As a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) since 1988, it was the cornerstone of our company to help women and minorities succeed in the construction industry. Our focus was in bringing diverse subcontractors and vendors to the table, as well as contributing to many charitable organizations.

A challenge we faced was to take the same outward focus inward. To date, we have not met our goal related to women in leadership roles, especially those positions perceived as male roles- such as an Operations Director or Project Manager. Our goals were to:

• Start at the top—Embed Women-Majority Board of Directors
• Hire and retain female talent in leadership
• Build a pipeline of women
• Develop supportive programs

Our actions focused in several areas:

1. Implemented HR standards where a diverse slate of candidates is a requirement
2. Acquired another strong WBE utility construction company with similar values
3. INTREN chose powerful female board members for a woman-majority Board. This included inviting the owner/CEO of the company that INTREN acquired to the Board.
4. Developed empowering women’s groups for all women, as well as at the management level. The groups provided the training and the tools needed to step into their own power, and bond as a team. They included a:

• Women’s POWER Group
• Executive Women’s Group (WIN)
• Women’s Mentoring Group
• Culture Leadership Team

Over one year, the number of women hired in the office increased from 42% to 44%, while women in management jumped from 10.2 percent to 27 percent. The number of female Operational Directors increased from two to three, and project managers from one to five. Feedback continues to be positive from our women’s groups, which meet bi-monthly, and our mentoring program. Next steps include a diversity council.