Fletcher Construction women celebrated at 2026 NAWIC Excellence Awards

Fletcher Construction is proud to celebrate our women who were named winner, highly commended recipients and finalists at the 2026 National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Excellence Awards. The awards honour the leadership, dedication and achievements of women making a positive difference across New Zealand’s construction sector.

Held on 24 July at the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, the awards brought together people from across the industry to celebrate those helping shape a stronger, safer and more inclusive construction sector. Fletcher Construction was well represented on the night, with colleagues acknowledged across several award categories.

Natalie Griffiths, Brian Perry Civil Area Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, won the Excellence in Health, Safety and Wellbeing award. Natalie’s work has helped strengthen safety culture by bringing people together around a shared commitment to safety, while improving collaboration, capability and outcomes across teams and project partners.

Sheena Hodge, Fletcher Construction Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, was named Highly Commended in the same category. Her people-first leadership has helped build a stronger and more inclusive safety culture, supporting people to do their best work and return home safely every day.

Higgins Laboratory Manager Dr Samantha Baron was named Highly Commended in Excellence in Site Operational Management – Site/Field. Her leadership has helped foster technical excellence, innovation and continuous improvement, while strengthening capability and supporting her team to thrive.

Puawai Waipouri, Higgins Traffic Supervisor, was also named Highly Commended in Excellence in Site Operational Management – Site/Field. Known for leading with confidence and care, Puawai’s hands-on leadership and commitment to developing others are helping create safer workplaces and support the next generation of industry talent.

Also earning finalist honours were Tanya Sundnes, Fletcher Construction Head of Strategic Quality Management, and Lara-Jean Moller, Higgins Renewals Technician. Tanya has helped strengthen quality across our business while creating opportunities for others to learn and grow, while Lara’s dedication, willingness to learn and commitment to supporting others reflect the talent shaping the future of our industry.

Together, their success reflects the depth of talent across Fletcher Construction and the important role women play in strengthening safety, driving quality, building capability and creating a more inclusive future for our industry.

(Photo, from left: Sheena, Tanya, Samantha, Natalie, Lara-Jean, and Puawai)