Engineering Success

Engineering Success interviews Virtue Igbokwuwe a Civil Engineer working at Taylor Woodrow. As a Master’s graduate in Civil Engineering with a First Class Honours degree, Virtue is highly dedicated and enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the Engineering field with the ultimate aim to become a Chartered Civil Engineer. In addition to being a Civil Engineer at Taylor Woodrow, Virtue is a part-time YouTuber. Her channel, “The Virtuous Life”, with more than 5,000 subscribers and 400,000 views, has provided her with a unique platform to reach a wider audience and serve as a role model for those seeking representation in the field.  She is also an ICE STEM Ambassador and does various outreach work in hopes to inspire the younger generation. Her work has allowed her to participate in an Engineering game show presented by Richard Hammond.

Engineering Success interviews Joshua Bruce currently studying an undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Alongside his studies, Joshua spearheads an international initiative called the Young Engineers Summit. This unique summit aims to dismantle barriers, raise awareness, and create opportunities for participants to shape their own futures and contribute to the future of engineering. For Joshua, engineering is not just about numbers and equations; it represents a powerful tool for innovation and positive change. Driven by a strong desire to empower the next generation, Joshua is dedicated to helping young individuals recognize and unlock their full potential as agents of positive change in the world. His commitment to breaking down cultural and ethnic barriers is a huge driving force behind his involvement in with Mission 44. Joshua firmly believes that by harnessing their strengths, young people can make significant and meaningful contributions to society. Through his various roles and endeavours,

Engineering Success interviews Dr Ama Frimpong.   Ama is Head of Product Development at 52 North Health Ltd, where she leads the company’s engineering teams. She is a multi-award-winning engineer including being named the 2022 Young Woman Engineer of the Year by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and Top 50 Women in Engineering (Inventors and Innovators) by the Women’s Engineering Society.  She has a love for Global Health and Engineering, and has spent her career at the forefront of healthcare innovations making significant contributions to the technical development of a wide range of products and processes. She is also passionate about advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in young people with a particular focus on girls and those from the Global Ethnic Majority. 

Engineering Success interviews Lucy Davies an Integration Engineer at BAE Systems. Lucy studied for an MEng in Aeronautical Engineering at Loughborough University, completing a summer and year internship during her course before joining the BAE Systems graduate scheme in September 2021. During her graduate scheme she worked at the forefront of aerospace technology and has contributed directly to the next generation of military aircraft design through the Tempest programme. Lucy worked as a Safety Integration Engineer which meant that she worked on every element of the platform and completed analysis that led to physical design changes on the aircraft. After recently finishing on the graduate scheme Lucy has taken a new role on BAE System’s new Electric Products programme, working on cutting edge sustainable aircraft design. Lucy recently passed her IEng and is now an Incorporated Engineer with the Royal Aeronautical Society. During university Lucy noticed the disparity between the number of male and females s

Engineering Success interviews Charlotte Huntley a Junior Electrical, Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineer. Charlotte joined Arcadis in 2016 as an apprentice and has since developed into an Engineer. Charlotte produces design and engineering solutions across multiple Water Industry Clients on drinking water and wastewater projects. Charlotte has obtained her Diploma, HNC and HND with Distinction grades, and has just been awarded a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with first class honours. Charlotte became professionally registered as an Engineering Technician with the IET in 2018. Charlotte was awarded Apprentice of the year in 2020 by the Pump Centre as part of their Young Engineer Awards. She was also awarded Technician of the Year with the IET in 2022. Charlotte is a STEM ambassador and regularly volunteers to mentor disadvantaged youths interested in engineering and/ or apprenticeships. She has also published case studies with the Engineering Council discussing the benefits t

Engineering Success interviews Jacqueline Chinwe a Future Energy Leader and STEM Advocate. Jacqueline has 7 years’ experience in the oil, gas and renewable energy sector, representing a few of the top tier International Oil Companies (IOCs) and National Oil Companies (NOCs) within the EMEA & APAC region. She holds a degree in Oil & Gas Management and a masters in Offshore & Ocean Technology with Subsea Engineering.    Her career initiated as Project Controls Engineer leading large infrastructure projects across Europe, Asia and Africa. She is currently a Finance Business Partner for the Strategy, Sustainability and Ventures team at bp, providing business performance oversight to bp’s Executive Leadership Team.   Jacqueline has a huge passion for the progression of females, underrepresented ethnic groups and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is an advocate for DE&I, psychological safety and mental well-being, appointed Ambassador at bp, Board Member at the Association for BME Engineers

Engineering Success interviews Colette Bell is an Engineer at Roke. Colette works as a full-stack software engineer on her current project, she also chairs the Women in Roke ERG and leads the STEM outreach out of Roke’s Manchester office. Colette has a MEng degree in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Manchester, where she won the Department of Materials Prize for Best Project 2020 for her research on machine learning in materials analysis. Despite her background and industrial experience in materials and processes, the research inspired her to pursue a career in innovative digital technologies, this took her to Roke. In her first year, Colette picked up the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award for her work with the women’s network, ED&I and STEM, and was part of the winning and runner up teams awarded the ‘Project Team of the Year’. Rotations on the graduate development program have so far included AI innovation, hardware and software development and exposure to the bidding lifecycl

Engineering Success interviews Tosin Sonubi a Data Engineer. Oluwatosin (Tosin) Sonubi studied BEng in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering at Warwick University. She found her passion for data during her course and pursed transition into tech, teaching herself programming, but capitalising on her transferable skillset. She has only been a Data Engineer since 2021 but she has achieved an outstanding amount in that time. She credits her neurodiversity for the unique way in which she navigates the space and the challenges within it. Tosin also has experience as a DEI consultant and science communicator/speaker, she leverages all of these facets of herself in her data career. Tosin is passionate about ‘paying it forwards’, and therefore engages in various outreach/ volunteering initiatives. She is active within groups supporting underrepresented individuals and the future of tech. With a technical background in data governance and ethics, Tosin advocates for the fair use of data and engineering for good.

Engineering Success interviews Arrmeila Jeyanathan an Industrial Engineering in Rail and Control Systems and Signalling. From being introduced to STEM at school and getting involved in science competitions Arrmeila was inspired to study Integrated Engineering at Cardiff University. Whilst at University she worked at Network Rail as Railway Signalling Engineer and since graduating in 2021 she has been on the Network Rail graduate scheme training in the railway signalling discipline. Since Arrmeila’s placement year up until now she has had some successes and opportunities such as receiving an award for her dissertation as well having the opportunity to present & publish her work at a conference. Through these experiences and being a direct recipient of early engagement, Arrmeila has really developed a passion for railway engineering and promoting to the younger generation where she’s done so being an active STEM ambassador. Arrmeila also volunteers for the IET London Young Professionals network since Oct 20

Engineering Success interviews Kemi Akinola a Principal Process Engineer in the Water Industry. Kemi has BSc and MSc degrees from Imperial College London and over nine years' experience in the UK Water Industry. Through her career to date, she has contributed, inter alia, to the design; and enhanced operation, of several water and wastewater treatment works, by providing process engineering expertise for major capital projects and day-to-day site operation.​ Kemi is a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and a winner of several awards including the CIWEM ‘Annual Conference Young Ambassador 2016’ award and Northern Power Women 'Future List 2018' award. ​She is passionate about enhancing people's lives and is currently involved in several International Development initiatives, such as RAEng Frontiers for Development. She also enjoys volunteering with charities such as Compassion UK. As a female Engineer, Kemi actively supports and encourages young and upcoming Engineer

Engineering Success interviews Philippa Jefferis a Business Excellence Manager at BAM Nuttall Philippa has been lucky to explore the world through engineering.   Starting in the UK, she soon found herself involved in road maintenance in Sydney, Australia before a brief stint back home in the UK managing roads here.  She has since had the opportunity to work in Sierra Leone, Nepal and Pakistan and dreams of being able to claim she has worked in all 7 continents. 4 down, 3 to go! Though reluctant at first to become an engineer, partly due to not really knowing what one was, Philippa now promotes engineering through being a QE Prize Ambassador. Engineering gives an opportunity to see behind the scenes of how the world works, and Philippa has always enjoyed problem solving. Her current role allows her to "zoom out" to see the bigger picture, of where engineering sits within the wider commercial context, yet she still enjoys the opportunity to get on site and see the difference made on a daily basis b

Engineering Success interviews Mo Oyetunji is a Quality Specialist in the Medical Device Industry. Mo has previously worked as a Materials & Corrosion Engineer within the Oil and Gas industry for over a decade and is very much passionate about teaching and inspiring kids about STEM subjects. She is the Owner of Asa West - a UK based fashion retailer established in 2017 and is also the founder of ‘More Blessed to Give’ charity established in 2012 which provides outreach and support for homeless men, women and kids as well as financially supporting individuals for higher education in Nigeria. Mo is the host of ‘The 360 Lady Podcast’ - a podcast that inspires and equips women to be the highest and healthiest version of themselves. She became a member of AFBE in 2018 and currently a Board Member leading the Gala Awards 2023.

Engineering Success interview Laura Giddings the Founder of The STEM Project Laura founded The STEM Project so that she could continue to work with like minded people who had a passion and enthusiasm to inspire the current and next generation into STEAM and more. An established award-winning STEM Education manager with a flare for breaking the mould and pushing the boundaries to build strong STEM communities , projects and networks in the UK, she is a naturally passionate advocate for young people; working to build bridges across industries, government and education to secure stronger foundations for the future. Working towards gaining her Masters in STEM Education from King's College London, she puts into practice these teachings, and professional experiences gained from her time at New Scientist, The Royal Institution and RS Components, in to her day to day management of a rapidly growing agency of STEAM experts.

Engineering Success interviews Erusa Adizie a Net Zero Manager at Tarmac Working for a sustainable building materials company Erusa's role involves supporting and developing the roadmaps that will allow the hard to decarbonise industry to reach net zero targets. Erusa is a Chartered Engineer and has Masters Degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Management and Safety, and Reliability Engineering. She is passionate about the energy transition and has had various roles, all exclusively within energy, from oil and gas services to electricity transmission to power generation. Erusa is a STEM Ambassador and a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Energy Panel and an IET Education Volunteer. In 2021 Erusa won the IET Volunteer Core Values Award for Integrity. She is passionate about promoting STEM as well as working to improve diversity in energy especially low carbon and sustainability fields through her initiative Power to Diversity.

Engineering Success interviews Floriane Fidegnon-Edoh a Consultant for BMNT Floriane is currently working on the Royal Navy contract, helping them to correctly identify and translate operational problem areas.  She has a background in manufacturing engineering and public policy, having worked in a manufacturing production environment, a public policy think tank and the charities sector. Prior to joining BMNT, Floriane was a department head in a public policy think tank, as the head of the Industry, Technology and Innovation team. She has extensive experience working with civil servants, parliamentarians, private and public sector stakeholders across manufacturing, data analytics and innovation policy translating and publishing challenges into actionable recommendations for government. As a manufacturing engineer for a major pharmaceutical company, she contributed to a number of lean and innovation-led programmes that were adopted to improve production performance. Floriane is a member of the Institute of

Engineering Success interview Caitlin McCall a Senior Research Engineer at Manufacturing Technology Centre in the field of Automation and Electronics. She is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Previously, she was a Materials and Manufacturing Engineer at Swansea University where she worked towards her ESPRC funded Engineering Doctorate in printed electronics for flexible packaging. She has published a paper in biosensors for glucose detection and is writing several more from her doctoral research. In 2021, Caitlin was awarded a place in the prestigious WES Top 50 Female Engineers list and a We Are The City Rising Star Award in 2022 for her contributions to the engineering industry. Caitlin is passionate about developing peoples' skill sets and supporting her community. She enjoys promoting engineering as Chair for the Women's Engineering Society's (WES) Early Careers Board and member of the WES Event Directors Committee.

Engineering Success interviews Dr Roy Bitrus PhD a Geologist and a Business Development Consultant with a first degree in Geology and Mining. Roy is a Royal Society of Edinburgh RSE – Unlocking Ambition Enterprise Fellow with technical, entrepreneur and intrapreneur skills working as a director of sales at TenzorGEO Ltd to provide micro seismic data acquisition and interpretation services to the oil and gas companies in the North Sea and internationally  aimed at maximising economic recovery and monitoring reservoirs. Roy has over 10 years of experience in business, sales and entrepreneurship having started his own company in Nigeria and has co-founded 2 start-up companies in the UK. He has participated in various entrepreneurial workshops and accelerator programs across the UK where he won pitching competitions and grants for his business. He is a Geologist with degrees in geology and mining, a master’s in environmental management and a doctorate in geology focused on reservoir characterisation for CO2

Engineering Success interviews Jess Clark a Highways Engineer working for AECOM Jess has 5 years’ experience as a Civil Engineer and also volunteers as a STEM Ambassador. Jess was the winner of the ICE NE STEM Ambassador of the Year Award 2022, being recognised for her work supporting her local community through lockdown and driving STEM throughout the workforce. Jess is passionate about promoting diversity, equality and sustainability through engineering and is an advocate for apprenticeships, recently completing her degree apprenticeship in civil engineering.

Engineering Success interview Zainab Adigun a Senior Structural Engineer and AFBE-UK School Team Lead. Zainab Adigun studied BEng in Civil Engineering at Brunel University then a MSc Structural Engineering on a Women in Engineering full scholarship.  Zainab designs new buildings and small refurbishments projects across all sectors. As social value champion and EDI team member for her organisation, she helps to define strategy and deliver on social value commitments. Zainab volunteers as a board member for the Association for Black and Ethnic Minority Engineers (AFBE) where she is the team leader for the Making Engineering Hot which works with young people from black and other ethnic minority groups to expose them to careers in engineering. Recently, Zainab was listed as one of 100 Finalists for the Top Women in Engineering 2022 Awards as recognition of her contribution in encouraging females to consider a career in engineering. She has also been shortlisted for the CN & NCE Inspiring Women in Constru

Engineering Success interviews Amber Oliphant a Systems Project Engineer at High Speed Rail Solutions. Amber chose technical subjects at school and studied general engineering at college. Amber gained an apprenticeship as a Toolmaker which took her through various departments within the company she was working for, being Machining, Die Maintenance and Ancillaries. Amber then moved into new product introduction within the injection moulding industry where she gained valuable experience in Project Management. Always challenging herself Amber now enjoys her role at High Speed Rail Solutions. Passionate about raising issues for Women in Engineering Amber is an advocate for adjustments to Maternity packages and flexible return to work support currently provided, and works hard to highlight and influence that change.