Two members of staff from Highways England have received awards from the National Centre for Diversity for their role in influencing change within the construction industry.  Executive director for commercial and procurement, David Poole, and diversity manager, Nicky Ensert (both pictured), both won awards in the Most influential individual of the year category.The Highways England pair received the award at the centre’s award ceremony which took place on 20 January in Birmingham – celebrating the country’s most inspiring and influential people across all industry sectors in relation to diversity.They were recognised for their role in influencing change within the construction industry, including the positive affect on companies across Highways England’s supply chain.Highways England’s diversity manager, Nicky Ensert, said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic to win acclaim from an organisation like the National Centre for Diversity. Receiving their recognition gives us confidence that we are on the right track and our efforts are making a difference across our industry.“This is a good starting point but we don’t want to stop here. Our ambition is to drive a real step change in how we as an  industry , attract and recruit the right mix of skills and expertise from a more diverse talent pool; creating inclusive working cultures; and delivering a level of customer service that takes account of customers and communities diverse needs.”Executive director for commercial and procurement, David Poole, added: “It’s an honour to receive this award from the National Centre for Diversity. However there’s still a long way to go to ensure the sector innovates and delivers in this area and we’re committed to supporting the supply chain further to bring about much needed change.”