Bridget Horsley

What are your qualifications? Where did you study? 

I have a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) with Honours from the University of Melbourne.

Tell us about your career with APP, how long have you worked for APP, what roles have you held, have you been based in different offices?

I started at APP in Sydney in 2003 after returning to Australia from a working holiday in London. I was originally employed as a Project Manager and worked on a range of private and public sector projects based both in the office and out on site. In 2007 I was promoted to Senior Project Manager and Business Unit Leader. After the birth of my first child I relocated to Melbourne to be closer to my family, and joined the Victorian Branch as a Project Director and Business Unit Leader.

How do you balance career and motherhood? 

Balancing career and motherhood requires a great deal of organisation and flexibility – and a hands-on husband helps as well! Understanding and accepting that the balance between career and motherhood will continually shift is important. Maintaining open communication helps smooth the inevitable bumps along the way.

What are the challenges/ rewards?

The main challenge is having to cope with being pulled in all directions but the rewards are plentiful. The flexible hours that I have mean that I am involved in interesting work while still being able to spend time with my children. 

How has APP supported your change in family circumstances?

Being a working mum in any organisation can at times be difficult. APP has made a genuine effort to accommodate my changing family responsibilities. They have continued to offer me roles with the same level of seniority and challenges and have provided support to enable me to balance my family life. 

When I returned to work after my first child I changed my working hours and was able to blend working from home with time in the office. As the children grow there will be different challenges to manage but I am confident that with open communication we will continue to be able to resolve arrangements that will work both for APP and for my family.