Ambassador Interview Series | Voices of Sydney Build - Cathryn Greville
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In our Ambassador Interview Series — Voices of Sydney Build, we spotlight leaders, advocates and rising stars driving change across Australia’s construction and design industry. Each episode features a handpicked ambassador sharing their story, inspirations, insights and positive wins.
< Introducing Cathryn Greville - CEO at National Association of Women in Construction >
1) A short Bio
Cathryn is a sustainability and social impact leader, lawyer and qualified director with nearly two decades of experience working with organisations and industries across ESG and regulatory arenas and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Her background includes working within industry, accountability bodies, leading professional and industry membership associations, working with underrepresented groups, and advising and representing organisations across commercial, ESG and equal opportunity law, compliance and strategy as an in-house legal counsel and former court advocate.
Currently CEO of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Cathryn brings tertiary qualifications in construction, law, public policy, international relations and governance
2) Fun fact + How do you stay passionate and motivated in your work?
One of my earliest jobs was running a small business – my own swim school – teaching toddlers, children and adults swimming and water safety skills. I was a competitive swimmer and surf lifesaver from childhood, so swimming teaching was a natural fit whilst I was studying.
At heart I’m a change-maker. I want to have impact and create better environments. So, that mission has led me to serve in roles where I can make a meaningful difference more broadly than the organisation itself – to the sector, and community.
There are very few sectors that touch on people’s lives in the way that the built environment does – comprising the very places and spaces in which we live, work and play. There’s also a load of potential (and need!) for improvement. At NAWIC I’m privileged to have the opportunity to connect the people, ideas and elements to drive equity and sustainable change right across construction and the built environment. That opportunity is what keeps me motivated, despite the many challenges!
3) How do you navigate the tension between driving systemic change and managing day-to-day organisational realities at NAWIC?
This is something that I grapple with daily. There are the usual CEO functions of running a business – setting the vision, managing a growing team, overseeing governance and operations, working with the Board and stakeholders, implementing the organisational strategy – but as a national purpose-driven organisation, my role also extends much more broadly than this.
Our vision is an equitable construction industry for all. We desperately need a significant amount of change in the sector to achieve that.
NAWIC works work with a huge array and number of stakeholders to drive that vision forward. For example, our small team of 20 staff work with close to 400 volunteers around the country, nearly 18,000 members including 390 organisational members (and growing!), women in all roles and market segments, leaders and decision-makers, government, industry bodies, researchers, technical specialists, sponsors and partners. And we do this with the bigger picture always at the forefront – our compass so to speak, and the very reason NAWIC exists: To ensure women are safe, part of the construction pipeline, paid fairly, advance their careers, are represented in leadership and can share in the fantastic economic and career benefits that our industry can provide.
This means every day I’m walking the line between change management strategy, law, policy, commercial frameworks, cultural harm and behavioural dynamics. That line is thinner some days than others, and its certainly a tension.
But with that tension comes incredible opportunity, and its that opportunity that I work with my team to grab with both hands and activate.
4) From your perspective, what progress has the industry made in creating better opportunities for women, and where is there still work to do?
Progress is being made, and we are on the cusp of a real cultural shift in construction – one where workplaces genuinely accommodate the needs of all workers, regardless of background.
Through NAWIC initiatives like the Allyship in Action project, parental leave and return to work toolkit, and microaggressions training, we are giving individuals and businesses the tools to be part of the solution. The companies willing to look honestly at their culture and do the hard work are already seeing the results. But the scales still don't balance. Women make up roughly 12% of the sector and only 3.4% of trades, even as our workforce gap is projected to hit 300,000 people by 2027. That’s a major potential solution sitting underutilised. We must be clear that this isn't a women's issue – it's a broad, structural, systemic, industry problem. Inclusive leadership, flexibility, closing the gender pay gap, and genuine accountability must become the usual way of working, not aspirational extras. Not that holding off is good for businesses either.
In fact, when organisations start treating equity as an operational requirement, the results follow – for example, gender-diverse companies outperform peers with up to 2% higher annual returns, and diversity drives better decisions 87% of the time. There’s even a direct causal link between the number of women in your leadership teams and company performance – the more women, the higher likelihood of outperforming your competitors.
5) As an ambassador for both mental health and sustainability, how do you see these two priorities supporting each other in creating more resilient construction workplaces?
Mental health and sustainability are more connected than people often realise, because true sustainability encompasses human wellbeing, not just environmental outcomes. The way projects are designed, managed, and delivered affects both the planet and the people doing the work.
Right now, we lose around 110,000 people (8% of the construction workforce) every year, driven out of a sector they chose because they don't feel welcome, safe or valued. NAWIC's research found that 88% of women had experienced microaggressions, with 63% seeing no change after reporting – a clear sign that poor culture is an operational problem, not just a people problem.
Any workplace that neglects psychological safety, fairness, and inclusion cannot sustain its workforce, its projects, or its future. When we build mentally safe and equitable environments, we reduce attrition, strengthen teams, and deliver better outcomes – and that is what a truly resilient and sustainable construction industry looks like.
6) How do you think NAWIC is helping to create a more inclusive and supportive construction industry for women?
As the peak membership body for women in construction, our focus is on driving gender equity through culture change.
The focus for years has been the attraction piece: ‘if we just sell the benefits of the industry, women will come.’ But that alone won’t solve the problems in an industry where 72% of women joining as construction apprentices drop out in their first year.
We are calling for a fundamental reset of how our industry operates, and the culture and behaviours we accept, and expect women to come into. The low representation rates are not a women’s issue. This is a broad industry problem – and its structural and systemic. We won’t see more women attracted to, staying in, or advancing in the sector unless we fix the issues marring the experiences of women.
The good news is, when we get this right, everyone benefits. And it is achievable. We advocate for change but also provide practical assistance to businesses and individuals – including personalised support programs such as mentoring and leadership development, career development, and recognition, along with targeted resources to help create safe, inclusive workplaces that attract candidates and see them stay.
The solutions exist, the evidence is clear, and the cost of inaction is too high to ignore. NAWIC's role is to make it easier for the industry to choose differently — and to make sure that when they do, it sticks.
Tune in for fresh perspectives, practical advice and a closer look at the people shaping the future of our built environment!