In conversation with Hannah Tottie and Lamarr Bonaparte-Myers, Trident Building Consultancy
Hannah Tottie and Lamarr Bonaparte-Myers.
This month we caught up with Hannah Tottie, Marketing Executive and Lamarr Bonaparte-Myers, a Building Surveyor from Trident Building Consultancy (Trident), one of PREACH Inclusion’s corporate partners.
Although Hannah and Lamarr work in different parts of the business, the nature of working in a smaller company has enabled them both to be exposed to other disciplines, whilst developing new skills and having more responsibility overall.
Hannah shares more about graduating and then reading a master’s during the COVID-19 pandemic – a challenge to say the least – and how she then began her career in marketing at Trident.
On the other hand, Lamarr has had a slightly longer career to date, initially working in Transport Economics and Economic Development, before finally deciding he wanted to pursue a career in Surveying.
With equity, diversity and inclusion being key parts of the conversation, we cover everything from inclusive marketing to unconscious bias and microaggressions.
Grab a cuppa a dive in!
Navigating the pandemic
Hannah was born and bred in Bradford, near Leeds. She was state school educated before heading to Staffordshire University, in Stoke-on-Trent, to study for her undergraduate degree in Modern and International History.
She completed this towards the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, after which she returned to Leeds and began her master’s in Modern History at Leeds University, which was completely online due to pandemic restrictions.
“Although I enjoyed the course, everything else was hard… It was entirely on MS Teams and people didn’t have their cameras on, making it challenging to build a rapport… I never met anyone in person, making it a lonely and isolating experience. You always expect to have that community-feel when you study, but I just didn’t have that.” – Hannah
It was during her master’s that Hannah explored various options on what to do after her degree. Realising that she enjoyed being creative, Hannah sought advice from career services, who suggested Marketing as a career path.
Following a voluntary marketing role, Hannah landed her first proper job as a Marketing Assistant at Trident, in November 2021.
“I’ve been with Trident for nearly three years now and in that time, I’ve had so many opportunities. I think it comes with being in a smaller team, just getting stuck in with lots of different tasks – from SEO to writing content, reviewing analytics and leading campaigns – no two days are the same; it’s been great. I’ve also completed my CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing. Working full time alongside studying brings its own challenges, but Trident’s support and flexibility made it possible.” - Hannah
Embracing a squiggly career
Meanwhile, Lamarr is of St Lucian and Jamaican heritage and was born and raised in Islington, a vibrant and diverse part of London.
He then went onto study a BA in Economics at the University of West England (UWE) Bristol, followed by a master’s in International Development at Bristol University.
Lamarr enjoyed the analytical side of things so economics, numbers and data were a natural choice for him.
However, he did have a bit of a cultural shock when first moving to Bristol.
“Admittedly, I was in my own little London Bubble – it’s so multicultural and you forget that many other places within the UK aren’t like this! At first glance, it appeared there was less ethnic diversity. However, as I submerged myself deeper into the city, I discovered Bristol’s diversity. Closer to my heart, and with Grandparents from London's Windrush generation, I discovered the diverse history behind Bristol’s Windrush Generation and the influence that generation had across the city, from the heroic 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott to St Paul’s carnival.” – Lamarr
Between both degrees, Lamarr had a placement in International Economic Development at Atkins Realis, giving him opportunities to work on a range of projects.
He then joined WSP, initially as a Graduate Transport Consultant, where he developed his stakeholder engagement skills and provided insights in culturally diverse communities, owing to his own heritage and background.
Two years after joining WSP, he transferred to their Advisory department, with opportunities to contribute to the Al Ula project in Saudi Arabia.
It was during his time at WSP, that Lamarr realised he wanted to work in surveying. Partially due to the pandemic, the idea of spending more time outside, while working in a variety of locations, appealed to him.
“Fortunately, WSP welcomed my enthusiasm and willingness to adapt to surveying and I was able to transfer internally into a new role.” – Lamarr
Alongside his role, Lamarr studied for a PgDip in Building Surveying, ensuring he was equipped with the right knowledge for a successful transition to this new career.
Despite the changes, Lamarr believes in following your gut.
“Economics was all I knew, having studied it, so working in that field was a natural choice. But something was missing, and I wanted to spend more time outdoors and be active in my role… In reality the transition was easier than I thought… there’s a lot of transferable skills from economics to surveying and I often come with a different perspective… don’t be afraid to change your path, just take the risk and the rewards will follow.” - Lamarr
Lamarr joined Trident in July 2023 as a Building Surveyor and currently specialises in fire safety related projects, across a range of sectors including hotels, student accommodation and residential apartment blocks. He is also enrolled on a Level 4 Fire Risk Assessor course to gain membership in the Institute of Fire Engineers and Institute of Fire Safety Managers.
“The biggest transition in my career to date was going from WSP to Trident. WSP is a huge company in comparison, while Trident is smaller, like a family. I have more responsibility and involvement in every stage of the projects I work on.” - Lamarr
Life at Trident
Both Hannah and Lamarr speak highly of the culture at Trident, echoing how its enabled them to achieve more than what they imagined.
“Being a small company, everyone knows each other and is very approachable. I’ve had more opportunities, such as presenting to members of the leadership team, which gave me a chance to practice my public speaking skills… I don’t think I would have been able to do this in a larger company, so I really believe Trident pushes me out of my comfort zone – in a good way… And this has helped me in my personal life too, being more confident and assured in myself.”– Hannah
“For me, I’ve been able to grow in a safe environment. Trident gives you a lot of freedom and you know you can speak to anyone and express yourself. I’ve been here just over a year now, and my responsibility and involvement with clients has grown exponentially.” – Lamarr
And even outside of usual work activities, Trident has cultivated an inclusive and welcoming culture.
“We have ‘Trident Day’ and because we are an Employee-Owned Company, we celebrate that too and make everyone aware of how they can benefit from that. It’s good to talk outside the business and technical environment.” - Hannah
The importance of equity, diversity and inclusion
For Hannah, her interest in diversity and inclusion stems from growing up in a diverse area and feeling enriched from exposure to so many different cultures and religions.
“Bradford is a very diverse area, but I never appreciated it until I moved away for university. There was always a religious festival and celebration in the area, so it grew my understanding of different cultures. But when I moved away, I realised how others hadn’t been exposed to this. Being aware of different cultures helps to build connections and enriches you.” - Hannah
This curiosity led Hannah to join Trident’s EDI Committee, allowing for more opportunities to fuel her learning, while also supporting important business objectives.
“I joined the EDI Committee, not only to ensure my approaches with marketing were inclusive, but also because I wanted to broaden my understanding of EDI and its impact within the wider business and our industry.
“With marketing, it’s important to consider how something might be perceived based on that individual’s cultural context. I always try to think of the bigger picture.” – Hannah
Through Trident’s EDI Committee, and with the support of Hannah, the company has marked a number of events and festivals. One particular highlight was a company-wide fast during Ramadan, where employees across all regional offices were encouraged to fast during the day to experience the positive and challenging impacts of this.
“For me, fasting was a great experience. We then shared the activity on our social channels, allowing me to be creative, while also supporting the learning of others.” – Hannah
Navigating the profession as a Black surveyor
For Lamarr, his skin colour has highlighted a number of challenges he has experienced himself and has fuelled the importance of inclusion and better representation in the industry.
While conducting site visits, Lamarr has experienced micro-aggressive behaviours from the public.
"On one occasion, I was taking photos of a site and a member of the public queried this, even though I was wearing a hi-vis jacket, indicating my reason for being there. The questions crossed the line between being inquisitive and challenging my presence. It made me feel uneasy, so I asked my line manager if I could have an ID badge made. IDs were promptly rolled out across the company, which made me feel supported, but equally, there should never have been a need. It made me feel like an imposter in my own job that I worked hard to get… like I didn’t deserve to be there." - Lamarr
Lamarr is now more cautious about construction site visits, especially those outside of London or in areas where there is less diversity.
He emphasised the need to have others like him around to lean on and seek guidance.
“I don't have many work role models, and I believe that is due to a lack of Black representation in the industry as a whole, particularly at senior management and director level… I feel as though I'm having to create my own path.” – Lamarr
There is no doubt that better representation can help reduce unconscious biases in the workplace.
“Representation can help with cultural understanding and building working relationships. For example, pub culture in the industry is common, but going to the pub isn't common from where I’m from… although no one forces a pub upon you, you do often feel like an outsider or not a team player if you turn it down.” - Lamarr
Additionally, in light of recent Far Right riots in the UK (August 2024) and the overt racism that many ethnic minorities were facing, Lamarr wants the industry to call out the systemic racism that exists in our society – all the time – not just when we are triggered with such behaviour.
“Many people are shocked at the level of vocal and overt racism we saw, but the offenders have always had those views, just less open. As a surveyor, those people could be residents, contractors, or business owners. And growing up those people could have been teachers or people with a duty of care. Its why systematic racism should always be mentioned alongside the vocal racism.” - Lamarr
He emphasises that it’s OK to check in on colleagues and clients, and the need for open and progressive discussions.
A note to their younger selves
As we wrapped up the conversations, both Hannah and Lamarr shared what they would say to their younger selves.
“Just chill out! Of course, work hard… but do what you enjoy, and it will work out. Save the worrying for when you’re an adult!” – Hannah
“Don’t feel like you’re stuck in one career for life. You can move around, retrain, just go for it… I have no regrets, because everything is a learning experience.” – Lamarr
A huge thank you to Hannah and Lamarr for speaking with us and sharing their career stories so candidly.
EDI at Trident
Our association with Trident goes back nearly two years, where in that time we’ve supported the leadership team with training, helped set up an internal equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) committee and provided advice and guidance on inclusive social media content. In January 2024, Trident signed up as a corporate member, solidifying our work and partnership.
“Our partnership with PREACH Inclusion has provided us with invaluable guidance and resources to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Through workshops and our EDI framework, our team has a deeper understanding of diversity and inclusion, enabling us to address biases and create a more welcoming environment for all.”
- Alexander Price, Director of Marketing
Trident is one of PREACH Inclusion’s corporate partners. Learn more here: https://www.preachinclusion.com/membership.