Institution news
KBR’s Hilary Hill has been named on The Telegraph’s Top 50 Women Engineers list for 2018. She says the recognition of all the women on the list is very positive and will help to inspire the next generation to get into the industry, boosting diversity and inclusion of the engineering sector.
“I’ve tried to be a role model as a senior female in engineering, and any publicity helps with getting the message to a wider audience,” she said. “It is not just to get people to consider coming into engineering, it is showing that women can enter higher levels within the industry as well, and from that point of view this recognition was very important.
“It is very important to have different sorts of role models for people, and this list can help get that message out not just for females coming into engineering, but for anyone looking at the sector as a career.”
Hilary herself comes from a family of engineers and was always destined to follow in her father’s footsteps despite the small proportion of females when she entered engineering some 30 years ago.
“I was one of three females out of 150 people on my engineering course, but engineering was always the route I was going to take,” she said. “I have never looked back, and it has always been interesting, with different challenges and problems to solve. People maybe don't think about engineering as being creative, but it is, and that’s something to highlight to anyone looking at a career in engineering.”
Now a senior figure in the industry, Hilary is keen to give back to those starting out in their careers.
“Helping other people in their careers has always been the most rewarding aspect of the job for me,” she said. “Mentoring is an important role for an engineer to play. There is the technical side of mentoring, but there is also the softer side, coaching and advising people, and that is just as important.”