Maxie changes lanes to become Winslow’s first female foreperson

As part of Women in Construction Week, we meet some of Winslow Group’s women thriving in the civil construction industry. Today we meet Winslow Infrastructure foreperson, Maxie Stokes.

Winslow continues to provide career opportunities in civil construction for women, which is why we are incredibly proud of the Group’s first female foreperson, Maxie Stokes.

Maxie first joined Trafman Solutions in 2021 as a Traffic Supervisor, soon crossing over to Winslow Infrastructure as a Traffic Coordinator.

Last year, Maxie was promoted to Foreperson on the Lathams Road Upgrade project and admits stepping into a role outside of her background was a bit daunting at first, but having a great relationship with the team has made the transition so much easier.

“I enjoy the versatility of my role and having to think outside of the box. I find satisfaction in completing tasks and have plenty of people that I can call upon if I need,” Maxie said.

When it comes to being Winslow’s first female foreperson, Maxie brushes it off.

“Gender doesn’t dictate roles or responsibilities within the team. In my eyes, WI is a versatile team which encourages internal growth within the business for everyone.

“I have found the transition to my new role more rewarding than I expected and encourage everyone to give any new opportunity given to them a go!”

Maxie said working outdoors  appealed to her which led her to a career in construction.

“Prior to working in construction, I had just finished a four-year degree at university and went straight into an office and decided that wasn’t for me, so I looked at other options and constriction was the pathway I decided upon,” she said.

“The ability to be active whilst working, and to have constantly changing environments surrounding me really appealed to me. 

“I find I have ants in my pants if I’m stuck in the one spot for too long, so I love the versatility that working in construction provides.”

Maxie recommends other women consider a career in civil construction.

“I think it’s a very rewarding career choice and the presence of women in the civil construction space has significantly contributed to the growth within the construction industry to date,” she said.

“I think women ‘generally speaking’ have great attention to detail and tend to see things through a different lens which enables, and will continue to enable, the industry to improve.”