TRUE OLYMPIAN

President Alex Pearsall talks to Civil Engineering Surveyor

Alex Pearsall shares her thoughts and ambitions for her presidency

Aged 32, Alex Pearsall is the youngest ever president in the history of the institution.

After college, a difficult career choice between accountancy and quantity surveying led Alex to choose the latter. An apprenticeship with BAM Nuttall followed and Alex’s career has gone from strength to strength, working on major projects such as the London 2012 Olympics – which included a behind-closed-doors sports day in the stadium before handing it over to the client. From apprentice to president, Alex Pearsall talks to Civil Engineering Surveyor.

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Funny, determined, thoughtful, intelligent and kind.

Tell us about your background – what influenced you to choose the surveying profession and how have you progressed to where you are today?

My dad and maths teacher/tutor at college. I joined college knowing that I didn’t want to go to university and I would prefer an apprenticeship type of thing. I loved maths and I loved numbers and that’s all I really truly understood of what I wanted for my future.

My dad took me out one day to price up a job to help me understand what quantity surveying was. It was then between accountancy and quantity surveying and my tutor recommended I opt for the latter, having known me for quite some time and being right that I would appreciate how much it can vary and working on different projects!

I loved numbers and that’s all I really truly understood of what I wanted for my future. 

I have had great support around me to champion me to be the leader I want to be, whilst also having great QS experience to help along the way.

A mentor I have at Turner & Townsend asked me, “what is your superpower” and then encouraged me to use that in leadership. I think at that point it really sunk in that I don’t need to change myself to be successful and a good leader. If anything, changing who you are will hold you back.

Aerial view of the Olympic Park in London with the Olympic Stadium and the ArcellorMittal Orbit tower. ©Aerial Film Studio

Who has had the greatest impact on your career?

That’s a tough one! So I will give three answers. My dad initially, being that he is a builder and introduced me to pricing up a job, and exposed me to an industry I don’t know if I ever would have thought of.

Longer term, my grandparents always made sure I had a room to call my own when I was juggling block release learning and working away from home. And the best for last, my husband, Mason, I couldn’t give as much as I do to this industry without him in my corner.

Why did you originally join CICES?

CICES was a natural path for me, as the apprenticeship I did with BAM Nuttall was accredited by CICES. However, as I got more familiar with the industry, I felt that CICES and its competencies were most relevant to me and my background due to my initial nine years being with a main contractor on civil engineering projects.

What are the aims for your presidency and are there any specific trends you’d like to address?

For my presidency, I have split the future into three pillars: addressing the skills gap, embracing digital transformation and fostering a positive industry culture. 

My aim is to pull more people together to work on the challenges that we face. This may sound similar to Batsetswe Motsumi’s presidential theme of collaboration, but collaboration shouldn’t stop at the end of a presidency (and it hasn’t ).

We have seen collaboration be key in Alison Watson’s tenure also. For my presidency, I have split the future into three pillars: addressing the skills gap, embracing digital transformation and fostering a positive industry culture. All of them require a joined-up approach if we want the industry to be future-proof.

Your presidential theme is ‘shaping the future of construction’, if you could have one magic fix for construction/ infrastructure, what would it be?

Ah wow. I would probably say having such an embedded relationship with schools and carers of the younger minds so that they truly understand how vast our industry is, the roles within it, the potential, how exciting it is and that it isn’t just swept aside as a trade.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

Joining the presidential chain! It felt like such a stretch when John Fraser initially suggested to me that I would be great for the role. I joined the chain in 2023 pretty anxious about what the role entailed and now I feel very ready to make the most of this opportunity and hopefully add value to the institution and make a lasting impact.

What has been the most fun project you’ve worked on?

It’s been 14 years now, but I wonder will I ever stop saying the Olympics? Before we handed over the stadium (post Olympics) we had a sports day in the stadium, I will never get over that I have run the London 2012 Olympic track and had a go on the long jump!

What has been the hardest?

Every construction project has its own challenges. In terms of my own career, I joined as an apprentice and I think we underestimate how hard it can be for our apprentices and also, in some cases, our graduates. If you are joining straight from school/college/university, you are essentially doing your growing up in a professional environment, which is so hard. I joined the industry just after turning 18, I may have thought I was fully grown up but that was not the case.

If you could offer a piece of advice to someone starting out in their career, what would it be?

Be patient with yourself, ask the questions, be kind, remember whilst large the industry is a very small space, you will likely cross paths with lots of people again! Don’t be scared to make mistakes, it’s how you learn and deal with them that matters.

What do you enjoy away from work?

Spending time with my beautiful baby girl Evelyn, and my husband Mason, baking, cooking, walking, swimming and lifting weights! Really appreciating those slower moments when life feels so fast-paced.

Alex Pearsall
CICES president
president@cices.org

Pearsall’s perfect...
Book: I tend to read a lot of very easy fiction, but currently enjoying Ultra Processed People and would recommend.
Film: Tough question. Would be between; Encanto, Taken (bit of a Liam Neeson fan) and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Music: Pop and Christmas genres are my favourite.
Sport: Watching sport isn’t really my bag, I can just about tolerate F1.
Food: My nana’s curry, no doubt.
Country: Iceland has been my ultimate favourite country to visit, we can’t wait to take Evelyn there when she is a bit older to appreciate the very expensive food and not just throw it at me or on the floor!
Structure/Building: I think London City Hall is beautiful. But – and I am biased – the Colne Valley Viaduct on HS2 is just a spectacular piece of engineering and the construction process was unlike anything I’ve seen before.