Institution news
Carol has enjoyed a distinguished engineering career of over 30 years in the automotive industry, and is one of the longest serving female members of the Institution in the North West, having joined a Monitored Professional Development Scheme while a student on her sandwich course at Bath University in the 1970s. She started her career as a student apprentice at Leyland Truck & Bus, returning there as a Test Technician on graduation, before progressing to a role as research engineer in Advanced Manufacturing for simulation and robotics.
Moving on to Eaton Ltd in 1985, she found her true calling as a project engineer. In the course of her 25 years at Eaton, she progressed from roles such as Chief Engineer for both heavy duty transmissions and medium duty transmissions to a final position of Engineering Manager Europe from 2002-2009, leading and working with engineering teams in multiple facilities across Europe, USA, South America and Asia-Pacific.
As Principal of her own consultancy, CGH Solutions, since 2010, she has been an Engineering Business Consultant working for a Technology Strategy Board consortium within the Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform, as well as undertaking other grant funded projects.
Carol has been Chief Executive of the NAA since April 2010, shortly before the abolition of the Northwest Development Agency which funded it.The NAA has a growing paid membership base: with more than 100 companies signed up to its ERDF-supported Business Excellence programme, it is managing the STRIVE AMSCI project, in which Bentley Motors is a key partner, and is a member of the Car for Young Drivers consortium, a Technology Strategy Board project. Despite challenges, Carol has led the NAA through a period of successful growth and has secured a number of high profile projects for the organisation.
For the Institution, Carol is the Chair of the Professional Development Standards Committee; sits on the Qualifications and Membership Board, North West Automobile Division Committee and North West Regional Council, and is both a Monitored Professional Development Scheme Panel Member and a visitor for the Support Network.
On receiving the news about being awarded an OBE, Carol commented: “I am delighted to receive this award and regard it as a huge honour.”
“At a time when we are looking to encourage more women to enjoy careers in engineering and to join boards of directors, I hope that the recognition that I have received will help to inspire other women to get into the profession and into boardrooms. Having CEng FIMechE on my business card has demonstrated my credentials and capabilities, and ensured that they are understood and recognized within the profession. I have always felt passionately that if you are a female engineer working for a vehicle manufacturer and have the drive to do well, there are no restrictions to succeed.”
“The award was a recognition of my services to the automotive industry, and of course the voluntary work I have done on behalf of the Institution through the Automobile Division Committee, the North West Regional Committee and to support professional engineers is an essential part of that.”
“My main focus over the last few years has been to help with the growth of the North West’s automotive industry, and it is gratifying that this effort has been acknowledged. There is still plenty more work to be done and in 2014 I look forward to building on the base that we have developed in order to further capitalise on the strengths of the automotive industry in the region.”