Kate’s route to her role as Commissioning Manager started with her love for Lego as a child. Her fascination with building things (after taking them apart), coupled with a keen interest in environmental matters, led her to pursue a science-based degree followed by a Master’s in environmental studies. After graduating, she fell in love with the water industry and has worked her way up in Wessex Water, assuming the role of Commissioning Manager and managing a team of over 20 engineers. She’s a champion of women in the workplace, and as well as supporting others through their own career development pathways has also created opportunities for others by raising awareness of the impact of menopause.

Justine is an engineer for ISS, working as part of the team supporting schools in the City of London. Having started her career in hospitality, she decided to retrain as an engineer. Overcoming setbacks such as illness, she trained as a plumber in a very male-dominated field. Her inspirational story proves how it’s never too late to switch direction, and includes how she found her feet, established herself as a trusted, credible team member and overcame prejudice to become the successful and respected engineer she is today.

In this episode, Ruth meets Chelvi Nava, a renowned engineer and writer, and an advocate for encouraging young people into the world of engineering. With nearly 40 years of experience in engineering in the construction industry, Chelvi is a highly respected engineer and author. Having worked as a structural engineer in the UK and internationally on major infrastructure and building design and construction, she has a wealth of knowledge and insight about the industry. Passionate about encouraging people into the engineering field, she’s a passionate advocate for raising awareness of engineering and inspiring others to consider this varied and diverse career choice.