Kate Van Der Graaf

KATE VAN DER GRAAF

Kate brings a strong background in HR and business strategy from her tenure at Nike, where she led high-performing teams across the UK and Europe. Passionate about people, she co-founded the wellbeing charity Yarm Wellness in 2022, supporting mental and physical health initiatives. Kate will be working across our North and South teams, based in Middlesbrough.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Throughout my career I have worked in lots of different functions, but the one thing that strings everything together is people. They are the most important asset any business has and are the foundation for any successful business. I love that my role focuses on our employees and how we can support them to thrive in their roles. There are lots of different facets to this, but the thing I enjoy most is having human conversations with people every day, getting to know people and translating that to our people strategy.

Do you have a favourite building?

The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. It has always amazed me as such an impressive design and stand out statement of the Singapore skyline. After a failed attempt to visit it due to Covid, I finally got to see it in real life last year with my family and it did not disappoint.

What’s your best career advice?

Be open to new ideas and opportunities that may not be part of your plan. Focus on experiences rather than jobs to help you grow and develop, ensuring your have breadth of experience.

What’s the proudest moment of your career?

From a business perspective, my proudest moment was working on the 2012 London Olympics Operations Plan for Nike.

From a people perspective, it was supporting my team throughout the Covid pandemic with both business and personal challenges. It definitely helped me to really focus on what was important for the people I work with.

What are your passions outside of work?

I love to get out in Nature and I am very lucky to live on the edge of the North York Moors National park. Whether it’s getting up into the hills or just a walk around the woods in the morning with my dog. I always try to get at least 30 mins a day out in nature which makes me feel energised and happy.

I am also a trustee of a Wellness charity in my local town, which aims to alleviate isolation and improve the mental and physical wellbeing of the community. It gives me real purpose and helps me to connect with people in the local area, whilst using my skills in a different way.

What characteristics and skills do you look for in people?

People who are proactive, self-motivated and work well with people across the business. Having these traits is essential to work effectively in a strong team. Qualifications and skills are of course important in the construction industry, but having the right team and communication skills, with the ability to think with an enterprise and growth mindset are key.

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Growing up I had always wanted to run a pub. A strange choice for a 10 year old maybe, but I loved the family pubs with beer gardens and play areas when I grew up and always imagined running a family pub.