Nivani Pillai

Nivani Pillai joined UGL Unipart in 2019 as the People and Culture (P&C) Business Partner. Coming from a banking, insurance and disability services background into the male-dominated engineering industry, was a shift that challenged and shaped her professional growth.

"When I started at UGL on a rail maintenance site wearing high-vis clothing, it was very different to what I had known. My daughters asked me, ‘Are you working in construction now mum?’" Nivani reflects. Responsible for the P&C lifecycle for more than 300 UGL Unipart employees, it gave her hands on experience of collaborating with employees in diverse roles at all levels I, helping her quickly rise to be a Senior P&C Business Partner in 2021.

Nivani is committed to continuous learning and advocating for an inclusive and diverse workplace. She launched a diversity survey in 2022, to gain insights from female employees on how UGL Unipart could attract and retain female employees.

"When I started, we had one female apprentice. Through the Women@UGL initiative locally, we tackled practical issues for women on our site, like personal protective equipment sizing for women, female amenity improvements, a nursing room for mums returning from maternity leave, career pathways, flexible work arrangements, and networking events. This sparked my passion for diversity and inclusion (D&I), working with the management team to deliver meaningful progress in the rail industry."

Nivani successfully sought and achieved progression to the role of National D&I manager for UGL in July 2023.

A milestone in her current role was launching UGL’s Gender Equality Action Plan in 2024 with the Women@UGL steering committee. This is a three-year plan aiming to progress towards gender balance at UGL. "We are building a gender-representative workplace with a clear plan, driven by our working groups comprising of men and women across our divisions. It’s something I’m really proud to be part of.”

"The goal isn't just to have D&I programs — it’s to embed diversity and inclusion into our everyday culture and outcomes. It’s about bringing everyone on the journey, finding common ground, being curious about differences, and leaders championing and advocating these efforts."

Outside of work, Nivani enjoys recharging in nature with her family or friends, embracing off-grid camping adventures and traveling overseas.

For Nivani, UGL stands out for its people. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with people across our diverse sites and offices. There’s a genuine passion here to do better and be curious about diverse perspectives. That curiosity about people, the work we do, and creating a place where people belong and thrive, makes the culture at UGL truly special.”