Speakers

Joanna Vezey has over 25 years of industry expertise, including more than a decade at Laing O’Rourke, where she worked in both Australia and the UK. She is set to transition to the role of Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Highways later this year.

Her extensive and varied career spans operational leadership of major, complex infrastructure projects, Design and Technical Leadership, and three years dedicated to driving people strategies for Laing O’Rourke’s Europe Hub. Having worked across delivery, client, and design organisations, she possesses a comprehensive range of capabilities and insights.

Joanna holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from Southampton University and a Master’s in Construction Engineering from the University of Cambridge. Her Master's research, titled ‘The Effect of Autonomy on Wellbeing in a Highly Constrained Construction Environment,’ earned her the Laing O’Rourke Queens’ College Prize. This research was inspired by her core belief that industry success is achieved by enabling people to perform optimally through well-designed working practices.

Additionally, she is committed to supporting the industry through her role as a Trustee for the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, which provides emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families. She also serves on various advisory boards.