Jennifer Heikkinen
Woburn, MA – Director of project management, Jennifer Heikkinen, of Tocci Building Companies (Tocci), a Boston-area construction manager, recently served as a panelist at Constructech Magazine’s 2014 Annual Technology Day, on October 3, at the Sofitel San Francisco Bay Hotel in Redwood City, Calif. The panel focused on the role of women in the construction industry and was moderated by Nancy Novak, national vice president of operations at Balfour Beatty Construction. Comprised of industry-leading experts, the all-women panel included Cora Carmody, senior vice president at Jacobs Engineering; Terriann Nohilly, cost engineer at Turner Construction Company; and Cari Williams, people practices leader at DPR Construction.
With nearly 200 guests in attendance, the panelists discussed the ways that women’s leadership and innovation are impacting the world of construction technology. Additionally, the group went on to provide keys for a successful career in the field and offered predictions as to what the future holds for women in the industry. Notably, the five leaders focused on the importance of adaptability and collaboration, and explained the role of Millennials in the evolving construction landscape.
Heikkinen spoke on the important role women play in collaborative design and construction teams. She highlighted the necessity to meld the cultures of different firms to produce one coordinated, high-performing team.
Expanding on the importance of the younger generation, Novak went on to encourage those in the construction field to inspire female Millennials to get involved in an industry that is not only growing, but is also seeing women achieve senior leadership roles with greater frequency.
Constructech Technology Day is a one-day conference that dives into discussions on the use of technology in the construction industry. The conference is open to a wide variety of attendees including project managers, CEOs, students, CTOs, IT directors, professors, and more. Technology Day provides attendees with the opportunity to identify ways to effectively use technology to be most efficient in the office and at the jobsite.
