The woman behind the construction of Donald Trump's New York skyscraper Trump Tower is to be a keynote speaker at a top business event today.

Barbara Res was head of construction for the tower and worked alongside the businessman who would rise to become the US president.

Now she will reveal the challenges she faced when she speaks at the Kent Construction Expo at the Kent Event Centre at Detling today (Thursday).

She will join a line up of speakers which includes Olympic javelin star Steve Backley, Steve Cresswell the MD of construction giant Kier, and Tim Jones the project director of the Lower Thames Crossing, who will provide an update on its progress.

Mrs Res will talk about how she rose to the top of the male dominated construction business in New York during the 1970s and 80s.

And how, despite encountering sexual discrimination, harassment and intimidation, she became the first woman to take charge of the construction of a major skyscraper, the Trump Tower.

More than 150 exhibitors will be in attendance at the event which is organised by the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

Those attending the free event, which runs from 9.30am to 4.15pm, will cover all aspects of the construction industry from smart technology through to building materials, from heating solutions to biomass, from concrete, the hire market right through to the latest building software, CAD systems and digitisation.