Olga Mikhaylova is Engineering & Design Director at Suburban Connect for Suburban Rail Loop East’s southern section between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley. In her role, she oversees a team of engineers who are developing and designing engineering solutions for the project. These design packages include the design of TBM tunnels and cross packages, factoring in an array of ground conditions and requirements across the alignment. Olga joins the project with almost 20 years of design management and engineering experience that spans across Australia, Asia and Europe and includes working on numerous major infrastructure projects such as Sydney Metro and Metro Tunnel (Melbourne). Olga also has a strong academic background that includes a Bachelors and Masters in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from Melbourne University. Olga is a passionate advocate for creating a more diverse construction industry with more roles and opportunity for women. She played a key role ahead of the formation of Suburban Connect’s all-women TBM crew as part of the group of industry leaders that came together for a series of roundtable discussions to discuss what steps were necessary to ensure the crew’s success. She is also a sponsor of the Suburban Connect’s Women’s Group, BuildHER, an initiative designed to connect, empower, and inspire all women involved on the project.