A WOMAN has joined the executive board of York-based Shepherd Construction Ltd for the first time.

She is Sharon Copland-Jones, 38, the company's personnel director, who will represent the company's "people function" on the board.

She is one of three new appointments to the board, alongside Martin Abel, business development director, and Richard Alport, procurement director.

Mrs Copland-Jones who has had 18 years' experience in personnel, joined Shepherd nine years ago and was responsible for career development company-wide, before she became regional personnel manager for the Southern division.

Following promotion in May 2000, she was appointed head of personnel for Shepherd Construction Ltd, then personnel director in January 2001.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "We have other female directors, but she is the first to have been appointed to the board."

Mr Abel, 62, who has more than 40 years' experience in the construction industry, joined Shepherd as a building student.

His career included periods in planning, site management, and project management in design and build and business development, becoming business development director in 1998.

Responsible for national operations, Mr Abel has led a project to integrate the functions of business development, marketing and operations into a work-winning team. He is responsible for company marketing and leading the company's activities in the Government's Private Finance Initiative.

He is also chairman of a local York charity involved in the resettlement of young offenders.

Mr Alport, 41, has had 24 years experience in the construction industry.

He joined Shepherd in January 1995 as an assistant regional estimator and was promoted to divisional procurement manager in October 1998.

Promoted to procurement director in July 2000, he is responsible for work-winning activities, materials and plant purchasing, administration of Shepherd's supply chain and quantification and design and build bid management.

Since joining Shepherd, Mr Alport has represented the company across several working groups, including the Major Contractors Group health sub committee, and the RCIS industry working party on electronic trading, and the CBI fit for the future best practice programme.

He holds a first class honours degree in construction management, as well as a post-graduate diploma in business management.

He is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Updated: 10:07 Thursday, June 03, 2004