Bernice Kilkelly

I’m one of the youngest in my family, with five siblings. I grew up in Whakatāne in the Bay of Plenty before moving to Wellington as a teenager.

My parents had a ‘colourful’ life. There was no sitting around doing nothing. Dad started his career as a builder and retired three years ago as an IQP-registered building inspector. He also did a lot of volunteer work, from St John Ambulance to Coastguard NZ and Water Safety NZ. He’s now a life member of both, and a Serving Brother with St John. Mum was the glue that kept everything together, with her admin work and her St John work too. Life was never dull in our house; there was always something happening. The thing I learnt most from Mum and Dad is that hard work pays off in the long run, and that it takes a village to raise great families. Something I hope I’ve passed on to my own children.

I was the one who couldn’t sit still. I was either playing sport (hockey, netball, badminton), helping the neighbours milk the cows on their farm, or out on the water fishing, boating, skiing or swimming. You name it, I was doing it.

I’ve spent the last 18 or so years as a QS or estimator for various residential companies, group home builders, high-end architectural building firms, and even transportable prefabricated homes (not the tiny homes). Before that I worked in the sport and rec industry in Perth, Western Australia.

Construction has a way of putting you in the right place at the right time for the right company. This is my time to bring my learnings back to the industry and keep the knowledge I have going.

The time it takes to put together an estimate. It takes too long, and it’s too easy to make an error with spreadsheets and data entry. We all get the same plans and measure the same way, but for some reason there’s nearly always someone with a different answer, and that comes down to how the data is entered and measured.

Not being lean with materials, and wasting them. And missing something on the plans because they were too busy.

The industry is changing, and the way we change is to move with the times and be the leader, not get left behind.

Two things. First, accuracy, because with accuracy comes speed and reliability. Second, that TakeoffQS listens to its market and stays out in front.

Progress over perfection. No one is perfect, and as long as progress is being made, we’re going in the right direction.

I have many secret skills, but my ability to deliver under pressure is my best one, because I don’t tend to show it on the outside.

Robin Williams.

A good book. It’s the best way to unwind, and my family normally find me in a corner or a chair somewhere with my head in a book, getting lost.

Detail-oriented, proactive, solution-focused, joyful, collaborative.