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Kalliopi Florides, Director of Kitall, reflects on how planning reform, skills, sustainability, and digital transformation are shaping the future of UK construction

1. To begin, could you share details of your career history and how you came to be in your current role? I graduated with a master’ s degree from Imperial College London in 2012 and began my career at Waterman Structures, working on complex, high value steel and concrete projects including Google’ s UK Headquarters, Victoria Gate Arcades, and the Piccadilly Lights redevelopment. During this time, I developed a strong grounding in technically demanding commercial projects and became chartered with the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2019.

In 2021, I moved to Vancouver to join Fast + Epp as a Senior Project Manager, where I gained experience in mass timber, seismic design, and tall buildings on projects such as Walmart’ s new headquarters and highrise residential developments. I later joined Mercer Mass Timber in a senior leadership role spanning business development and preconstruction, contributing to strategic growth, organisational integration, and major contract negotiations.

After four years in Canada, I returned to the UK to take up a director role at Kitall. The practice specialises in structural engineering, temporary works, and building safety related services. What drew me to Kitall was its collaborative culture and its ambition to deliver

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