Powered access firm champions role of women in the construction industry
This International Women’s Day (8th of March), Nationwide Platforms is casting the spotlight on Celine Pulikkal.
Celine's role is Regional Controller for the Southeast and Southwest of England and South Wales and she works within a financial team that is 58% female, despite women making up only 15% of the overall workforce for the industry.*
Celine, 28, has proven that with the right encouragement and environment, it’s possible for women to attain any role in a business.
Coming into a workplace as a minority can be incredibly daunting, but Celine was made to feel welcome immediately. “Since day one, at the interview stage, I never once experienced any discrimination from Nationwide Platforms for my age or gender,” said Celine. “I felt as though I was purely being judged on my experience.”
Celine has had immense support since the beginning of her journey with Nationwide Platforms, from her colleagues and mentors. “I’m fortunate to have had a huge amount of support since I started in a two-person team, working alongside Richard Derbyshire, Director of Corporate Finance and Compliance, who is one of the best managers I’ve ever had. He taught me a lot, and when I decided to apply for my current position, he was incredibly happy for me. Now, I’m learning something new every day.”
The collective efforts of both her previous and current manager allowed the transition between roles to be seamless. “When I first moved into my new role, I was still helping in my previous department whilst they found my replacement. Both Richard Derbyshire and my current manager, Sandeep Mangal, UK Finance and Risk Director, were supportive during the transition period, helping me to settle in.”
In Celine’s role, she harnesses specific regional data to identify areas of the business that could be improved. “You take the data from the financial results of each region, and act as a middleman between the numbers and the people who are doing the operation, then collaborate to find areas where efficiencies and improvements can be made in order to positively affect those results.”
Shortly after settling into the role, Celine was invited to visit each of the depots in her remit, spending the day with each team to learn more about the operational side of the business. “I’m consistently exchanging knowledge with the extended workforce, collaborating to benefit ourselves and the company as a whole. While visiting the depots, I met with the Location Service Manager, who, alongside the other employees at the depot, spent the day teaching me everything I needed to know from the operational side of the role.
“I also had support from the Senior Management Team from the Southeast, Southwest and South Wales, including Engineering Managers, Driver Managers, Health & Safety, HR, Transport, and the Regional Director James Clewer.” The management team meet with Celine once a month, allowing her to ask any questions and supporting her development.
Celine’s story is an example of what should be commonplace for women in all workplaces and is testament to what can be achieved when a company invests in women. Dedicated resources and training are just one way that businesses can work to close the gender gap when it comes to hiring and retaining female staff.
“In general, things have improved over the last decade in most workplaces, but we still have a long way to go. It’s all down to the hard work of women everywhere, and it’s our duty to carry that forward to continue inspiring women”.
When asked if Celine had any advice for women that are considering a career change, she stated: “Don’t be afraid to apply for a role where you only meet three out of the ten criteria laid out in the job advertisement. You have nothing to lose and bring more to the table than you might think. The worst thing they can say is no and building that confidence within yourself allows you to be bold. If this door shuts, keep going until another one opens”.
Karen Maguire, HR Director at Nationwide Platforms said “We are delighted that Celine has had such a fantastic experience with Nationwide Platforms, one that echoes the supportive culture we’ve worked hard to cultivate. Championing women in the workplace with opportunities to learn new skills, take on challenges and teach their colleagues allows for a healthy support system across the whole company.”
You can learn more about International Women’s Day here on their website: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
*https://www.ipaf.org/en-gb/news/international-womens-day-2025-power-women-powered-access