Roni Savage

Managing director, Jomas Associates

Expertise

Project management, Environment, Geotechnical, Project Management

Location

United Kingdom

My highlights

Becoming ICE Fellow in 2019

Providing expert advice to Lord Sugar during the BBC’s 2019 The Apprentice finals

Founding environmental and engineering specialists company Jomas Associates

A day in my life

Genuinely no two days are the same, which I love. Working in industry provides interesting and exciting challenges, which requires a solution-finding mindset, which is what I thrive on.

I’m no longer as hands on as I used to be, but I’m fortunate to oversee an incredible team of engineers, while working on the strategic growth of Jomas Associates. It’s a privilege to get out on site when I do.

I spend as much time as possible aiming to raise the profile of women in engineering and to encourage more girls to join the profession, so being a mentor to others is an important part of what I do daily.

My life is a massive balancing act of everything I love, and my family play a massive role in that, as I’m also mother to three amazing boys.

The opportunities for growth in your career are also vast if you are prepared to work hard for it.

Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?

My parents, my family. They’ve always believed in me and encouraged me to be the best version of myself.

They made me believe that anything was possible.

We asked Roni…

I’d recommend a career in civil engineering because...

No two days are the same and you’re constantly being challenged and developing in different environments surrounded by different people. If you love maths and/or problem solving, then a career in engineering will certainly challenge you and reward you in equal measures. The opportunities for growth in your career are also vast if you are prepared to work hard for it.

Complete this phrase: I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also …

A wife, a mum, a daughter and an ambassador for the change in the world I want my children to see as they grow.

What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?

A fresh start and a new challenge, the fact that I’m creating my future each day and have a brilliant team to work alongside which actually inspires me daily, and the fact I have fun doing what I do.

What’s the biggest/most complex thing you’ve made out of Lego? How long did it take you?

I built an extremely large rollercoaster with my then seven-year-old son. It took us a full day, but worked a treat – just a shame we could only fit figures in the car rides!

Which civil engineering project (past or present) do you wish you’d worked on?

The Shard!

Name one civil engineering myth you’d like to bust.

Engineering is a man’s world! Not true.

Has civil engineering helped you overcome any personal hurdles/difficulties?

It has given me the opportunity to realise my dreams; set up and run a business serving the construction sector, while being able to grow my family and act as a sounding board, advisor, coach, mentor and sponsor to others who need a role model or encouragement in the industry.

Roni's career path

Undergraduate degree in engineering geology and geotechnics at the University of Portsmouth, followed by a master’s degree in environmental management at the University of Exeter.