Suzannah is the Chief Executive of Build UK, the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry.
Inspired by a site visit during a week’s work experience, she achieved a degree in Construction Management before starting her career as a site engineer. She then qualified as a health and safety professional before taking over the reins at the National Specialist Contractors’ Council. After 13 years leading the specialist sector, Suzannah was the driving force behind the merger to form Build UK in 2015, bringing the industry together within one organisation. Under her leadership, Build UK is at the forefront of improving business performance, increasing productivity, and recruiting, training, and retaining talent across the industry.
By benchmarking payment terms, Build UK has improved payment days across the sector, and it introduced the Common Assessment Standard to improve the process of pre-qualification; saving the industry up to £1 billion each year and enabling the supply chain to demonstrate organisational capability as required by the Building Safety Act. Build UK also played a significant role during Covid by publishing and maintaining the Site Operating Procedures which kept the industry open throughout every lockdown.
A passionate advocate for construction, Suzannah is recognised and respected for her work with government, media, and key industry stakeholders. She was awarded an MBE in 2005 and an OBE in 2024 for her service to the construction industry. Suzannah was one of the first Timewise Power Part-Timers, is a member of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the Building Advisory Committee (BAC) which advises the Building Safety Regulator, the Government’s Women’s Business Council, and the Advisory Board of the Circle Partnership. She is also a non-executive director of CSCS Ltd and the Peoples Pension Holdings Ltd.
Suzannah loves being outdoors, one of the reasons she joined the construction industry, spending as much of her time as she can in the fresh air walking her beautifully behaved (most of the time) Golden Retriever Ralph. She enjoys sailing, plays badminton and netball, and is a qualified netball umpire.
