Women in leadership: Teresa Boyden’s path from graduate to account director

Teresa Boyden, Account Director
17 March 2025
Image of author, Teresa Boyden
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At the forefront of changing mindsets at Amey, Account Director, Teresa Boyden has always been passionate about providing positive challenge and encouraging others to do the same, especially when the outcome drives greater diversity of thought. In her latest leadership role, she recognises and reflects on the benefits of having a diverse senior management team and the positive impact this has on a business and the communities they serve.

My journey: from graduate to leader

“As I reflect on my career journey, from a fresh graduate entering a predominantly male industry, to now leading a £40m per annum highways contract as an Account Director at Amey, I feel an immense sense of responsibility.

With 12 years in highways maintenance for local authorities and strategic highways, I now lead a predominantly female Senior Leadership Team. I manage the Area 12 strategic highways contract for National Highways, which maintains and operates over 2300km of trunk roads and motorway network across Yorkshire and Humberside. This isn’t just a personal achievement; it’s a testament to the strides we’re making at Amey towards gender diversity within a predominantly male sector, where Amey is cultivating and nurturing a more diverse culture. Yet, I can’t help but ask: Are we doing enough?

Are we doing enough to attract and retain women across all areas of the industry?

Driving change: the benefits and challenges

There is no doubt that a gender-balanced leadership team drives change, innovation, and improved performance. At Amey, we have seen the tangible benefits of having a more diverse team at senior level, everyone bringing different perspectives, approaches, and leadership styles that collectively strengthen our ability to solve complex problems. But the challenge goes beyond my individual experience; it’s about creating an industry that attracts and retains more women at all levels, from frontline roles to leadership.

The challenge goes beyond my individual experience; it’s about creating an industry that attracts and retains more women at all levels, from frontline roles to leadership.

Breaking down barriers for women in the industry

Early in my career, I experienced the challenges of being one of the few women in operations. A lack of role models fuelled self-doubt, while unconscious bias and outdated policies hindered recruitment, retention and progression. To build a truly inclusive workforce, we must tackle these issues head-on."

Having completed the Women@Amey leadership programme in 2019, I progressed and secured my current Account Director role in 2022. I’m grateful for the support networks and mentorships that have helped me grow, develop and learn. Yet, for many women, these opportunities are still not the norm. The statistics speak for themselves:

Only 26% of the UK transport sector workforce identify as women. In the UK construction industry, women make up just 17% of the workforce. And while the number of women in engineering roles has inched up to 16.5% worldwide, it’s clear we have a long way to go.

Turning words into action

This data tells an important story, but it also points to a critical issue: Are we doing enough at the most basic levels to attract and retain women across all areas of the industry?

A diverse team doesn’t just happen; it requires a fundamental shift in how we think about leadership and team dynamics. Creating an inclusive culture isn’t about displacing men, but about embracing a balance of perspectives. When we nudge our culture to become more inclusive, we unlock the potential for new ideas, challenge the status quo, and elevate the quality of our work. This kind of mindset shift has been core to Amey’s success, and it’s something I’m deeply committed to fostering within my team.

However, creating this change isn’t just about policies and programmes—it’s about everyday actions. It’s about ensuring that the talented women around us have the confidence to step up and take on roles they may not traditionally see themselves in. My leadership style is rooted in empowering others, giving them the confidence to believe in their capabilities, and helping them overcome the self-doubt that can often hold them back. In my current role, I have the privilege of working with a diverse team of highly knowledgeable professionals, and our varied perspectives make us stronger and more innovative as a unit.

The future of our industry depends on the actions we take today.

What’s next?

As a diverse team, we have successfully transformed the contract into a high-performing one. We have enhanced health and safety performance by fostering a robust safety culture and have established strong, positive relationships with our client. Despite these accomplishments, I recognise that there is still more work to be done.

The responsibility to drive change now sits with me, my peers and our male allies in leadership roles. We all need to pave the way for women, particularly for those in the frontline, operational roles. We need to question whether we’re truly creating environments that support gender- balance recruitment, retention and progression, or whether we’re simply accepting slow progress. Are we truly fostering gender-balanced recruitment and career progression, or settling for slow progress? Inclusion must be intentional—not an afterthought.

At Amey, we have made incredible strides in fostering a vibrant culture of inclusion.

At Amey, we have made incredible strides in fostering a vibrant culture of inclusion. Our efforts in equality, diversity, and inclusion have been recognised through various awards, and we have developed affinity groups to drive meaningful change.

We continue to engage with schools to raise awareness of STEM careers, aiming to remove occupational stereotypes. This is a long-term effort, but it is essential. As an industry, we need to be bolder in breaking down the barriers that prevent women from entering and advancing in these fields. We must create more female role models and promote success stories, progress male allyship, and offer mentoring opportunities to empower more women to join and grow within the industry.

Our award-winning Women@Amey leadership program and committee are already making a difference. We are seeing the benefits of championing diversity, but we cannot rest on our laurels. There is always more to achieve, and we are committed to continuing this important work.

We're not there yet, but we're on a journey - and the future of our industry depends on the actions we take today. Now, more than ever, I feel a responsibility to ensure that the next generation of women in transport, construction, and engineering have the support, opportunities, and inspiration they need to shine and thrive. We all need to make a collective effort to not just talk about change but actively drive change forward.”

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