A talented Newcastle woman is building a successful career in the construction industry after winning the title of RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year.
Twenty-seven-year-old Pippa Heron, originally from Durham but living in Gosforth, scooped the prestigious national title in the project management category of the Young Surveyor of the Year Awards 2020 in an online ceremony on Friday 27th November.
Pippa, who completed an MSC in Real Estate at Northumbria University, joined Newcastle-based fast-growing The Morton Group as a Development Surveyor in April 2019.
The Morton Group is a wholly-owned family business run by CEO Gary Morton and his father Brian, and consists of LOK Developments, Kapex Construction and Regents Gate Homes, meaning that it can act as both developer and contractor on building projects.
Announcing Pippa as Young Surveyor of the Year winner, the judges said: “Her adaptable, personable, can-do approach and out of the box thinking helps her excel when leading internal and external teams on a variety of projects. Her passion for the industry and drive for continual growth has brought unrivalled dynamism to her organisation.”
Pippa said: “I was so shocked when I won, as there were some really strong contenders in my category. I really didn’t think I’d win and I was happy just to be shortlisted.
“Now it’s settled in, I’m so happy and grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way. The past 19 months have felt like a bit of a whirlwind at times as we are growing so fast and we have so many exciting projects.
“Sometimes I think it’s important to take a step back and appreciate how far we’ve all come, individually and collectively.
“I work across all the LOK Development schemes but my favourite has to be Montague Court in Hexham, which is going to be absolutely stunning when it is complete. Kapex Construction has done an amazing job of sympathetically restoring all the original features and I can’t wait to see it finished.
“It’s really exciting to be part of The Morton Group.The pipeline of work and business plan is phenomenal – and the future is looking very bright. I’d like to thank my APC Mentor Michael Henning from Todd Milburn, along with Brian and Gary Morton and Chris Nunn, for nominating me and for the great faith and support they have shown in me over the last 19 months.”
