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The Woman Engineer WOMEN’S ENGINEERING SOCIETY VOL 18 • NO 21 - WINTER 2013 www.wes.org.uk The Woman Engineer featured engineer Engineering our future lifestyles The Royal Academy of Engineering recently my team, brainstorming ideas to target honoured four entrepreneurs with Silver Medals opportunities, analysing trends, or looking for outstanding commercial success – one at how to best explain to new audiences the of those medallists is Elspeth Finch who is a vital role engineering plays in solving today’s Futures Director with Atkins. challenges. Upon graduation as a chemist, Elspeth “A major part of my role is increasing completed a Masters at the University of public awareness of future challenges and Newcastle. Following an early career as a collaborating with partners to develop solutions. researcher and lecturer at UCL, she co-founded I frequently attend and speak at external the Intelligent Space Partnership, a transport events, building partnerships and exchanging consultancy focused on incorporating the needs ideas with people across a wide range of of cyclists and pedestrians into city design and organisations from think tanks and universities planning. as well as the public and private sector.” Atkins acquired the practice in 2007 and Elspeth finds the skill set she acquired as an Elspeth led its integration into its transport entrepreneur equally useful in her current role wes conference cpd planning business. She is now the Futures with Atkins. “The skills I am using are the same session Director in Atkins’ Water & Environment as when I was an entrepreneur - I have to be Some of the highlights business. In this role she helps develop ideas part author, designer, accountant. I work on from the recent WES that generate new revenue and create new strategy and new service development but all Annual Conference markets for services. She is now working on a achieved through working closely with a great Page 4 series of reports into aspects of infrastructure team and colleagues. resilience, the first of which looks at the “The best thing about my chosen career is challenges for water in the UK to 2050. the opportunity to work in a thriving industry, women in boardrooms Her integration into one of the world’s largest on interesting challenges alongside great on the up engineering companies, employing 18,000 colleagues. It is such a broad field with people worldwide, shows great determination. great opportunities to take your career in lots Results of a Cranfield “At 24 I set up Intelligent Space Partnership, of different directions. We work on finding School of Management as we saw there was a gap in the market and solutions around critical infrastructure - from report a better way to include the needs of pedestrians transport and energy networks to how to future- Page 5 and cyclists in designing cities. I sold the proof a city.” company to Atkins in 2007 and in the six years Elspeth is full of advice for those looking to since I have been part of Atkins, I have taken make the move into her industry. “I would say apprenticeships on a number of roles to stretch myself and to don’t put it off. We need all kinds of skills and implementation plan better understand how a big company operates, there are lots of opportunities. We are quite Young women engineers as it was quite a change to go from 1 in 20 to 1 modest as an industry, but once you get under respond to government in 18,000,” she told The Woman Engineer. the surface you quickly see the scale of the suggestions “In 2011, I took on the role to set up and lead innovation and the excitement that people have Page 6 the Futures team to develop new services to working in engineering in all its forms. Come address big trends such as population growth and join us.” and the rise of urbanisation - as 75% of people “I was thrilled to receive the award - it meant will be living in cities by 2050.” The value and a huge amount to me, Elspeth told the Woman marketing attracts impact of her work on smart cities has the Engineer. “By receiving this prestigious medal, women engineers potential to add significant value in the decades I hope to show both the breadth and value A campaign to recruit more to come. of engineering and help to inspire the next girls into engineering “The joy of my job is no two days are generation to pursue a career in this industry.” Page 10 the same. But the one constant is that I For information on the awards visit www.raeng. spend a lot of time working closely with org.uk/prizes/silver/ the woman engineer - winter 2013 1 From the editor’s desk There have been plenty of positive images of females in the news in recent weeks. Most notably that of 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai who has urged British girls not to take education for granted. President’s Message Her warning must have struck a chord with those watching her Panorama I attended my first WES conference in interview, in which the teenager who was 2006 and then tentatively applied to shot by the Taliban for promoting female join the council. I wasn’t sure that I had education appealed to fellow pupils to anything to offer WES, so I consider it appreciate their education system and a tremendous privilege to now be the Lynn Postle, FICME regard her as ‘a normal girl.’ President. as “I really enjoyed the sciences at I would like to take this opportunity to Since the gun attack in October 2012, school” as both Maria Spyrou (see back thank my predecessor Milada Williams Malala has become something of an page) and Molly Stevens (Karen Burt and I plan to build on her work and that international advocate for children’s Award winner 2013) have said. of Dawn Bonfield and the office. My rights, in particular those of girls. But it is not just those at the beginning objectives are to develop and grow WES’ In this issue of The Woman Engineer of their careers who are inspirational. collaborations with other institutions and we consider some of the options for For only the second time in its 824-year organisations, to raise income through education here in the UK and how the history, the City of London has a female grants and to increase our membership. promotion of STEM subjects to all pupils Lord Mayor. Although not an engineer, Why? The larger we are the more support - but with an eye on encouraging more Fiona Woolf is an Honorary Liveryman we can provide to our members, the louder girls to go down the STEM route – is of the Worshipful Companies of Security our voice becomes and the more influence developing. Professionals, Paviors, Fuellers, Turners we will have on decision makers. When talking to contributors to the and Lightmongers and her high-profile Three long serving members of the WES publication, I like to ask them why they position as Lord Mayor of the City of council resigned at the AGM: Grazyna chose engineering and who or what were London is yet another positive image for Whapshott, Sarah Peers and Alex Walker, their inspirations. Often the answer is those women who follow her. also Philippa Ayton stepped down from the same – “my parents were involved” the Karen Burt committee after 15 years. or “there was this really enthusiastic Next issue contribution deadline They have all given so much of their time teacher” – but sometimes it is as simple 10th January 2014. to WES which is much appreciated and we wish them well in the future. On 4th October the WES Harnessing the The Women in Engineering don’t miss Energy conference, was held and it was a great success. Well done to Dawn Bonfield Leadership Forum Asia for organising this. Tuesday 18th - Wednesday 19th February 2014 WES offers a wide range of services and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia we need more volunteers to be effective. The Forum is an interactive and exciting international event supported by WES. It Just some areas we need help with are: brings together emerging and current female leaders to network and share inspiring young WES membership, organising leadership experiences and discuss key priorities and challenges confronting conferences /events, expanding our women in related fields. Attendees will hear inspirational step-by-step accounts of clusters, administrating awards, updating the leadership journeys of senior women, gain skills for career development and the website, raising our online presence managing transitions into senior roles and also take away innovative ideas for through twitter etc, preparing press supporting and advocating the development of fellow colleagues. releases, giving media interviews, applying Contact: Elena Tay, [email protected] for grants. We also require more council members. If you can help in any of these areas please contact the office. National Women in Engineering Day Finally on 23rd June 2014 WES will be 95 Monday 23rd June 2014 years old and we hope organisations will There’s plenty of things going on for the first National Women in Engineering Day help us celebrate with the National Women 2014. in Engineering Day. To see how you can get involved visit: www.wes.org.uk/nwed Dr Carol Marsh CEng FIET MIEEE MInstP MIACR FWES The Secretary, Women’s published by the Women’s subscription price of £30.00 Engineer should be sent Engineering Society Engineering Society. It is per annum (inc postage). to the Editor at the same c/o IET distributed free of charge Send subscription orders to address. Michael Faraday House to members of the Society WES.
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