Reflections from Tammy Luther, Environmental Health and Safety Director, CyrusOne, and Elsi Grohn, Site Engineer, Fira Rakennus Oy

On Thursday 23 March, over 30 Women with experience in the Construction industry from Finland, Spain, the UK, and the US met for an exciting day of talks, networking, and even the chance to visit CyrusOne’s new state-of-the-art data center, MAD1.

The event, hosted in the Spanish capital, enabled a passionate community of women with decades of collective experience in the construction industry, to celebrate the progress we’ve made in making our teams more diverse, and give the group the opportunity to connect and discuss their first-hand experience within an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated.

We encouraged attendees to share key learnings and practices that have worked and can be implemented further across the network to continue to achieve success in this realm and set up a range of dedicated talks, networking opportunities, and panel discussions.

1. Please can you tell me a bit about your role, company, and typical work day-to-day?

Elsi: I am a site engineer, which means my main responsibility is keeping track of costs on the construction sites I work in. I handle all the bills and ensure our subcontractors are billing us correctly. Another key responsibility I have is liaising with the design engineers – I check their plans, and if I see any potential issues, I’ll work with them to plan smart, alternative ways to achieve our goals. I also support the buying engineers with material procurement, so we have everything we need for installations when we need them.

Tammy: As environmental health and safety director, I lead the global EHS team to ensure that policies are put in place and being followed, audits for both operations and construction are being conducted, and that health and safety compliance training is being disseminated and completed. Our overarching departmental goal is to ensure the promotion of a workplace that is safe and healthy to work at as well as meet legal and regulatory compliance. In short, our EHS Team provides the tools, processes, and procedures to ensure everyone goes home from work day to day.

2. Have you always wanted to work in your role/industry?

Elsi: No, I didn’t know what I wanted to do! Funnily enough, my sister works in construction too and started in the sector before I did, but because of the 13-year age gap between us, I didn’t really consider it could be something I wanted to do myself. It was a happy accident discovering this line of work is my passion – I was a painter for construction projects and realized that I needed to find something I wanted to do in the long term, so once I graduated from the University of Applied Sciences, I became a construction manager and progressed to my current role. I’m so happy I did!

Tammy: I tried a few different roles after high school, but when I landed in the health and safety field I never looked back. After completing a Master of Science in Risk Control and then pursuing an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), I found myself ready to dedicate my career to Health and Safety. It has been fascinating to understand what makes people ‘tick’. Everyone responds to direction/guidance about health and safety differently, and it is so important to be curious in understanding what will resonate – you cannot force behavior change. I also think what’s been helpful in realizing that this is the right area for me, is remembering I do not need to be an expert in everything. It is important to trust in other people and work together and through this, you will achieve so much more.

3. What do you enjoy most about your work?

Elsi: That’s easy – the people I work with – they are truly the best. In the past, I worked mainly with men, and I am fortunate that in my current company, I get to work with a range of people who share a passion for construction. I like working with men because typically they are very ‘to-the-point’ and say things as they are which I appreciate. And I like working with women because we get along so well – they are outgoing and easy to talk to.

Tammy: I like the team environment – I have always believed it is a team that gets things done – it takes a village to raise a child and all of that! My colleagues and I are great at working together, building relationships with our colleagues, and brainstorming ideas to improve safety. I am fortunate to know that I can work with our subject matter experts to come up with appropriate resolutions to mitigate key hazards. I enjoy working with cross-functional departments which gives me an opportunity to network and understand the best ways of communicating with each one.

4. What advice would you give to girls and/or women considering a career in the sector?

Elsi: I’d say make sure you are being fully valued in your role. Price yourself right! Ask around what the men on your level earn, and don’t be afraid to ask for a pay review if you feel you have the evidence to back it up – the worst that can happen is that you are turned down. If you have good reasons, then you should deserve to earn what is fair.

Tammy: You have to believe in yourself and love what you do – you need to find what makes you happy and go after it! Then you’ll find it’s easier to be productive and successful in your job. I would also recommend finding a mentor – someone who has experience in the industry who you respect and could talk to if you need advice. I am really fortunate to have an incredible manager, Kyle Myers, our Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, ESG, and External Affairs who has always believed in me and empowers me to fulfill my potential.

5. Is there anything else you’d like to note?

Elsi: Construction has improved in terms of diversity and is becoming better every year, but even in 2023 there are still some people who think women can’t know anything about building and construction which is just not right. Therefore, it’s important to keep inspiring more women to consider careers in the industry, support them to stay in construction, and prove those people with outdated beliefs wrong!

Tammy: I am proud to work at CyrusOne because of the work the organization is putting in to drive diversity and inclusion – we go beyond training to ensure we are building a respectful culture in which everyone can thrive. We also recognize and celebrate various occasions throughout the year and ensure our hiring practices look for the right qualifications, experience, and transferable skills so candidates are the best fit for the role. Being a global company, we have utilized technology to connect with our employees across the globe, as well as ensure everyone in the company is involved in all diversity and inclusion groups and events. One group that CyrusOne has created is a Women’s Resource Group which invites keynote speakers to present insights into career success as well as serve as a networking group for all women within the company. Our diversity and inclusion events bring in speakers to provide knowledge sharing on topics such as Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month as well as general topics around mental health awareness, microaggressions in the workplace, cultural appropriation, how to talk to children about discrimination, and women in the workforce. Having the chance to visit Madrid for the Women in Construction event was also a fantastic experience and I cannot wait for more events such as these!

To read more about the Women in Construction event, visit our blog here.

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