Leading housebuilder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West’s commercial director, Lindsey Sills, has been named as a finalist in the Forward Ladies Leadership Summit & Awards 2023.
Forward Ladies is a community of like-minded women dedicated to advancing leadership opportunities for the next generation of ladies coming into the workforce. Currently in its 13th year, the theme of this year’s Leadership Summit & Awards is ‘Breaking Barriers’, honouring the impact of female leadership within a variety of business sectors.
Lindsey has been shortlisted in the STEM Leader of the Year category, which recognises women in senior positions working within science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors, who are encouraging other women to join their industry and demonstrating significant achievements in male-dominated businesses.
Within the nomination, Lindsey demonstrated not only her achievements but also the challenges that came with being a female in the industry during this time. These included being the only female in her team for over half of her career, facing increased challenge and breaking down typical stereotypes.
Following 20 years in the housebuilding industry, Lindsey joined Barratt Developments Yorkshire West in March 2023 where she joined as one of seven board members.
As Lindsey has progressed in her career, her determination to support in diversifying the industry and create an inspiring work environment for her entire team no matter the gender continues to develop. Lindsey has been an inspiration across the industry, showing that the award’s theme of ‘Breaking Barriers’ is possible in the sector.
Lindsey is passionate that everyone has the same opportunities no matter a person’s upbringing or background and is keen to spread this message to young people. Outside of work, Lindsey has visited her child’s school to support STEM week and showcase the opportunities available within the industry, in particular to young girls who are considering joining the housebuilding sector.
In her journey to inspire young women, Lindsey is set to invest her time into teenage girls who are negatively impacted by social media. She wants to inspire those who may not know what career opportunities are available to them, or to consider career paths that they may not have otherwise considered. Lindsey is keen to mentor and support these young women to find their ideal path no matter what their background.
Lindsey said: “I’m extremely proud to have been named as one of the finalists in this year’s Forward Ladies Leadership Summit & Awards for STEM Leader of the Year.
“I’ve worked within commercial teams in the housebuilding industry for more than 20 years and one of my greatest achievements is being able to head up the Commercial department at Barratt and create a supportive environment for my team to grow and thrive.
“I’ve worked hard to break the stereotypes and the stigma surrounding housebuilding over the lifetime of my career and have used my own experiences to positively encourage my teams to become more diverse and I’m proud to say more women than ever are coming through into this part of the business.
“Diversifying the industry and inspiring young women to consider this career path is something I’m incredibly passionate about, and I hope I can be an inspiration to women in and out of the industry. It’s so exciting to be able to attend these awards and I wish all the finalists the best of luck at the event.”
The Forward Ladies Leadership Summit & Awards 2023 ceremony will take place on November 24th, 2023, in London, which will see Lindsey and members of the Barratt team enjoy a full day of celebrations with category winner announcements and talks from female industry leaders.
