Walker Sime Hosts Fireside Chat with Property Disruptor to celebrate International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, Cathy Palmer, Walker Sime’s Director of Regeneration Delivery, hosted a captivating fireside chat with Shannon Conway, co-founder of Picture This.
Shannon and Picture This co-founder Mike Nicholson are a responsible, residential developer doing things differently. Their company is built on the shared philosophy of “Good Values” “Good Living” “For Good”.
Their developments have a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing, creating sustainable age-friendly communities, for much needed housing at scale. Their approach is about supporting the things that matter like low carbon design, homes designed to promote health and happiness, standing beside local businesses and bringing to community to the fore.
During the chat, Shannon shared insights and reflections on her journey in the property industry. With accolades such as Property Disruptor of the Year and Residential Property Personality of the Year, her perspective on the residential market sheds light on aspects often overlooked by traditional approaches.
Alongside Cathy, she talked about how early in her career she felt some imposter syndrome around her peers who came from a more privileged background and those coming into the industry via a more traditional property graduate route. She shared how she navigated her way through an industry traditionally dominated by men, as well as sharing her vision and values based on inclusivity, wellbeing and simply being good neighbours.
She shared the challenges faced by the build-to-rent sector and proposed an alternative approach centred around customer needs and sustainability. By prioritising community involvement in the design process and supporting neighbours, Shannon advocates for a more collaborative and transparent development model that aims for longevity and success beyond short-term gains.
Her entrepreneurial spirit shone through as she discussed overcoming self-doubt and identifying a gap in the market for innovative solutions. She challenged the status quo of traditional planning processes, their inefficiencies and lack of transparency, and advocates for a fresh perspective that integrates community input and long-term vision into development projects.
Reflecting on her career journey, Shannon shared that whilst there have always been many women in the industry she looks up to, she struggled to find a female role model who had founded a development company delivering at scale. She chose to draw her inspiration from women who excelled despite personal obstacles in other fields such as entrepreneurship, computer programming, and charity.
After the event, host Cathy Palmer said “I thoroughly enjoyed this chat with Shannon. Her story embodies resilience, determination, and a commitment to driving positive change in the residential development landscape.
The fireside chat not only showcased Shannon’s remarkable journey but also highlighted her commitment to reshaping the future of residential development with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and community empowerment, which aligns with our own at Walker Sime.”
Walker Sime is committed to regenerating neighbourhoods, towns and cities and leaving positive legacies through transformation projects that prioritise long term impact, sustainability and community wellbeing.
A big thank you to everyone who kindly donated to attend this event. All donations went to the Register of Tradeswomen, a wonderful national charity delivering training in DIY and skilled trades to survivors of abuse.
Talk to us about transformational regeneration and infrastructure projects including Quantity Surveying, Project Management, Infrastructure Services, Construction Design Management, Bills of Quantities and more, call us on 0161 872 9955, email hello@walkersime.co.uk or message us here.
