Meet our founder
Dr Diane Dickson LLD MRICS FCIArb
Founder of MAK BUILD and owner of MAK Contracting Ltd
A different starting point. A belief in what is possible.
I'm Diane. I'm a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, construction law specialist, researcher and business owner, with more than 25 years of experience across construction and engineering.
I founded MAK BUILD because I want more young people to discover an industry full of possibilities, including those who might never have imagined there could be a place in it for them.
My route was not a straight line
I left school with three GCSEs. Before building my career in construction, I worked in a range of jobs, including markets, factories, cleaning, care and administration.
My professional and academic achievements came later, through work, further learning and a determination to keep developing. That journey has shaped how I see potential. A person's starting point, school results or circumstances should not be mistaken for the limit of what they can achieve.
Qualifications matter and can open doors, but so can practical ability, curiosity, creativity, communication and the way someone approaches a problem. Sometimes people need an opportunity to discover those strengths before they can begin to see a future for themselves.
Experience across the industry
My career has given me experience across employer, contractor, subcontractor, supplier and professional consultancy roles. Through MAK Contracting, I support organisations with quantity surveying, commercial management, contract drafting and negotiation, contract administration, risk management and dispute resolution.
My work spans sectors including infrastructure, rail, healthcare, defence, energy and data centres. Alongside professional practice, I contribute to research, publications and training. My doctoral research focused on managing legal and contractual risks in UK green building delivery.
That breadth of experience is one reason I feel so strongly about showing young people the whole industry. Construction is not one job or one type of person. It brings together practical skills, design, engineering, technology, business, finance, law and leadership.
Qualifications and continued learning
My academic and professional qualifications include:
- Doctor of Construction Law.
- MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution.
- Postgraduate Certificate in Quantity Surveying.
- Chartered Quantity Surveyor and member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb).
- Qualifications in domestic gas engineering and domestic electrical installation.
For me, learning has never been confined to one stage of life or one route. My experience of both practical and professional learning is something I want to bring into MAK BUILD.
Recognition, and the opportunity to give back
I was honoured to win the Business Owner Award at the Women in Construction Awards 2025. It was a proud and emotional moment, and recognition that I shared with the team behind MAK Contracting.
Industry recognition also includes:
- Highly Commended, Business Leader of the Year, NEC Awards 2024.
- Highly Commended, Individual Excellence Award, NEC Martin Barnes Awards 2025.
In 2026, MAK Contracting sponsored the Business Owner category at the Women in Construction Awards, and I also served as a category judge. Returning in those roles was an opportunity to support and celebrate other women building their own futures in the industry.
Why I created MAK BUILD
I want young people to see construction as something they can explore, not an industry they need to fit a stereotype to enter.
Girls should be able to see women across the industry and imagine themselves in those roles. Neurodivergent young people should have opportunities to learn and participate in ways that recognise their individual needs and strengths. Young carers and those facing disadvantage should have access to experiences and connections that might otherwise feel out of reach.
Just as importantly, I want MAK BUILD to help people feel that they belong. Discovering a career matters, but so does building confidence, meeting people and finding somewhere your contribution is valued.
That is why MAK BUILD brings together four priorities: girls in construction, neuroinclusion, fair access, and belonging and wellbeing.
The aim is to help young people understand the choices available, try something new, recognise their strengths and decide what their own next step could be.
Let's help more people find their way in
MAK BUILD is an invitation to schools, families, employers and industry professionals to help make those opportunities possible. If you share that ambition, I would love you to be part of what we are building.
Connect with Diane professionally and follow her work in construction and education.
Dr Diane Dickson on LinkedIn