Did you enjoy school?
I loved my lower and primary school years as I went to a multicultural school where I learned the importance of different cultures and having an open mind. The teachers were positive, inclusive and really supportive, which in turn made me a super positive person. Secondary school was slightly difficult and fascinating as like most kids, I had to self-navigate teenage growing pains, changing schools and expectations for education, exams, sports and relationships. At 16, I moved from Kenya to the UK to do my A-levels, which created another level of complexity.
Being in school grounded me, provided me with stability and created a positive experience when the rest of the moving parts were not in my control. I was fortunate to have some fantastic teachers who encouraged me to be the best even when felt uncertain. My favourite subjects that I still love learning more about are physics, geography and applied maths, and this complemented my creative side.
What qualifications do you have?
I am a chartered civil engineer and hold a Bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Leeds, as well as a Masters in water resource management from Heriot Watt University. From a very young age I have been fascinated by and recall talking to friends and family about the importance of design, technology, engineering and the environment. I think civil engineering brought the best of my creative side, my passion for solving problems and striving towards a better environment.
Has your career path been a smooth transition, a rocky road or a combination of both?
I would not say my career path has been a smooth transition and hopefully continues to be eventful and challenging. There are few areas that I would rather forget and believe these events made me stronger.
After graduation, I started my career on the Stantec (MWH) graduate and mentorship programme, which was brilliant as I was really supported in a male dominated environment. After four years, I applied and became a chartered civil engineer and realised I was fortunate to have managed some fantastic projects which included technology, design, engineering, people management and project delivery. I was interested in other industries and made a decision to see if I could succeed in other sectors including technology.
I realised that by pushing myself out of my comfort zone and asking for help, I have been given the opportunity to work in some excellent industries from water, energy, oil and gas, and mining to the NHS and retail. I realised the key theme in all sectors was technology and people, and being able to bring best practice and learnings from different sectors was a major advantage.
At Axiologik in my role as the utility engagement director, I have 20+ years’ experience with the added advantage of cross sector and industry experience to help utility clients get the best insight.
What is the best career advice you can give to others?
Understanding what is important for yourself and not getting pressured by societal needs and expectations. A key aspect is my work–life balance and having boundaries that I can manage. I work a four-day week and focus on things that are important to me – I volunteer for Otley Action for Older People, go for a run and generally have down time on my free day.
Enjoy the journey and never become complacent – every day will be different so be committed to continuous learning and developing yourself. If you are not learning or it is not challenging, it is time to reflect and move forward.
Respect yourself and others – we all come across different values, behaviours and opinions, which may create frustration. The guidance I received was the importance of not rushing into judging and actually listening and respecting other people’s views.
If you had to pick one mentor, that had the biggest influence on you, who would it be?
As part of the graduate programme, I had a fantastic mentor at Stantec (MWH) called Geoff Chapman who took me under his wing on both the technical and non-technical aspects of work and life. Geoff taught me to believe and respect myself, and the importance of reflecting and learning from mistakes without blaming or pointing fingers. This has made me the person I am now.
From where do you draw inspiration?
In addition to physics and technology, I draw most of my inspiration from sports and adventures. I am particularly inspired by women who have completed epic adventures against all odds and continue to be very humble. People such as Isabella Bird the Yorkshire traveller and, more recently, Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon who just broke the 1,500m world record in Paris. Closer to home, I continue to be inspired by my mum who decided to go to Madagascar at 81 years young on a camping and trekking holiday….and managed to do a Via Ferrata in Gran Tsingy.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced to date?
I would say the biggest challenge for me was deciding to become and work as a chartered civil engineer. As an Asian woman, following a male dominated career and not a typical route was pretty challenging. I recall explaining and trying to convince my family, friends, teachers, lecturers, and work colleagues from a young age why I wanted to do engineering. I believe this has made me resilient, passionate and articulate. I am now a STEM ambassador as I realised the importance of promoting and supporting younger people to follow their dreams.
The second challenge was deciding to expand my career to multi-sector and multi-industry. After four brilliant years, in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis, I decided to leave a permanent role and set up my own project management consultancy as I wanted to take control of my future. I recall working extremely long hours to set my business up and for the last 14 years, I have been fortunate to be able to work with some excellent clients within the utilities (energy and water), retail and logistics, mining, construction, NHS and oil and gas sectors. Every day has brought about a different challenge, but I realised the importance of preparation, asking for help and trusting myself has helped me succeed and be at the top of my game.
What qualities do you feel makes a good leader?
The leaders who have really inspired me have very humbling qualities; they are eager to learn, bring the best of others and are accessible to the team. For me leaders are genuine and empathetic with a clear vision and purpose and can motivate others towards a common goals and ambitions. They are honest when things are going well, and when things are tough, with clear direction and guidance.
From a work viewpoint what has the last 12 months been like?
The last few months have been phenomenal as I have been able to bring three specific interests together within Axiologik – engineering, utility and technology. Over the last few months, I have had the opportunity to expand utility function within Axiologik, promote the importance of technology as a key enabler within the utility sectors and deliver key programmes. I look forward to growing the practice within Axiologik and delivering key technology projects for our clients.
What would you say are the biggest tech-based challenges we face today?
As a STEM ambassador and someone who joined technology at a later stage, I believe the biggest tech-based challenges are skills and the speed of change happening. As an industry, we are not prepared and understand the speed that is occurring now and there is a high risk even the people within the industry will be left behind.
What can be done to encourage more women into the industry?
I am a passionate STEM ambassador for both Civil Engineering and Technology, and working at the grassroots is really important to ensure women are encouraged to see the different opportunities. I have supported a number of initiatives within Axiologik for local schools showing the importance of engineering and technology, and this has been received well.
I am involved with Women in Engineering and Tech mentoring programmes helping new graduates and returning employees on kick-starting their journey within the technology industry. It is fantastic to see more women joining and staying within the industry compared to 20 years ago and hopefully this continues to strengthen as the industry becomes more accessible to women of all cultures.
Give us a fact about you that most other people wouldn’t know.
After graduation, I wanted to become a football referee and coach. I attended the two-day intro course and was the only woman on the course. How things have changed.
