The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) NSW has awarded its 2024 Executive Women’s Leadership Scholarship to Jua Cilliers, Head of the School of Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
This $30,000 scholarship, established in 2022, is Australia’s most generous for women in property and construction.
NAWIC NSW President Georgia Coulston emphasised the scholarship’s purpose: “We designed this scholarship to help the next generation of female leaders build the business acumen and skills they need to catapult into positions where they can drive change.”
Coulston praised Cilliers’ application, noting that it “embodies our vision” and will “help amplify her outstanding work and expand career opportunities for other women in construction”.
A panel of four distinguished judges, including Davina Rooney, CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia, and independent infrastructure advisor Chris Lock, assessed the applicants.
Past NAWIC NSW presidents Harriet Oldmeadow and Elizabeth Brookes also served on the panel.
Cilliers’ notable achievements include establishing a ‘Women in the Built Environment’ network at UTS, which she plans to expand into a global ‘Leadership Academy for Women in the Built Environment’.
This initiative aims to foster training, knowledge sharing, and connection-building across the industry.
The scholarship will enable Cilliers to attend Harvard Business School’s prestigious Women’s Leadership Forum.
She was selected from a shortlist of four finalists, including executives from Mirvac, MBM, and FDC.
Autumn Lu, Director of MBM, received a Commendation for her efforts in driving cultural change in quantity surveying, a traditionally male-dominated field.
Coulston praised Lu for “role modelling both technical and managerial excellence and championing workplace policies that attract and retain female talent”.
This marks the second year of the scholarship, following its inaugural award in 2023 to Talia Keyes, General Manager for Design at Scentre Group.
Coulston expressed enthusiasm about the calibre of this year’s candidates and encouraged senior women leaders to consider applying for the 2025 scholarship.
The NAWIC NSW Executive Women’s Leadership Scholarship continues to play a crucial role in fostering female leadership and driving change in Australia’s property, construction, and infrastructure industries.
