Odette Bent-Buckles is the shining example of what women can achieve in construction.
Before coming to Pinkard in 2014, her 25-year career in construction saw her work her way up from part-time accountant to financial controller at two other major contractors.
Today our fearless Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary oversees everything from Accounting and Human Resources to Technology and the Equipment Yard.
If you guessed that inexhaustible energy extends into her personal life, you’d be right. Odette is known to walk between four and 20 miles every weekend, and she’s guaranteed to be reading at least four books at any given time.
Needless to say, Odette thrives in the dynamic work of construction, saying, “Change is a constant, and the work is loaded with opportunities to stretch yourself and learn.”
And despite describing herself as an “introvert,” Odette admits she loves the collaborative nature of the job.
“Having served three years in the U.S. Army, I enjoyed the rewards of teamwork and comradery,” she says. “And you find that in construction.”
Like so many others in the industry, Odette also takes great satisfaction in helping build things.
“You gain such pride in the work we do,” she says. “I can remember when my daughter was young, she would sit in the back seat of the car, pointing at building after building saying, ‘My mummy built that.’”
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