been actively involved in CIOB Tomorrow's Leaders community which provides me with opportunity to meet with industry leaders and help the new commers in construction industry. The CIOB TL has helped me in my professional journey and played a crucial role in shaping my professional vision. As a First-Generation construction professional, intend to work towards guiding new professionals in their journey in construction industry since early stages in their education.