Hester's story

How do you get into property if you don’t have a construction background?

I didn’t study construction, in fact my degree was in sports science.

Halfway through university I realised I didn’t want the career paths that came with it, so I tried to pivot into property. I applied for hundreds of grad schemes and didn’t get a single one. Most employers couldn’t see past the degree title.

Whitbread did.

I found the property graduate scheme almost by accident. I knew of the Whitbread brands, but I didn’t realise Whitbread was a developer as well as an operator. I applied, joined in 2018, and what mattered wasn’t what I’d studied – it was whether I could learn, adapt and take responsibility.

When do you actually get trusted with real responsibility?


Earlier than I expected! After about six months of shadowing, I was given two live sites to run. They were mine. I had support, but I was accountable.

I learn by doing. If I don’t try, I don’t learn – and I knew I’d make mistakes along the way. Whitbread were comfortable with that.

That trust only grew. Over time I moved from regional new builds into complex London schemes, then into managing full programmes of work; from planning through to completion and defects.

At one point, I approved a PO for a major project and realised what I’d just signed off.

How do you close the knowledge gap when you feel out of your depth?

Honestly? I had impostor syndrome.

In my early months I’d sit in meetings writing down acronyms I didn’t understand, then google them later. I wanted more depth – not just experience, but confidence in my technical knowledge.

So I asked if I could do a Master’s in Construction Management.

There was no resistance. No hoops to jump through. Whitbread funded it fully.

Doing the degree alongside the job changed everything. I’d cover something on site, then study it properly, then come back and apply it the next day. Contract law, procurement, building safety… that investment wasn’t theoretical. It made me better at my job.

What’s it really like being a woman in construction in 2026?


I’m still often the only woman in the room. You notice it, especially in big project meetings.

That said, I’ve never been made to feel like I don’t belong. The team is supportive and very aware of the imbalance. What surprised me most is how much representation matters – even to me.

When another woman joined our team, I didn’t realise how much difference it made until she left. Having someone close who gets it matters more than you think.

That’s why I say yes to being on panels and speaking opportunities. Not to be “the female project manager” but because someone needs to see that this path is possible.

What does progression look like at Whitbread?

Well, there isn’t a neat ladder rung above me … and that’s okay. Progression here isn’t just about job titles. I’ve moved from project management into programme management, taken on line management, joined the Future Senior Leaders programme, and expanded into procurement, employee relations and broader commercial exposure.

Senior leaders actively support that growth – even when the next role isn’t obvious yet.

I can see a future here because the business invests in capability, not just hierarchy.

If you’re coming into property or project management and wondering whether there’s room to grow here – even without a “traditional” background – I’m proof there is.

Whitbread doesn’t just talk about investing in people. I’m standing in the work that proves it!