Celebrating Black Excellence in the Built Environment

Celebrating Black Excellence in the Built Environment

Black History Month is a moment to look back. This event is also about what comes next.

Join CIBSE Home Counties South West, the TfL RACE Colleague Network Group, BPIC Network and Rider Levett Bucknall for a panel discussion celebrating the achievements, leadership and influence of Black professionals across the built environment.

Our four panellists bring decades of combined experience across engineering, property, recruitment and network leadership. They will share the career journeys that got them here, the moments that shaped them, and what authentic leadership looks like when you are often the only person in the room who looks like you.

The discussion will cover:

🔹 Career journeys, identity and visibility
🔹 Authentic leadership as a driver of change
🔹 Cross industry collaboration and innovation
🔹 Workplace culture and building environments where diverse talent excels
🔹 Legacy, and how we equip the next generation to shape the sector

Meet the panel

Amos Simbo OBE is the founder of BPIC Network, a leading organisation advancing diversity, inclusion and opportunity across the built environment. A mechanical engineer and industry leader, he was awarded an OBE for services to the construction industry and diversity.

Sanda Mpanza is Partner and Head of Talent Acquisition for the UK and Europe at Rider Levett Bucknall. He specialises in attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent, and is a recognised advocate for inclusion, leadership and sustainable workforce strategies.

Hakeem Makanju CEng MCIBSE is a Chartered Building Services Engineer and Building Services Manager at Transport for London, with nearly 30 years across design, facilities management, safety and sustainability. He chairs the CIBSE Minority Ethnic Groups (MEG) Panel.

Sovina Vernon-White is a Principal Property Surveyor at Places for London with nearly three decades in the sector. She founded SPACE (Speak, Participate, Act, Collaborate, Equalise), a TfL race awareness network fostering inclusion, wellbeing and courageous conversations on race and equity.

Who should attend

This event is open to everyone. Engineers, surveyors, architects, contractors, consultants and students, at any career stage, in or moving towards the built environment.

Details

📅 Thursday 15th October 2026
🕠 17:30 to 20:30
📍 197 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NJ

Places are limited. Register now to secure yours.

CIBSE Event Behavioural Policy

CIBSE wants all attendees to feel welcome and included at our events. We ask attendees to keep in mind that they are within a professional environment when at CIBSE events and they are expected to always demonstrate professional behaviour modelling high standards of ethical conduct, honesty and integrity to protect the reputation and standing of CIBSE. CIBSE will not tolerate or allow any discriminatory or disrespectful behaviours by any person during CIBSE events, including bullying, harassment or sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes at our events. Where alcohol is provided, attendees are expected to know their limits and drink responsibly. The provision of alcohol should not be taken as an endorsement by CIBSE for attendees to drink excessively nor for any resulting improper conduct or activity.

By registering for this event, you agree to abide by the CIBSE Event Behavioural Policy 13.09.24.pdf

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