
Ep 97 - Women building the future: Kirsty Hopewell,President of NAWIC, on visibility and change in construction
From Master Builders Elevate: Building a Better Business by Ryan Castle
March 19, 2026 · 17 min · Episode 97
About this episode
Kirsty Hopewell discusses the impact of NAWIC and the importance of visibility and mentorship for women in the construction industry.
In this special Women’s Month episode of the Elevate Podcast, Kirsty Hopewell, President of NAWIC New Zealand and Senior Quantity Surveyor at Naylor Love, joins the conversation to reflect on 30 years of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the powerful “30 Stories for 30 Years” campaign. Kirsty shares her own journey into construction, what drew her to the industry, and how NAWIC has created connection, visibility and support for women across Aotearoa New Zealand. Together, they explore the progress women have made in construction over the past three decades, the importance of mentorship and role models, and why greater visibility still matters. Kirsty also speaks about the value of diverse thinking on-site and in leadership, and why construction offers exciting pathways for the next generation of women. This is an inspiring Women’s Month conversation about representation, opportunity, and building a more inclusive future for the industry. Useful links: NAWIC New Zealand 30 Stories for 30 Years campaign Kirsty Hopewell LinkedIn Where else you can find us Website: https://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/ Elevate Platform: http://elevate.masterbuilder.org.nz…
People in this episode
Host: Ryan Castle
Guest: Kirsty Hopewell
Topics covered
- women in construction
- mentorship
- diversity
- visibility
- inclusion
- leadership
Keywords
- construction
- women in construction
- NAWIC
- mentorship
- diversity
- leadership
- inclusion
- Aotearoa New Zealand
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NAWIC, Naylor Love
Places: Aotearoa New Zealand
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