For Merab Wilson, construction offers the pace, purpose and complexity she was looking for in a career. As Project Controls Manager for Major Projects, working on the Te Awa Kairangi project in Lower Hutt, she turns complex information into meaningful insights that help teams make informed decisions.  

At any given moment, Merab is across the status of a project whether that’s understanding project risk, improving governance, or supporting commercial and delivery outcomes.  

In construction, she found an industry built on collaboration, problem-solving and delivery focus. She hasn’t looked back since.  

“I enjoy solving challenging problems, working in an industry that’s constantly innovating, and collaborating with people from a wide range of disciplines. I find the tangible impact of construction rewarding. At the end of a project, you can see something real that you’ve helped deliver, an outcome that will benefit communities for years to come.”  

As a working mother, Merab understands (and lives) the demands this brings to life. The mental load of parenting, working full-time and continuing to perform to a high standard cannot be underestimated. This juggle, and a desire to support other women, led Merab into advocacy through her role as chair of Fletcher Construction’s national Women in Construction group.  

Through her work with Fletcher Construction’s Women in Construction programme, Merab champions opportunities for women to develop their careers and step into leadership roles.

“Women in Construction spotlights the work women are doing and champions them by building connections across the industry and within Fletcher Construction. The industry performs better with women, and with women in leadership positions.”  

“Attracting and developing the next generation of talent is critical. Infrastructure relies on highly capable people, and we need to continue creating environments where people can feel safe and respected and learn, grow and build long-term careers,” Merab said.  

Her leadership style is grounded in curiosity and challenging conventional thinking. She is motivated by learning and continuous improvement. As a leader, she wants others to succeed and cares deeply about enabling this.  

“I want to create a space where people feel supported, confident to contribute and proud of what they achieve together. The best leaders influence through trust rather than authority and create environments where people feel safe.”  

Looking ahead, Merab is excited by the opportunities VINCI Construction will create for Fletcher Construction. Merab believes New Zealand has a “real opportunity to lift productivity and economic growth by delivering infrastructure better”.   

Her hope is that with VINCI Construction, Major Projects will be able to capitalise on this opportunity and deliver infrastructure more efficiently and with greater certainty.