Site Story

What happens when environmental leadership is treated as a side project — instead of a core strategy?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin Tomlinson is joined by sustainability expert Vanessa Gatward, whose career spans frontline construction, client-side strategy and executive-level consulting. Together, they explore how the role of sustainability has evolved — and why it still isn't integrated enough in how we plan, build and lead.

You’ll hear about:

• The high-pressure moment that brought environment to the top table on a tunnelling mega-project

• Why the best sustainability teams don’t work in isolation

• The hidden carbon cost of asphalt — and what to do about it

• How leadership culture shapes environmental compliance, trust and delivery

• Why meaningful sustainability must show up in procurement, design, HR and finance

• The difference between technical risk and reputational risk in environmental decisions

• What happens when you "just wait to fix it on site"
  

Vanessa brings personal stories, strategic insight and a clear challenge for leaders: sustainability can’t just be a technical consideration. It’s a leadership one.

This is a must-listen for anyone delivering infrastructure, managing teams or shaping policy.

About the Guest: Vanessa Gatward is a sustainability specialist and consultant, with experience across contracting, client organisations, and major infrastructure projects. She now works with executive teams to embed sustainability into core business strategy.

Guest Website and Links:

• LinkedIn: Vanessa Gatward

• BehaviourLab: behaviourlab.co.uk
  

Resources Mentioned:

• BBC Podcast: The Climate Question

• Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)

• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation

• East West Rail: eastwestrail.co.uk
  

Want to lead sustainability from the front, not the fringes? Listen to the episode and subscribe to Site Story for more conversations that connect people, projects, and purpose.

What does it really take to build one of the UK’s most ambitious rail projects — and lead through every twist, challenge and concrete pour?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin is joined by Lenka Vošvrdová CEng MICE, a civil engineer whose journey spans Czechia, Russia, France, and the UK — culminating in her role delivering a complex viaduct on HS2 through central Birmingham. Now based in Switzerland, Lenka reflects on the lessons of international project work, the reality of leading on-site, and why engineering remains a people-first profession.

You’ll hear about:

• What it’s like to build one of HS2’s most iconic viaducts from the ground up

• Why she always recruited for mindset, not just experience

• The real learning curve of “self-delivery” vs subcontracting

• Her earliest site experience on the Russian border — and what it taught her about resilience

• How her career has been shaped by seeking challenge, not comfort

• Why work-life balance, flexible return paths, and better visibility matter more than ‘women in engineering’ campaigns

• And why every young engineer should travel — and ask more questions
  

Lenka brings refreshing honesty and clear-eyed leadership insight to a role many people still misunderstand. This one’s full of grit, growth and good concrete.

About the Guest:Lenka is a Czech-born civil engineer with global experience across infrastructure and energy projects. She was previously a section manager on HS2 in the UK and now leads major programmes in Switzerland.

Guest Website and Links:

• Connect with Lenka on LinkedIn 

Resources Mentioned:

• HS2 – High Speed Two (UK)

• Vinci Construction

• Ultra-low carbon concrete

• Emerging site tech: robotics, drone scanning, and safety innovation
  

Subscribe to Site Story for real stories from people delivering the world’s most complex engineering projects — and leading in ways that matter.

The People, Skills, and Strategies that Bring Projects to Life.

Site Story is where construction meets conversation. Hosted by Colin Tomlinson of 150CLD, this podcast takes you beyond the technical plans and into the minds of the people behind them.

Each episode dives into the diverse roles and relationships that make projects succeed—unpacking the blueprints of leadership, collaboration and craftsmanship that shape the industry.

We explore the essential contributions of every role on a construction project and bridge the gap between the technical and the human side of construction.

Whether you're a project manager wondering how to better collaborate with design coordinators or a professional stepping into leadership, Site Story gives you the tools and understanding to work smarter and lead more effectively.