Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering

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In 2016 the Women's Engineering Society (WES), in collaboration with the Daily Telegraph , produced an inaugural list of the United Kingdom's Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering, [1] which was published on National Women in Engineering Day on 23 June 2016. [2] [3] [4] The event was so successful it became an annual celebration. The list was instigated by Dawn Bonfield MBE, then Chief Executive of the Women's Engineering Society. [5] In 2019, WES ended its collaboration with the Daily Telegraph and started a new collaboration with The Guardian newspaper. [6]

Contents

Since 2016 a new theme has been used each year to showcase the variety of roles within the engineering industry and champion even more women engineers. The themes have been as follows:

2016 Winners: Most Influential Women in Engineering

The judging panel [8] was chaired by Dawn Bonfield MBE, and included Leon Krill from the Daily Telegraph, Allan Cook CBE, chairman of Atkins, Professor John Perkins, author of the Engineering Skills Survey from the University of Manchester, [9] Fiona Tatton, editor of Womanthology [10] and Michelle Richmond, director of membership and professional development at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. [11]

2017 Winners (Theme: Most Influential Women in Engineering Under 35)

The judging panel included Dr Pete Thompson, CEO, NPL, Gillian Arnold, director, Tectre, Clare Lavelle, associate director, Arup, John McCollum, head of Engineering, BAE, Benita Mehra, WES President, Kirsten Bodley, WES CEO, Isobel Pollock-Hulf, WES Patron. [12]

2018 Winners (Theme: Returners and Transferrers)

A celebration of the 2018 Top 50 Women in Engineering at the Royal Academy of Engineering WE50 2018.jpg
A celebration of the 2018 Top 50 Women in Engineering at the Royal Academy of Engineering
Close up of Top 50 Women in Engineering award winners WE50.jpg
Close up of Top 50 Women in Engineering award winners

[13]

2019 Winners (Theme: Current and Former Apprentices)

The event was held at the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2019 and the Women's Engineering Society moved to collaborate with the Guardian newspaper, who published a supplement containing details of the winners on the 24 June 2019 to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2020. [14] [15] The date also marked 100 years since the formation of the Society. The judging panel consisted of Head Judge Dawn Fitt OBE, Bedford College, Dawn Childs, President, Women's Engineering Society, Julie Dakin, Mott Macdonald, Elizabeth Donnelly, CEO, Women's Engineering Society, John McCollum, BAE Systems, Alex Walker, Ford, and Will Whittow, the WES Men As Allies winner 2017, and senior lecturer at Loughborough University.

2020 Winners (Theme: Sustainability)

In 2020 the Women's Engineering Society moved away from what women engineers are to what women engineers do and called for nominations for the Top 50 Women in Sustainability. The winners were announced during a live webinar on the 23 June 2020 to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. The judging panel consisted of Head Judge Sally Sudworth, Environment Agency, Ann-Christin Andersen, Rotork Board Member, Richard Coackley, Past President & Sustainability Leader, Institution of Civil Engineers, Andrew Conway, director of Engineering, BAI Communications, Elizabeth Donnelly, CEO, Women's Engineering Society, Louise Kingham, CEO Institute of Energy, Davide Stronati, Global Sustainability Leader, Mott Macdonald, and Joanna Wood, Group Engineering Director, BAE Systems. [16]

2021 Winners (Theme: Engineering Heroes)

In 2021 the Women's Engineering Society selected the theme of Engineering Heroes to celebrate the women engineers around the world who played a major role in protecting and defending society from the Covid-19 pandemic. Believing the pandemic to be over by the time of the awards, WES also chose to celebrate women engineers who deliver and maintain critical services and infrastructure, keep civic society functioning at every level, and support lives and livelihoods. The winners were announced on The Guardian [17] and Women's Engineering Society's websites [18] on the 23 June 2021 to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. A virtual awards ceremony celebrated each winner during a live webinar on the same day.

The judging panel consisted of Head Judge, Professor Catherine Noakes, Simon Barber, UK Managing Director, Assytem WE50 Sponsor, Dawn Childs FREng, UK Change Director, National Grid, Emma Crichton, head of Engineering, Engineers without Borders, Scott Dalrymple, Vice-President HR, Crane, Elizabeth Donnelly, chief executive officer, Women’s Engineering Society, Neil Gibbs, ABB, Frankie Laugier-Davies, Senior Account Manager, Pareto Facilities Management Ltd, Mark McBride Wright, Equal Engineers, Sarah Mogford, Environment and Planning Divisional Director, RSK, Emma Nicholson, Development Project Manager, SLC Rail, Steff Smith MWES, chief executive officer, Institute of Measurement and Control, and Mara Tafadzwa Makoni, Association for Black Engineers (AFBE). [19]

2022 Winners (Theme: Inventors and Innovators)

In 2022 the Women's Engineering Society selected the theme of Inventors and Innovators to celebrate the women engineers who demonstrated the creation or improvement of a product or process that makes a difference. The winners were announced on The Guardian and Women's Engineering Society's websites [20] on the 23 June 2022 to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. The awards were planned to be given at a ceremony at the Institution of Civil Engineers on the same day, but a rail strike on the same day, resulted in its postponement.

The judging panel consisted of the following:

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References

  1. ↑ "Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering List 2016 | Women's Engineering Society". Wes.org.uk. 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  2. ↑ "Top 50 Women in engineering". Telegraph.co.uk. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  3. ↑ "Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering List 2016". School of Mechanical Engineering. University of Leeds.
  4. ↑ "Top 50 Women in Engineering List Revealed". IOM3.
  5. ↑ "Dawn Bonfield MBE, CEng, FIMMM, FICE, FWES | Women's Engineering Society". Wes.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  6. ↑ "Top 50 Women in Engineering 2019" (PDF). The Guardian. 2019-06-23. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  7. ↑ "The Top 50 Women in Engineering #WE50 | Women's Engineering Society". www.wes.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  8. ↑ "2016 winners". INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  9. ↑ "Engineering skills: Perkins review - Publications". GOV.UK. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  10. ↑ "Womanthology". Womanthology. 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  11. ↑ "Executive team". The IET. 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  12. ↑ "2017 winners". INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  13. ↑ "The 2018 Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) in Association with The Telegraph". Women's Engineering Society. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  14. ↑ "The 2019 Top 50 Women in Engineering: Current and Former Apprentices (WE50)". Women's Engineering Society. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  15. ↑ "Top 50 Women in engineering" (PDF). The Guardian. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  16. ↑ Smith, Claire (2020-06-23). "#INWED20 | Civil engineers lead the field as Top 50 Women in Engineering revealed". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  17. ↑ Fuller, Georgina (2021-06-22). "'They've kept the power on': 2021's top 50 women in engineering – the full list". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  18. ↑ "The 2021 Top 50 Women in Engineering: Engineering Heroes (WE50) | Women's Engineering Society". www.wes.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  19. ↑ "Engineering Heroes – The 2021 Top 50 Women in Engineering #WE50 | Women's Engineering Society". www.wes.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  20. ↑ "The 2022 Top 50 Women in Engineering: Inventors and Innovators (WE50) | Women's Engineering Society". www.wes.org.uk. 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
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