For award-winning civil engineer and businesswoman Drenka Andjelic, good management is about creating a supporting, trusting, and nurturing environment for staff and clients alike. She stands out for her unique and remarkable approach to business.

Drenka founded Construction Assignments in 2006, making her the first woman in Australia to found and solely own a client-side project management business. Her vision remains the same now as it was then – to “make good things happen” in development, design, and construction.

Construction Assignments provides a diversity of representation to investors and developers, managing both the detail and the big picture. Despite an established niche in the design and construction of new hotels, the business offers a broad range of project delivery experience across multiple property sectors.

Construction Assignments continues to grow under Drenka’s strong leadership and positive attitude. A vocal advocate for gender diversity in business, Drenka is open about her deliberate placement of women in leadership roles. She encourages women at every stage of their careers to challenge the status quo and back themselves.

Construction Assignments’ name comes from Drenka’s love of projects in primary school. In childhood, project work, organising others and teamwork were personal strengths rewarded with an array of awards and ribbons. Not much has changed; the recognition and rewards for being openly bossy, brutally honest and in-charge of good stuff continue. It’s enriching and contagious.

With over 30 years’ experience in property and construction, Drenka’s project management experience was amplified through roles at AMP Property Investments and Accor Hotels. Her strong business reputation, and that of Construction Assignments, has seen her receive industry recognition including:

• Chair of NSW Property Council of Australia’s Hotel Property Committee, 2015-2020.
• Served on Property Council of Australia’s NSW Divisional Council, 2015-2018.
• Occasional Address at UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT graduation ceremony, 2012 and 2019.
• UTS 2011 Alumni Award, Faculty of Engineering and IT, for her exceptional business leadership in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
• NAWIC, CB Richard Ellis Businesswoman of the Year, 2011.

Drenka is a powerful role model for work-life balance. Since the very beginning, she has defied industry belief in being a slave to the job. Drenka is an early proponent for the business serving as a vehicle for lifestyle. Drenka has work-life balance down pat and actively supports her team to live their best lives, offering extended leave for travel, personal development and life’s milestones.

A trailblazer from way back and an established industry thought leader, Drenka is openly proud of her impact.

Aligned by the core values of trust, truth and authenticity, Andrew was first choice for Construction Assignments when he joined the team back in 2008.

Andrew has over 30 years’ project management experience, gained through senior roles with global consulting firms and Construction Assignments.

Andrew is a key member of Construction Assignments’ senior leadership and plays a vital role in business management and development. His steady leadership and pragmatic approach are invaluable to our small business. Andrew studied Civil Engineering alongside Drenka at University of Technology, Sydney, where they forged an enduring friendship. Together they have grown Construction Assignments to an enviable reputation.

Andrew adds value at Construction Assignments with his appetite for detail and capacity for thoroughness. His approach to leading project teams is considered, strategic, and team spirited. Being a civil engineer bolsters his problem-solving strengths, independent thinking, and construction knowledge fundamentals. He plays a primary role in developing Construction Assignments’ young leaders. Passionate about passing on knowledge, his excellent communication skills make technical explanations relevant, interesting, and effective.

Andrew has managed countless projects, in multiple sectors, during his time with Construction Assignments. A recent stand-out is the Little National Hotel Sydney, an 11-storey, 230-room development in the airspace over Wynyard Station in Sydney’s CBD. The project’s high complexity, and unique access and infrastructure demands, made it a challenge perfectly suited to Andrew’s comprehensive skillset.

Andrew also recently completed delivery of two luxury health and lifestyle clubs by Next Gen, in Melbourne and Canberra. Both clubs were lavishly appointed, boasting gyms, restaurants, bars, tennis courts, pools, sauna and steam rooms, and underground parking facilities. With one heritage restoration and one new build to navigate, Andrew did a superb job as Client-side Project Manager for both facilities.

It comes as no surprise that Andrew’s interests outside the office are all about teamwork. Andrew has a huge passion for sport and still enjoys playing soccer in the winter months. He is currently President of Little Athletics, Parramatta, and enjoys the responsibility of nurturing young athletes. In recent years Andrew has reignited his passion for kayaking, with regular weekend paddles as training for some epic kayaking events across NSW, VIC and SA.

Elizabeth brings over 20 years of industry experience to the Construction Assignments team. Her strong communication skills and collaborative approach are key strengths which resonate with Construction Assignments’ values and project delivery ethos. Elizabeth manages teams that are consistently focussed on unified outcomes.

Construction Assignments takes pride in the sector diversity Elizabeth brings to our expertise. In her previous senior role with a national not-for-profit organisation, Elizabeth successfully managed the conception and delivery of two, brand-new, residential aged-care facilities from capital funding application, and land acquisition, through to planning approval, construction, and occupation. Elizabeth also managed the delivery of a specialist youth detox facility in the Southern Highlands, a retrofit sprinkler upgrade in an aged care live environment, and the major upgrade of 25 childcare centres across Australia.

Joining Construction Assignments in 2017, Elizabeth is our resident next-generation boarding house and co-living guru. Introduced to Australia in 2010, the co-living market is uncharted territory for many, and Elizabeth has been at the forefront of planning and legislation in NSW. Having successfully delivered UKO properties in Paddington, Newtown and Marrickville, Elizabeth is a dab-hand at managing the complexities of combined developer and operator-driven investment.

Elizabeth is known for her collaborative approach and respect for all project stakeholders. She particularly excels at stakeholder management and engagement with complex planning approvals. She has developed an intuitive sense for when to apply pressure in the interests of a project.

Long-term industry relationships are a result of Elizabeth’s successful commercial partnering with clients, consultants, contractors, and authorities. Elizabeth’s considerable industry experience richly enhances Construction Assignments’ senior leadership offering and capacity. Great things prevail under Elizabeth’s project leadership.

Elizabeth and her dog, Agnes, are lifelong supporters of Celtic Football Club. When they’re not making friends at the dog park, Elizabeth can often be found working on her latest knitting project, while Agnes is usually chewing on her favourite ball.

“Elizabeth excels at stakeholder management and engagement.”

Jess Gould has been an integral member of the Construction Assignments team since joining us in 2017. Jess has a diploma in Civil Engineering and Architecture from NBCC, Canada. She combines her analytical mindset with an intuitive approach to project communication. Jess is big on cultivating team spirit and has highly accomplished troubleshooting skills.

Most recently, Jess has taken on the responsibility of leading our Adelaide office. Since early 2022 Jess has been rather busy with the delivery of some impressive projects in South Australia.

Jess is currently managing full delivery of a new Little National Hotel location in the heart of the Adelaide CBD. Boasting 23 storeys and a 240-bed offering, the project is truly on a grand scale. Jess is managing the full process, from concept design, planning and approval through to construction, fit-out and handover.

Since 2019, Jess has also been client-side project manager for residential renovation project and popular television series The Block. Most recently, 2022’s property in the beautiful Macedon Ranges featured in a nail-biting televised auction. Jess has been responsible for delivering the complex project each year, with great success.

Jess is enthusiastic about using her skills to help people. Co-chair of the Property Industry Foundation’s Future Leaders Committee since 2022, Jess frequently donates her time and energy to organising fundraisers and other events in the name of reducing youth homelessness through mindful property development. She is also an active member of the Australian Property Council’s SA Future Directions Committee.

Lateral thinking, insightful client focus, and an authentic approach to people are qualities Jess continually demonstrates across her projects.

Outside the office, Jess is passionate about the outdoors, positive human connection and being a good friend and family member.

“Jess combines her analytical mindset with an intuitive approach to project communication.”

Victoria comes from a project procurement background within one of the hotel-world’s leading procurement companies. She studied at the University of Kent, and has worked internationally with renowned developers, owners, and hotel operators, to achieve award-winning excellence on all her projects.

As client-side project manager, and contract superintendent, Victoria oversees a portfolio of school refurbishments and modifications, for Autism Spectrum Australia. She leads planning approvals, design development, and staged construction within live educational environments. For each school, Victoria’s ability to problem-solve, and her deep care for the staff and student experience, is reflected in the high-quality build, and communication standards, she upholds.

Victoria is also experienced in high-end residential construction. Most notably, she completed the restoration and expansion of an original federation family-home, and the reconfiguration of a prestigious heritage apartment, positioned directly above Macquarie Street, in Sydney’s CBD. Both projects were successfully managed through considerable planning, programming, and buildability constraints, and handed over to happy clients. She has also been involved with two seasons of The Block, produced by Channel Nine.

In the commercial sector, Victoria has achieved exceptional outcomes, for her clients. She successfully obtained planning permission of a 42-storey mixed-use retail, office, and hotel, development, within the City of Melbourne. And oversaw the re-writing of planning legislation, within the City of Port Phillip’s heritage and design overlay curtilage, enabling commencement of a 72-key hotel expansion.

Victoria is proactive, thoughtful, personable, and blindingly efficient. She loves the details of a project, and the intricacies of managing a collective project team. She strives to build long term relationships with her project stakeholders.

When not researching her next trip, Victoria can be found outdoors, either playing netball or walking someone else’s dog.

Joining in 2021, Jay Spencer is the most recent addition to the Construction Assignments team. Jay has already proven himself an excellent project manager. His straightforward, level-headed approach is invaluable to clients, contractors, and consultants alike.

During his time at CA, Jay has completed projects across education, residential, hotel, co-living, hospitality and office sectors. Highlights have included extensive renovations and additions to Aspect Schools’ Corrimal campus. During the project, he managed the concept design process, navigated planning consent pathways, and oversaw construction and project handover.

Lately, Jay has worked closely with clients on multiple hotel and F&B projects. Completing refurbishment and alterations works to the Four Points by Sheraton Sydney (Central Park), in 2024, to increase hotel room inventory and reactivate the ground floor entry on Broadway, with a new restaurant and bar offering. Jay has also partnered with The Ascott Limited in various roles across their portfolio, including Quest Woolooware Bay, and Citadines Walker North Sydney, most recently delivering their award-winning Bar Lettera as client-side project manager.
Jay’s project management experience is bolstered by having spent several years working on site as a tradesperson. This cross-disciplinary experience affords him a deep understanding of on-site processes. Jay is currently completing a double-Masters of Property Development and Real Estate Investment at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), building on his already-impressive industry knowledge and technical ability. Jay also holds a Bachelor of Construction Project Management (First Class Honours) from UTS.

Jay enjoys seeing the positive influence the built environment can have on communities. He has a keen interest in green energy and high-end sustainable design and is a lover of all things contracts.

Outside work, Jay is also an accomplished rugby union player, having represented NSW Country Cockatoos at both junior and senior levels. Whilst in Sydney he has played successfully for Sydney University, making his Shute Shield debut in 2019, and winning 4 premierships across both Colts and Grade competitions.

“Jay’s straightforward, level-headed approach is invaluable to clients, contractors and consultants alike.”

Bev has had many professions over the years, through all of them the common denominator has been a focus on customer service and organisation. This experience, which traverses a variety of industries, has served Bev well at Construction Assignments since joining the team in 2011.

In a small business, everyone wears a few hats, but no one at Construction Assignments comes close to matching Bev’s mastery across disciplines and multi-tasking abilities. HR manager, IT support and financial controller are just some of the roles Bev fulfils. She also acts as Executive Assistant to Founder/Managing Director Drenka Andjelic and ensures the day-to-day administrative needs of the team, and our clients, are met.

Bev has been instrumental in helping Construction Assignments obtain and maintain our ISO9001 certification for quality assurance. She is continuously working to improve on existing quality assurance and business management processes, helping the team perform at their very best.

For the past 7 years, long before COVID-19 bought working from home into the spotlight, Bev has been performing her vital role at Construction Assignments from her Sunshine Coast home.  This made Construction Assignments early adopters of flexible work arrangements and the creature comforts of working in trackies.

Bev is the go-to person for making good things happen at Construction Assignments. She runs a tight ship and has been responsible for making us the successful customer-centric business that we are today. Bev credits Construction Assignments as a supportive and flexible workplace, with a fun team and an admirable, high-achieving Managing Director.

When not at work, Bev loves touring Australia on her Harley and spending quality time with her family.

Judith brings a unique mix of skills to her role at Construction Assignments. She holds a Communications degree, Law degree and Masters of Legal Practice which she obtained from Universities across Australia.

Before stepping into the management of the operations of the practice, Judith worked as a solicitor for 10 years in boutique and mid-size law firms in Sydney CBD practising as a commercial litigator. During this time she learnt how to navigate complex problems and provided pragmatic and commercial legal advice across a range of litigation, insolvency and construction, matters to a wide range of clients in a manner that is cost efficient and compliant. She still lends a helping hand in the legal industry.

Since starting with Construction Assignments, Judith focuses on keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes – supporting the team, improving systems, and helping deliver great outcomes for clients. Her commercial awareness, strong time management and prioritisation and inherent knack for problem solving help keep the Construction Assignments team doing what they do best on a daily basis.

Outside of work, Judith loves living near the beach – whether it be Maroubra in NSW or Uluwatu in Bali. She enjoys visiting warm places (unless it’s a ski trip!), travelling to developing countries and experiencing different cultures. Work smart and live well.

Anagha brings a unique blend of architectural design sensibility and construction management expertise to the Construction Assignments team.

She has obtained a Bachelor of Architecture abroad, followed by a Master of Construction Management from Deakin University onshore. Her early career as an architect saw her work on high-rise developments and a range of large-scale residential and commercial projects across India and Australia. Throughout these projects, she was involved from concept design through to the detailed coordination with multidisciplinary teams. These formative experiences helped shape her passion for end-to-end project delivery and laid the foundation for her transition into client-side project management.

She made a bold entrance into the Construction Assignments team by proactively reaching out to the Founder and Managing Director on LinkedIn, making an instant impression and diving straight into the deep end from day one.

Known for her collaborative nature and savvy skills, Anagha thrives in team environments where knowledge-sharing and collective problem-solving are key. She enjoys the dynamic nature of project coordination—especially the opportunity to navigate challenges, manage deadlines, and drive projects toward successful outcomes. Her professional approach is grounded in a continuous learning mindset, with a strong focus on accuracy, process improvement, and delivering value to clients.

Outside of work, Anagha is a creative at heart. She’s passionate about cooking, often experimenting with different cuisines and hosting friends for home-cooked meals. She also enjoys painting and practicing yoga, activities that help her stay balanced, inspired, and connected.