Engineering news
Two of the UK’s most inspirational leaders from the engineering and manufacturing industries were named “First Women” at a high-profile ceremony in London last night.
The annual First Women Awards are held to celebrate the achievements of ground-breaking women from several sectors.
Joanna Kennedy, director, global leader of programme and project management, Arup, was selected as First Woman in Engineering.
Starting out at Oxford University, Kennedy was just one of three girls on a course of over 100 students. Today she has had an inspiring career which has spanned more than 40 years, throughout which she has worked on a number of major engineering projects.
Meanwhile, triumphing in the Manufacturing category was Judith Hackitt, the first female chair of the Health and Safety Executive. Describing her as a “natural communicator and inspirational speaker”, judges felt she was a clear winner for “probably doing more to promote manufacturing and the manufacturing industry in the UK than any other woman”.
Now in their eighth year, the First Women Awards were created by Real Business and the CBI to recognise trailblazing women – from finance and the media to engineering and public service – whose achievements are inspiring future generations. The awards are supported by Lloyds Banking Group.
Fiona Cannon, director of diversity and inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group, said the awards were crucial in showcasing exceptional female talent. She said: “We often read about glass-ceilings limiting women in their careers, but these awards illustrate how women can thrive and lead in even in the most male-dominated of sectors such as aerospace, health and safety and engineering.”
Katja Hall, chief policy director of the CBI, said: “All of this year’s winners are true role models for future generations of women. They are proof that the sky really is the limit when it comes to achieving.”
Matthew Rock, co-founder, Real Business, said: “The discussion about boardroom quotas sometimes diverts attention from the extraordinary, pioneering achievements of many different women across the UK. The First Women Awards are a powerful reminder that Britain's economy, and its companies, are changing fast and for the better, driven often by super-talented, entrepreneurially minded women.”
Other winners of the evening:
- First Woman in Business Services: Jan Flawn, founding chair, PJ Care
- First Woman in Finance: Ellvena Graham, chief operating officer and head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland
- First Woman of the Built Environment: Jane Wernick, director, Jane Wernick Associates
- First Woman in Science and Technology: Lucy Dimes, CEO, UK & Ireland, Alcatel-Lucent
- First Woman in the Media: Nora Senior, executive chair of Weber Shandwick in the UK and Ireland
- First Woman in Public Service: Sarah Weir OBE, CEO, The Legacy List
For more information on the event, visit fwa.realbusiness.co.uk.