Building an inclusive future together: Alex Richards on allyship and being a ‘Maverick’
At this year’s AmplifyHER conference, Alex Richards, IT & Digital Construction Director at BAM UK & Ireland, joined the Mavericks panel, discussing how male leaders can move beyond allyship to actively drive gender equality.
Here, Alex reflects on his leadership journey, his personal motivations, and why using our own privilege to open doors for others is essential to creating an inclusive culture.
Tell us about your role as IT & Digital Construction Director
‘My role is to manage the technology and innovation estates for the UK and Ireland division, and lead the teams delivering digital construction elements to our construction projects. That could mean anything from developing 3D or 4D models to using drones to scan buildings. It’s a broad role, and my first in the construction industry.
I originally trained as a criminal psychologist. I didn’t expect to end up in IT, but my background in psychology has been really useful in the work I do. Most challenges aren’t purely technical – people are central to everything.
In construction, every pound invested in innovation is hard fought for, and the real reward is seeing the tangible outcomes of our work. For example, visiting the Children's Hospital in Dublin, which we worked on for several years, gave me a real sense of pride.’
What does inclusion and diversity mean to you, personally and professionally?
‘I grew up in social housing and a single-parent family. My mum was a very strong female figure – she put me on the right path, and I am where I am today because of her. She worked her way from sweeping floors in a hair salon to becoming the head teacher of a college, but I also saw how hard it was for her to be heard and to be respected in male-dominated spaces. Even as a teenager, people would automatically address me instead of her at the bank or in shops. These experiences are why this topic is really important to me – I want people who came from a similar background to me and faced similar challenges to have the opportunities that I've been lucky enough to have.
Gender is a big part of the conversation, but we also need to recognise intersectionality. If someone is a woman and from a minority ethnic background or from a lower-income background, their barriers to opportunity multiply. We need to see people as whole individuals.
At BAM, I'm the executive sponsor of the Ability@BAM network, supporting people who are differently abled or with caring responsibilities. I also work closely with our Gender Action Network, focusing on inclusion and gender diversity. It’s not about putting my name down as executive sponsor for me – it matters on a personal level.
So, how do you step into action? At the AmplifyHer event, the term that they've coined is “Mavericks”: men who have gone beyond allyship and are actually being proactive in opening doors for other people, just as I have had doors opened for me in the past.’
How do you see the importance of male allyship in driving inclusion?
‘Most senior positions are still held by men, and mostly white men from similar backgrounds. That comes with privilege. You can either choose to ignore that privilege and pretend it doesn't exist, or you can use that privilege to help other people.
In many boardrooms, I’ve worked alongside people who have never applied for a job because opportunities came from their contacts. This “old boys club” definitely does exist. These people are very capable, but their network opened doors for them. If you’ve benefited from that, there’s a responsibility to open doors for others too.’
How do you put this into practice in your work?
‘Earlier in my career, a senior leader arranged a meeting between me and the CEO, and making that connection helped me get my first leadership role. Ever since, I’ve tried to do the same for others.
For example, a store manager in a previous company contacted me to ask for guidance. It was really brave of her to send that message, and we built a mentoring relationship over several years. She recently told me she has now progressed into a senior head-of role. She earned it herself, but I helped make sure key people saw her potential by making introductions and ensuring her achievements were recognised. That is sponsorship: speaking positively about someone when they aren’t in the room.
At BAM, I also recognised that we needed to reflect the societies we work within. We want to find the best person for the job and recently promoted a highly capable woman into the team. I think it's really important that we see capability above anything else and give people opportunities to step up and do more.’
You participated in the 'Mavericks' panel at AmplifyHER: what did you take away from the event?
‘The panel brought together leaders from very different sectors. One speaker from a museum shared work on “writing women back into history” where contributions had been erased. Another told a story about a senior executive at a meeting who people assumed was there to serve coffee. These things still happen – sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes not subtly at all.
It was helpful to me as a reminder that we still need to watch out for some of these things, and that not everyone is at the same point in this journey. The discussion reinforced that awareness alone isn’t enough, and that we have to challenge behaviours when we see them. That can be uncomfortable, but silence is complicity. We also discussed the importance of using your influence when someone is not present.
When was the last time you made a connection between people that you thought could benefit from that relationship? These small steps would really make a difference for many people.’
What message would you give to other male leaders in building an inclusive culture?
‘It’s very easy – often unintentionally – to build a team in your own image, because you've got a better idea of how people from a similar background and gender to you would think and react in any situation. It feels lower-risk. But if your team all shares the same background, you will get narrow thinking and weaker results.
My advice would be to challenge yourself. Look at the balance on your team and take into account gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, education, and life experience – they all play a huge part in building an inclusive team. Diversity drives better outcomes.
And ask yourself: Who are you sponsoring? Who are you speaking positively about when they’re not in the room? Whose name are you making sure gets heard?
As a leader, that's where I really come to life, and that's what I would ask of my leadership team. Because inclusion doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people with influence choose to use it to help others succeed.’
