KATE Whiles is the latest person to crash through the ‘glass ceiling’, having just been promoted to the board and named Commercial Director at the R&W Group.
The civil engineering company, which specialises in highways projects, has a workforce of more than 300 and an annual turnover of £45m turnover.
Kate joined R&W, which has its head offices at Dibden, in early 2005 as its first quantity surveyor, when the company boasted a workforce of just 30.
In 2007 Kate assumed the new role of commercial manager creating the genesis of what is now an award winning 17-strong commercial team.
Having grown up in Oakley near Basingstoke, Kate embarked on her career in civil engineering in 1992 with a local firm, Wingate Electrical Plc as an assistant quantity qurveyor, spending six years with them whilst also studying part time in Quantity Surveying at Reading College.
Kate then moved to Raynesway Construction, which became part of Balfour Beatty, where she spent a further six years working as a quantity surveyor.
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