Meet Mikaela, a Senior Environment and Sustainability Manager at Costain, working on our projects at Heathrow, London Gatwick and the Port of Dover.
From starting out on the Thames Tideway project to helping shape and launch Costain’s Nature Positive Plan, she shares her career journey, highlights from her time with us, and her advice for anyone starting out in the industry.
What led you to your career at Costain?
"I have always been passionate about environmental protection, but I never considered a career in the construction industry. At university I studied geography before specialising in environmental and sustainable management of business through a Master’s degree at the University of Brighton.
"I started out as a Health, Safety & Environmental Advisor for a cosmetics manufacturer in Kent before deciding to take a year out and in Australia in a variety of roles that gave me the opportunity to travel and experience that area of the world.
"When I returned to the UK, I was looking for opportunities to re-enter the environmental management space and I applied for an administration role through Costain on its Thames Tideway project. Following my interview, Costain recognised my background and adapted the role to an environmental graduate position which perfectly matched my skills.
"Not only did Costain re-launch my career, it helped me to find a pathway to develop and broaden my experience by getting exposure across the whole business."
How does your role contribute to improving people’s lives?
"The whole purpose of my role is to protect people in our communities and look after the planet. I manage and mitigate the environmental impact of our infrastructure projects, which can involve noise pollution, waste management, carbon reduction and biodiversity. I also work closely with our clients and supply chain partners to embed sustainability at every stage of a project’s lifecycle, from the design and procurement through to construction and delivery.
"One example that I’m particularly proud of is embedding a PAS2080 compliant management system into our work at Heathrow as part of the H7 Framework Alliance. The carbon management system embeds a sustainability mindset throughout all elements of the project, including leadership, design, procurement, delivery and supply chain management. At the same time, the system establishes clear baselines and targets, fostering a sense of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across the alliance throughout projects sustainability workshops.
"A key achievement from these workshops was securing a significant reduction in embodied carbon emissions of the T2 Baggage Link Bridge and Mezzanine structures. By identifying early opportunities for sustainable procurement and collaborating across design, procurement, and engineering teams, we successfully specified Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel as a substitute for traditional Blast Oxygen Furnace (BOF) steel. This shift to a low-emission manufacturing process significantly decreased the overall carbon footprint of the structural steel elements."
What’s your biggest professional achievement and why?
"One of my proudest achievements is playing a key role in developing and launching Costain’s Nature Positive Plan. The Plan sets out how our nature-positive commitments will be delivered through collaboration with customers to minimise harm and enhance biodiversity. It is an iterative strategy designed to evolve in line with our growing understanding of nature and indirect supply chain impacts.
"Being able to shape and influence Costain’s corporate strategy has been an incredible experience and a massive learning curve. It’s a lot of hard work keeping up to date with the latest guidance and tools, and to see the company get behind this make me very proud. It has also given me the opportunity to work with many departments across Costain which has been a great opportunity to learn and gain insight into other functions."
What do you enjoy most about working at Costain?
"I am spoilt with having so many incredible people that I get to work with every day! The culture of collaboration and support is fantastic, and everyone is always happy to help when you ask and will push you to be your absolute best. I also love that every day is different in construction and how fast paced the work is. It always puts a new challenge in front of you and keeps you on your toes."
What have you learned and what has inspired you during your time at Costain?
"For me, it’s probably the art of influencing. No one person can achieve the sustainability outcomes we are looking to achieve, so an important part of my job is to influence clients, leadership, and colleagues to support our sustainability ambition and to champion our Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) plans.
"I’m inspired by seeing women in the business thriving in leadership positions. They are such role models for others at earlier stages of their careers hoping to progress at Costain."
What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?
"Always be open to learn and seize the opportunity when it comes. If you insert yourself into new projects and tasks, and run with them, this will help you to challenge norms and build your network beyond your immediate team. Join as many people groups, training courses, and mentoring opportunities as you can."