Kate Cairns is at the forefront of change in sustainability, safety, and inclusivity. As a renowned Civil Engineer, Sustainability expert and leader of two world-first award-winning industry standards (CEEQUAL, CLOCS), Kate is a highly sought-after expert who has firmly established herself as one of the top female health and safety speakers in the industry. When booked for speaking engagements, she articulately speaks on construction logistics safety, sustainable transport, and inclusion and fairness.
After earning a BEng in Civil Engineering from the University of Bristol, Kate completed her master’s in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London. She joined the Institution of Civil Engineers as a Technical Manager for Environment and Sustainability, where she was responsible for the management of the ICE Environment and Sustainability Board and Waste Management Board. She then joined the WSP Group as a Sustainability Consultant before becoming a T5 Environmental Advisor at BAA, where she advised on the management of environmental procedures for the £4.2billion Terminal 5 project at Heathrow Airport.
In 2007 she became a Board Member at SustaINe, the regional sustainable development body in the northeast. From its inception in 2000 to 2016, Kate was an instrumental figure in the formation and development of CEEQUAL Ltd, one of the leading providers of sustainability ratings, assessments, and awards for civil engineering projects. In 2014, she became a County Councillor at Northumberland County Council before joining the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as an Independent Member of the Advisory Assessment Panel. Presently, Kate serves as the Director of the See Me Save Me Campaign, a non-profit that she founded after the tragic death of her sister by a tipper lorry, to eliminate HGV danger. Moreover, she is a Board Member of BRE, a Council Member at the Institution of Civil Engineers and an RAE Visiting Professor at the University of Durham.
For her distinguished work, Kate has been the recipient of many honours and awards, including The Telegraph Top 50 Women in Engineering 2018, ICE 200yr Invisible Superhero in 2018 and 2019, and Northern Power Woman Award 2015. With over two decades in construction and sustainability, Kate has been a central figure in driving best practices and stretch standards, making tangible changes in sustainability, safety, and inclusivity. As such, she is a highly sought-after expert who is regularly booked for speaking engagements due to her profound knowledge and outstanding delivery.
Kate Cairns is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
Kate’s presentation left the audience reeling
One of the top three female health & safety speakers
Kate is someone who ‘gets’ sustainability – at the deepest level
Kate is ‘The’ go-to person for VRU & road safety consultation
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