Michelle Green | FJD Consulting Ltd
Michelle Green is a Civil Engineer with a passion for inspiring others into the industry, particularly females.
Michelle’s career as a Civil Engineer began in 1999 when she was accepted onto an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship with West’s Engineering Design in Darlington. Throughout her four-year apprenticeship, she worked within West’s design office and studied part time to achieve an ONC and HNC in Civil Engineering, whilst also gaining an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Engineering Construction Design & Draughting. During this time, Michelle worked as a Junior Designer and was involved in several projects as both a CAD Technician and Junior Designer.
Following her apprenticeship, she went on to study part time at Leeds Beckett University to gain a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering. Her involvement in projects during this time shifted away from drawings and simple calculations to more detailed designs, working closely with a Senior Engineer.
After graduating in 2006, Michelle started working with Waterman Aspen, who specialise in secondment. She hoped this would give her a broad range of experience and enable her to establish some contacts across the industry. During this time, Michelle was seconded to Network Rail, HBL Associates and Birse Rail.
Her time at Birse Rail involved the detailed design of a railway underbridge, using both hand calculations and design software. Following the construction of this new underbridge, her secondment came to an end and she took the opportunity to relocate.
In 2007, Michelle started working as an Engineer at Donaldson Associates. She decided to undertake a part time MSc in Civil Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton and worked on several railway schemes in their Derby office before moving across to the renewable energy team in Uttoxeter. Whilst working in renewables, Michelle was given more responsibility, taking on Lead Engineer and Project Management roles. Her workload concentrated on the front-end feasibility of wind farm schemes and involved a lot of technical report writing.
After eight years, Michelle moved back into the railway industry working as a Senior Engineer for FJD Consulting in Birmingham. Since 2015, she has been able to offer her unique and varied experience to various projects and develop good working relationships with several non-technical clients.
In 2016 she undertook the training to become a STEM Ambassador and regularly volunteers her time attending schools and events to promote the industry that she loves. She believes that her interactions with pupils and the promotion of engineering as an industry to be involved in will help to reduce not only the engineering skills gap but also the gender imbalance in future.
Charchita Misra | EY
As a child, I was inspired by my grandfather’s journey from a rural village in India to becoming the first Electrical Chief Engineer for the state government in Odisha.
After completing my A-Levels, I wanted to pursue an engineering degree from UK as it provided me with an opportunity to gain experience as a placement student whilst studying. Despite facing apprehension from the extended family, my parents supported me to pursue an undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Leicester, After successfully completing a placement year with Siemens UK, I was selected in GSK’s Future leaders’ program. This program enabled me to get accelerated exposure within GSK through rotations across three different sites in three years to learn about the engineering complexity in different types of manufacturing plants.
On completion of the program, I became an Electrical team Leader in a primary manufacturing site and supported the engineering team to improve their compliance with the firm’s electrical standards. I was promoted thereafter to become the Site Electrical Engineering at Ware, Hertfordshire and was accountable for the electrical assets on site and developed their maintenance and project investment strategy. Whilst working, I also completed a Master’s degree in Power Distribution Engineering and gained Chartership by the Engineering Council UK. I then joined the Real Estate team as a Technical Operations Manager and supported compliance remediation programs for the business unit so as to increase governance and ensure efficient risk management. I am currently employed in EY as a Capital Equipment Manager after completing my MBA from Cass Business School. In my current role, I support valuation of plant and machinery assets across several industries for various accounting regulatory requirements.
Sasha Buonasorte | Shelter
Finding my place at Shelter allowed me to find out what was most important to me.
When I was 19 years old, much like anyone else at that age, I wasn't quite sure who I was, what I wanted, and most importantly, what kind of impact I would have upon others. It was then that I was lucky enough secure a job as a street fundraiser for Shelter, and I never looked back.
It started with the rush of using my communication skills to do some good in the world, by educating and inspiring members of the public, but that was just the beginning. Whilst it was the opportunity to indirectly make the world a better place that originally motivated me to put my all into my career, I found my niche in helping my teammates cope with complex life struggles. Fundraising for Shelter had allowed me to use motivation from my own background and tricky experiences to thrive, and it became my mission to pay this forward.
With this decision secured, I quickly progressed within my team, becoming the deputy manager of the Leeds team. During this time I focused my energy on making the role as safe as it could possibly be. It was incredibly important to ensure my voice was heard on this issue, as I was one of the few young female managers in a male dominated environment. Women experiencing harassment whilst at work is an ongoing issue that occurs in many roles, and street fundraising is no different in that respect. I worked with my superiors to ensure appropriate policies and training were put into place for anyone dealing with some of the common problems that can occur. I fought hard for a shift in our culture, to allow team members to feel comfortable in being open about the challenges of being in a public-facing role.
Just over a year ago I secured a role as a direct marketing executive, based at Shelter's head office. As I currently do not line manage anyone, I have found a way to carry on helping others by becoming a Mental Health First Aider. I am co-leading on this project organisation-wide, so that I can try my best to ensure that we implement it to the best of our ability. It is now my main goal to help change the culture around how we speak about our mental health in the workplace, and I feel incredibly lucky to work within an organisation that values me enough to allow my voice to be heard when it comes to our wellbeing.
Alexandra Mather | WSP
My career to date; I have worked at WSP as a Graduate Civil Engineer for 1.5 years - working in Highways before moving into Bridges in Feb 2020.
Within this time, I have completed 2 internal secondments (one on site on the A19 Coast Road Junction Improvement Scheme, and one delivering maintenance schemes for North Yorkshire County Council in which I managed my package of work throughout). I was selected to be put on such secondments at short notice and showed flexibility; travelling to Northallerton from Newcastle daily to complete. I also showed management skills as I managed my maintenance schemes from start to finish. I also gained excellent feedback from a technical director for one of the secondments. In addition to working on other projects, I was a Professional Growth Network rep for Newcastle for 1 year before moving onto the lead rep role; hosting and organising a number of events. (This is a WSP initiative).
I graduated from the University of Leeds in 2018 with a degree in Civil Engineering with Project Management. Whilst in my final year there I was the President of the Leeds Civil Engineering Society.
Outside of work, I am a local committee member for the Women's Engineering Society (Tyne and Tees) local cluster and National Association for Women in Construction (North East) Committee Member/Secretary Support - in which I complete and circulate minutes after each meeting, along with one other lady. I am also a mentor for the Uni of Leeds e-Mentoring Scheme and am an aspiring STEM Ambassador -currently undergoing the process of getting DBS checked before I am an official ambassador! The role will fit well with the 2 previous events I have volunteered at - Careers Speed Dating and CV Building workshop at local schools. I am also awaiting training to become part of the NAWIC mentoring scheme - a half day of training is required before I will be paired with a local Civil Engineering Student.
Lucienne Edge | Royal British Legion
I worked in the civil service for 21 years within 3 different departments – Department of Works and Pensions, Home Office and Ministry of Justice, moving around various teams and posts.
All my roles focused on people and their wellbeing. This is an area that I’ve always felt passionate about. In the DWP I worked processing Disability and Attendance Allowance claims. In the Home Office I helped create, implement, run and finally outsource an Intermediary Service which matched young/vulnerable victims or witnesses of crime with registered professionals who could assist them making a police statement or testify in court.
In the Ministry of Justice I moved into HR and had the opportunity to become a trained voluntary Bullying and Harassment Advisor. I provided one on one advice and support as well as carrying out Directorate wide investigations up to, and including, Director level. I was involved in all stages of the process - interviews, report writing, resolution and recommendations. While there, I also helped with the formation and running of a junior staff forum, which were mainly women, increasing their visibility, providing them with a voice and a direct link to senior leaders.
In 2016, I decided I needed to take some time out to reflect. I made the decision to enter the charitable sector and this led to becoming the Membership Administration Manager at The Royal British Legion in Nov 2018. My team and I deal with governance, training, event planning – Annual Conference and County Chairmen’s Seminars and complaints. I’m a regular contributor to the agenda of the Employee Voice forum and try to initiate changes in the work environment as well as an active member of the LGBTQ+ & Allies branch.
I ensure that my team and I consider diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our workstreams and that we’re sensitive to all our members’ requirements. I also highlight areas where improvements can be made across the organisation and encourage others to do the same. It is challenging and a slow process but small steps are being made in the right direction.
Sharan Jaswal | Sharan Jaswal
Sharan is an energetic and engaging Educator, Facilitator & Changemaker passionate about social justice, education and the empowerment of young people and marginalised groups.
She has over 15 years experience in designing, delivering and scaling education programmes globally. A graduate of the London School of Economics & Political Science, Sharan has worked internationally across Asia, India, Europe and the Americas.
Sharan spent 12 years working to grow the charity MyBnk where she led the education team, spearheading their work with marginalised youth, and becoming an experienced project manager and learning experience designer.
She recently became self-employed and stepped into the field of social justice and gender equality – working with organisations such as The Good Lad Initiative, Rethink Mental Illness, Diversity Role Models and Future Foundations as an education, diversity & well-being facilitator and consultant.
She’s a trustee for the Abram Wilson Foundation, and volunteers on several youth sector advisory boards.
In a typical week, Sharan empowers young people by developing their resilience and works with female founders to accelerate their businesses. She’ll spend her weekend working with men to join the fight for gender equality by exploring power, privilege and allyship. She’ll often spend her evenings volunteering with #POCImpact, a community connecting and supporting People of Colour in the Social Impact sector.
Her accolades include being a Royal Society for the Arts and Clore Social Leaders Fellow. Her education programmes have won awards for their social impact with the Guardian Public Service and Centre for Social Justice Poverty Prevention to name a few.
Lisa-Jayne Cook | J&E Hall
Keen to progress I moved onto a new company where I was put through an apprenticeship program. I studied for a Level 3 BTEC in Building Services Engineering on day release.
Using my working days to learn more about the fundamentals of refrigeration and to gain some hands-on experience in the factory, brazing and assembling commercial coolers.
I completed my apprenticeship with a Double Distinction, finishing top of the class and showing my male peers that’s girls can do just as well as boys (and often better). I received a Governor’s Award from College and made the final top 10 for RAC/IOR Student of the Year awards 2004.
I am grateful to the strong role model l had in my mother (also an engineer). She taught me to have confidence in my knowledge and to never give up on what I love. Her influence has propelled me through a career I am passionate about. Some days are more challenging than others, but with every challenge, I grow stronger and more confident in my abilities.
Fast forward 20 years from the start and I am still here, enjoying the career I've built. I've moved from airside product design to complete system design, and still love every bit of the job as much as I did all those years ago. Extremely proud to have been elected onto the Board of Trustees at the Institute of Refrigeration during 2019. A fantastic opportunity to really make a difference within our industry.
Sarah Pickett | Inmarsat
From a young age Sarah has been fascinated by space technology and how satellites can be used to improve life here on Earth.
Inspired by their mission to bring connectivity to those even in the most remote areas, Sarah joined Inmarsat having completed her MSc in Space Engineering with distinction from the University of Surrey. Prior to this she attended Swansea University where she achieved a First class Bachelor's degree (BEng) with honours in Aerospace Engineering (with additional focus on space engineering). Alongside her studies, Sarah served with the Royal Air Force University of Wales Air Squadron and captained her hockey team.
As part of Inmarsat’s graduate scheme Sarah has gained a range of experience in several different departments, starting in our Product Group working with our Maritime Business to explore how we can combine new technology with our existing L-band terminal to improve the lives of crew members at sea and keep them connected to their friends and families at home. Following this, Sarah moved into a role as a Software Developer working in the Network Software Support Group building a software bridge to enable the relevant teams to access real time data.
In October 2019, Sarah joined the Spacecraft Analyst team and has since been working on the development of scenarios in our spacecraft simulators, which will be used for the purpose of training and procedure testing. Sarah’s work on the simulators is helping the team to be better prepared for spacecraft operations, to train new recruits faster, and to conduct procedure testing much more easily.
In addition to the day to day rotational work Sarah is a valued and well respected individual within the early careers programme. She has shown great commitment to our STEM outreach programme and regularly visits local schools and participates in our School Insights day to promote STEM and careers within our industry and in particular to inspire girls to continue to study STEM subjects beyond GCSE. As part of this programme she has also designed and lead assemblies on building and launching satellites tailored to the relevant age groups and designed activities for young people. She has, as part of this also trained other graduates in the delivery of these sessions.
Outside of work Sarah sits on the Satellite Technical Network’s executive committee for the Institute of Engineering (IET). This group consists of approximately 20 people who come together quarterly to organise events in the industry for students, apprentices or professionals interested in engineering, specifically within the Space industry.
Sarah has also been involved in a charity that we work closely with (Team Rubicon) who offer disaster response support in both the UK and internationally. Sarah completed domestic and international training within a year of joining Inmarsat which means she could be called upon to support any global disaster relief effort.
Fareeha Usman | Being Woman
Fareeha is the founder of Being woman, a registered charity working towards to educate and empower women with the skills and confidence to challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination in the society.
She is a multi-talented personality, a Kathak artist and motivational speaker. She is also a human rights activist who never gave up on life despite the devastating injuries and complications that she went through. Fareeha is the survivor of a car accident which left her a widow at a very young age. This does not end here and due to the societal pressures she was married again when she could hardly walk within 2 years of the traumatic accident. Her problems did not end here and she was tortured and abused by her husband and she was the victim of marital rape. She stood up for her rights and stayed strong. Fareeha chose not to carry on with an existence of wretchedness and disillusion after her mischances in her life. She discovered her inward quality by restoring the people and leadership skills inside her after her loss of motion and physical and mental distress that she went through prior. She broke all shackles of physical handicap and rises above to accomplish her fantasies to continue with her dancing and partcipated in reality tv shows in Pakistan and have performed for various charities in UK. Her speciality demonstrates her resilience and motivation in life which helped her to beat her feelings of dread. She has spread awareness and have developed programmes around mental health and gender based violence and discrimination in Pakistan. She has been actively promoting digital and social inclusion in Northumberland through her work and is one of 100 Tech Up Women Programme by Dr Sue Black and now is the ambassador of the programme. She strongly vouch for the promotion of equality and diversity and supports asylum seekers and refugee women and families in Northumberland. Fareeha is additionally a motivational speaker. Starting at now, she has given motivational chats on various stages, for example, Share and Learn events held by Goodthings foundation and was also a speaker at Digital Evolution conference in London at BT centre. She is writing a book to empower women through her story and an ambassador for Gender equity! She believes that "we are the sheroes of our own life stories and sheroes never give up!
Katie Burnell | Amey
Katie joined Amey in 2011 as a graduate and she now leads their Amey Consulting Highways Design Team in Birmingham.
Her team of c. 100 technical professionals deliver civil engineering projects across the UK and overseas, specialising in highway civils, structural civils and project management of major highway improvement projects.
Katie has a demonstrated history in leadership, programme management and change management within the highways industry and within civil engineering consultancy and has recently achieved her PG Cert in Leadership in the Roads Sector and her CMI Chartered Manager status.
Katie is committed and passionate about encouraging and inspiring talent into STEM related careers and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of professionals. For the past 18 months Katie has held a place on the Highways England/Coventry University Roads Academy Programme as an Advisory Board member helping to shape and influence the programme and ultimately shape the emerging and future leaders of the Highways Industry.
Katie is passionate about the development of those around her and has introduced an Account level mentoring and training programme to expand the skillset and professional development of her teams, focussed on growing talent. She has established, introduced and delivered a communications strategy that is business leading improving employee engagement scores year on year.
Additionally, Katie is also committed to supporting her community and volunteers at the Birmingham Central Foodbank to support those in their time of need.