Welcome!

It’s been a great week, and as I write this, I’m on my way down to Washington, DC, where I’ll be attending ASME’s Women’s Leadership Workshop. I mentioned this in last week’s newsletter, and I’m excited to finally be heading there, making new connections, and being part of an event that’s all about empowering women in leadership. Looking forward to the discussions and insights that will come from it.

On another positive note, EqualEngineers has secured another new member under our new membership model! This is a fantastic step forward as we continue to grow the business and provide structured support for organisations looking to embed inclusion into their engineering culture. More exciting developments to come!

Enjoy your day!

Speaking at the HSE Half Hour Event

This Friday 21st March at 12:30 GMT, I’ll be joining Laura Aucott and Lauren Howard on HSE Half Hour, a live LinkedIn event focused on safety, culture, and leadership. In this session, we’ll explore why many DEI efforts in engineering fail, not because leaders don’t care, but because they don’t always see how it impacts them directly. Without a clear link to safety, productivity, and business success, inclusion often remains a ‘nice-to-have’ rather than an operational necessity.

I’ll be sharing real-world strategies on how leaders—especially those managing male-majority teams—can take an actionable, safety-driven approach to inclusion. By using familiar safety engineering principles, I make workplace culture tangible for engineers and help them understand, engage, and act on DEI initiatives in ways that align with their expertise.

During my career, I’ve worked with over 1,000 engineers, helped establish 20+ LGBTQ+ networks, worked with executive teams to drive engagement and retention, and launched the Engineering Talent Awards, which continues to highlight industry-leading DEI efforts. I’m looking forward to discussing practical DEI strategies that actually drive engagement and retention.

This session will be live and interactive, so if you have any burning questions, be sure to tune in and ask.

Date & Time: Friday, 21st March, 12:30 GMT

The RICS Podcast

This week, The RICS Podcast released an episode where I joined Tomi Laguda and Scott Pearshouse MRICS for a deep and honest discussion on men’s mental health in construction. Mental wellbeing is a key issue in today’s workplace, and while progress has been made, construction remains a sector where men often struggle to open up about their challenges.

We discussed the major pressures on men’s mental health, how to recognise when someone might need support, and our collective responsibility in shifting workplace culture to prioritise mental wellbeing. Leaders play a crucial role in creating environments where people feel safe, supported, and able to speak up—something that should be as much a priority as physical safety on-site.

This episode also includes a content warning, as we discuss sensitive topics surrounding suicide, with the goal of raising awareness and directing those in need to support resources. If this resonates with you or someone you know, please take a moment to listen and share.

Emma Knowles on Bold Leadership

This week’s The SAFE Leader Podcast features Emma Knowles, Director of Engineering at Britvic PLC, who takes us through her incredible journey from growing up on a dairy farm to leading major engineering projects in the food and drink manufacturing sector.

Emma shares how her rural upbringing shaped her problem-solving mindset, and how she found herself leading a £26M factory build at just 26 years old—a bold leap that defined her career. We discuss inclusive recruitment, the challenges of retaining women in manufacturing, and her commitment to STEM outreach to inspire the next generation.

She also reflects on aligning her career with her personal values, the impact of supportive mentors, and how engineering in fast-moving consumer goods is evolving. Emma’s story is filled with practical insights, leadership lessons, and game-changing advice for anyone carving their own path in STEM.

Let’s connect

Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected.

I love helping organisations where the angle I take with the work I do might help in someway have you make traction in your culture.

Feel free to get in touch here.

Stay SAFE!