Women's Month Profile: LOUISE BUYS, EXECUTIVE TRANSPORT LEAD: WESTERN CAPE, CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE, AFRICA, AECOM

This August, in celebration of Women’s Month, Leading Architecture + Design has profiled a dozen inspiring women in the fields of architecture, urbanism, interior design and engineering, showcasing their skills and achievements, as well as their views on the challenges that the industry faces.

LOUISE BUYS, EXECUTIVE TRANSPORT LEAD: WESTERN CAPE, CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE, AFRICA, AECOM

Louise Buys leads AECOM’s transport team in Cape Town. “I am passionate about project management and actively managing various roads and civil infrastructure projects,” she says. “My duties include managing project teams, client liaison, stakeholder liaison, and schedule, cost, quality, risk and scope management.”

Although we often take the everyday conveniences such as roads and bridges for granted, she says, “Communities depend on engineers to do what they do best to allow the general public to thrive.”

Louise joined AECOM in 2009. “I first worked as a design engineer in the water department,” she says. “I started my career working on-site during the preparation period for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

Later, she was given the opportunity to manage technical deliverables on a multidisciplinary project. “This provided me with a good understanding of team dynamics, the importance of coordinating project deliverables and how clear, effective communication ensures good and costeffective design solutions,” she says.

Her message to young women contemplating the idea of entering the engineering field would be, “If you are passionate about improving the day-to-day lives of communities with great design solutions, engineering is your thing! Women are sometimes put in a very specific box, but don’t allow anyone else to shape your future for you.”

Phone: +971-2-613-4410 Cell: +971-56-996-3851 Email: faye.bastow@aecom.com