Robyn Artis
What attracted you to the A/E/C industry?
Director of Design & Construction Integration, Clayco
24 Years in Design & Construction
I was attracted to the AEC industry because I was interested in having the ability to solve problems for teams using creativity with endless possibilities. I wanted to further my career and grow while working on my own, but also to grow while working shoulder to shoulder with clients, which I was able to do in both a corporate setting and while working as an independent contractor.
What is an accomplishment, milestone, or obstacle that influenced you in your career?
I endured my share of adversity, but I was determined to not let that stop
me and it shaped my course. Early in my career, I showed up to a jobsite
and the team had a pink hard hat waiting for me because I was the only
woman on site. I didn’t find it funny and handed it back asking for the same one everyone else wore. I am encouraged and confident in the progress the industry has made, but we still have a long way to go. My
obstacles and accomplishments have shaped me and created a passion to increase women leadership and mentor other women in the industry. I learned the importance of mentorship along my own career while learning as much as I could. I made my way through just about every position at my first firm (where I was named the first and youngest woman associate) to sales, marketing, and operations to design-build and construction. I was very calculated in my choices and I learned as much as I could to carve out a role for myself and to prove the potential of women in this incredibly exciting industry! “Don’t just ask for the seat, take the seat. And then get to work.”