Lisa Podesto, Director of Mass Timber & Construction Innovation

My name is Lisa Podesto. I am the Director of Mass Timber & Construction Innovation. I have been with Swinerton for almost a year.

Role and Responsibilities

I have a unique role within Swinerton, supporting the business in winning, planning, and executing mass timber work. My day-to-day follows the flow of project needs. During a typical week, I am visiting one of our division offices, supporting pursuits with proposal strategy writing and interview prep, networking at a conference, reviewing drawings for mass timber feasibility, working with Timberlab to refine design approaches for efficiency, engaging with industrialized component manufacturers, and planning/executing internal education and business strategy.  

Pursuing Career in Construction

I saw that the stopgap for mass timber’s proliferation was at the general contractor level. They weren’t necessarily opposed to the idea but didn’t have the expertise to manage the risk that comes with something they didn’t understand. Being on their team as a trusted advisor enables them to execute more of this type of work.  

Challenges and Triumphs

I have found the industry at large to be very inclusive and appreciative of the female influence. There is a generational difference in how men of older and younger generations show their appreciation for women and the level of tact they use in conversation. For example, early in my career, I found that older men would often compliment what I was wearing or comment (positively) on my appearance. I could have taken this as sexist behavior, but instead, I chose to recognize it as their way of showing admiration and learned not to be uncomfortable.

With men I had a good rapport with, I would often suggest alternative ways of demonstrating appreciation. I have found that older generations have a harder time with assertive women, so I adapted my techniques to make them slightly less direct. This doesn’t mean that I refrained from participating in discussion but rather that I used tactics that were likely to be more successful given the audience.

Best Part about Construction

Construction is an industry of doers! I like that we don’t just talk about or think about things but get them done.

Advice for Aspiring Professionals

Perhaps this advice is not for all women, but rather the ones that are also mothers. Make sure that you advocate for equal division of labor at home and not just at work. If moms and dads everywhere shared the doctor’s appointments, school meetings, field trip driving and sports chauffeuring equally, our employers wouldn’t make a distinction between men and women. Parenthood would just be considered a different phase of careers in general.

Empowering Women in Construction

“I stand here today on the shoulders of giants”… This week is one of appreciating the generations of women that came before me that paved the cultural shift for gender equality in my workplace. 

Most Memorable Project

Being asked to participate in industry advisory roles—the California Board of Forestry’s Joint Institute for Wood Product Utilization, the working group to kick off California’s Mass Timber Coalition, Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Tall Timber Steering committee member, Tall Wood Design Institute Research Advisory Board, technical committee for the Industrialized Construction Road Mapping.

Mass Timber: Innovation, Sustainability, and the Future of Building

Mass timber’s ability to mitigate climate change and address a productivity problem in construction is what excites me. What a win-win! When historians look back on this time, I believe that the advancement of mass timber will be seen as one of the most pivotal technology shifts in the construction market. I feel so impactful to be a small part of history in the making.

Professional Growth

I am fairly new to Swinerton but they have really let me shape my role, supported my involvement in industry initiatives I believe are important, and fostered my integration into the business by helping navigate all the internal networks needed to maximize my organizational impact.