Out for another evening drive through the streets of Bedworth, near Coventry, Chloe Mann’s dad is listening to the car. He’s an automotive engineer, tuned into the squeaks and rattles around him, the rhythm of the engine or a faint grinding that signals a brake issue.
Next to him, she is fiddling with buttons, pulling bits of tape and asking endless questions about the vehicle he’s brought home from work. “Why is that noise happening? What caused that problem? What’s this for?”
Looking back, Mann, now 29, wonders whether all the questions annoyed her dad, Karl Crutchlow. But speak to her about her journey into engineering and she’s back in the passenger seat, trying to understand how things work.
Towards new engineering frontiers
As lead engineer for innovation at AVL in the UK, Mann’s career has revolved around equipment testing. She’s worked on a test cell large enough for a truck to drive into, but also more compact facilities to put a battery cell through its paces. There have been specialised university rooms, vehicle emissions tests and, more recently, exciting new hydrogen systems.
Mann’s role involves working with sales teams to create individual solutions for customers who want to test an engine, battery or other propulsion system – or need to meet strict international standards and regulations. “We build facilities to test everything from small sensors to a ship’s engine,” she explains.
Traditionally, AVL’s technology has focused on automotive testing. But now, Mann explains, they are moving into new areas: aviation, marine, alternative fuels. New frontiers bring new competition and new puzzles to solve, like how to use existing solutions in innovative new ways.
A surge in AI and automation is also evolving the way testing is being performed: from processing information – digesting and summarising dozens of international regulations, for instance – to baking machine learning into testing software. In the past, tests would be “written” manually, with engineers specifying how long an engine should run, when it should ramp up or when a gear change was needed. Increasingly, these tasks are being outsourced to smart algorithms that support more automated tests.
Find passion, then a path
Mann is passionate about exploring new sectors, like hydrogen. She’s also excited to see the changes automation brings – but is aware of the responsibility that engineers like her carry in certifying to high standards. She’s “cautiously optimistic”, leaning into her curiosity and experimenting with new ways of working. In short, AI still needs to pass her stringent trust test.
“It’s really interesting,” she says. “There is such a wide range of jobs within engineering, beyond just making or mending things. There’s problem solving and sales; you can dig down into the details or go broad. When I speak at schools or networking events, I always remind people about this.”
Another piece of advice Mann likes to share is that it’s fine to not have a set path planned through an engineering career.
“It’s OK to not know what you want to do with your life. At school, I knew what I enjoyed and where my interests were, but I didn’t have a goal in mind. What you’re doing now is not your final destination.”
While at school, she was drawn to maths and science, but also to art and design. When she applied to universities, the courses she selected ranged from chemistry all the way through to accounting. In the end, she followed in her father’s footsteps and secured a six-year degree apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover.
These six years took her on a ride through the fundamentals (from engine rebuilds to CAD design) and towards working in specialised fields of testing and measurement, particularly in emissions. She worked with manufacturers and international teams flying in from China, Brazil or India to oversee tests.
A year after earning her applied engineering degree, opportunity knocked and Mann joined AVL. By then she was also an IMechE member, having been introduced to the organisation early on in her apprenticeship.
Like father, like daughter
While studying and working, Mann was nominated for and won several engineering awards. Many recognised the role women play in engineering or celebrated rising stars in apprenticeship schemes. But perhaps her proudest moment came when she received the Freedom of the City of Coventry in 2023. Freemen, as they are called, are awarded this title upon completing at least five years as an apprentice, working within the city boundary.
The ceremony itself involves visiting the council chambers, being formally inducted by the local mayor and receiving an “old-fashioned scroll” as your name is added to the register.
“This was something I was really proud of as it was local to me, and because it’s something my dad achieved when he did his apprenticeship, also in Coventry.”
Mann may work for an international company, but her heart has stayed local. Recently married, she lives in a small village with maybe 150 residents. She takes her dog, Ranger – a white Swiss shepherd – for long walks through the countryside. She’s an assistant church warden and bakes to support the coeliac community (anyone who’s tried to bake without gluten knows this requires a lot of dedication). And when she wants to visit her parents, it’s just a short drive away.
To nominate an IMechE member making a difference, email profeng@thinkpublishing.co.uk
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.