Industry Focus – with Veronica Fiore
Career steps and guidance with Associate Director, Registered Building Inspector and Building Surveyor Veronica Fiore FCABE C.Build E IEng
Q. What is your current role and how long have you been in the position?
A. I’m an Associate Director at Hunters, having joined in May 2024 from NHBC where my role focused on compliance with Building Regulations and British standards from the design inception throughout the construction phases to completion.
At Hunters I work with clients in the role of Principal Designer under the Building Safety Act to ensure project teams have the necessary skills, advice, and direction so that projects are fully compliant.
Q. What route did you take to your current role?
A. I studied and qualified as a Building Surveyor in Italy 20 years ago. 12 years ago, I left the job I had at that time in a small architectural practice near Milan and moved to London.
When I moved to the UK, I choose a career in Building Control to ensure that construction projects adhere to safety standards and Building Regulations. This path offers opportunities to contribute to public safety and compliance in the built environment.
I have always been ambitious; dedication and passion have been instrumental in my career progression, allowing me to take on more responsibility and achieve significant milestones. By consistently exceeding expectations and embracing challenges, I've demonstrated my commitment to growth and success.
My passion for continuous learning and development has enabled me to acquire new skills and knowledge, keeping me ahead of the curve in my field.
CABE has always played a pivotal role in my professional development, and I’m utterly proud to have been a member of the Membership & Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) since its inception in 2019, as well as an Ordinary Member of the CABE Board since 2022. Earlier this year I was elected to the position of CABE Vice-President and I will take up the role officially from June 2025.
Over the years I have gained valuable experience, extensive technical knowledge and a professional understanding regarding construction technology, associated legislation, Building Regulations and Standards, health and safety, fire safety in tall buildings, building pathology, and site inspection.
Q. Was this role a career aim for you from the outset?
A. I believe that my whole professional career has been marked by bold decisions and a series of favourable circumstances and opportunities that helped me grow professionally. Passion and dedication have always played a crucial role in my journey - I decided when I was 11 that I wanted to work in the built environment to improve and positively impact society, and I’ve been pursuing my goal ever since.
Q. Did/do you have a mentor?
A. I have never had a formal mentor in my career, but I have always been inspired by great leadership and leaders, in particular women who have demonstrated incredible leadership and built highly successful career goals even while balancing a family.
A couple of the best pieces of career advice I received along the way:
- be true and kind to yourself, as well as curious. Learn how to build personal strategies to improve your own mental health and well-being at work as well as supporting others
- there’s always an Option B and sometimes C and D; and
- good leadership requires authenticity, assertiveness and adaptability. It takes courage. It’s important to lead with care, courage and non-conformity.
Q. Are there any other positions in the built environment sector that appeal to you?
A. A position I would have liked to have tried is perhaps a claims investigator in the built environment. I think it’s important to study, research and understand claims ‘where things go wrong’ to identify trends and patterns to improve risk management and prevent future problems.
In terms of something I would like to do in the future… I’m a highly motivated professional with a strong track record of achieving results. I am eager to leverage my skills and experience to contribute to a dynamic organisation and continuously seek opportunities for growth and development. I don’t have a specific position in mind, but I'm certain that an unexpected opportunity will come my way someday.
Further guidance:
- Veronica is a registered building inspector (RBI) in England. All building inspectors who carry out building control work in England must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (there is a separate register for building inspectors operating in Wales). For helpful detail on what is expected from RBIs in terms of role, competence and experience levels, visit www.gov.uk
- As per the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the definition of a principal designer is “a designer who is an organisation or individual (on smaller projects) appointed by the client to take control of the pre-construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.” Find a breakdown of what constitutes this dutyholder role and its responsibilities at www.hse.gov.uk
- Veronica’s tenure as CABE Vice-President begins this summer. CABE Board Elections take place every January and are essential to ensuring that members are represented by those who understand their needs. Serving on the board of a professional body is a strong addition to a CV; for other ways to work with CABE that will demonstrate your professional dedication, see www.cbuilde.com