Welcome

It’s been a busy week!

A mix of client meetings, webinars, and preparation for an upcoming training delivery, with some exciting work taking shape behind the scenes. It’s been great to see momentum building across a number of areas, with lots of thoughtful conversations and ideas starting to come together.

I’ll share more on that next week.

Conference Reflections: Engineering for Communities

Last week I mentioned attending the Annual Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Conference: Engineering for Communities, hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering. It was a powerful day with a clear and consistent message running throughout.

The conference opened with remarks from Dame Tamara Finkelstein and a compelling reflection from Dame Judith Hackitt on psychological safety in engineering, a theme that continues to surface again and again in conversations across the sector.

Because the reality is simple.

You can design the most advanced systems in the world… but if people don’t feel safe to speak, the system will still fail.

One of the standout moments was the panel discussion on “Safe to speak: Turning voice into value”, chaired by Rachel Skinner, with insights from leaders across NATS, Medtronic and the Women’s Engineering Society. The conversation reinforced something I often speak about through The SAFE Leader work:

Voice is a safety system.

When people feel able to challenge, question and share concerns, organisations become stronger, more resilient and more innovative.

The micro-presentations and workshop discussions also pushed the conversation further, particularly around how we move from intention to real, systemic change within engineering organisations.

My biggest takeaway from the day is one I keep coming back to:

Inclusion isn’t separate from safety, it’s fundamental to it.

If we want better engineering outcomes for society, we have to build environments where people feel heard, respected and empowered to speak.

EqualEngineers Student Summit 2026

We’re excited to be partnering with the UCL Centre for Engineering Education to deliver the EqualEngineers Student Summit 2026, a fully funded, two-day residential bringing together students and recent graduates from across the UK.

📍 Aston Conference Centre, Birmingham
📅 21–22 April

This summit creates space to explore some of the most important shifts shaping engineering today, from AI and complex systems risk to ethics, psychological safety and the transition from university into industry.

Participants will engage in honest discussions, reflect on their own readiness for the workplace, analyse real-world system failures, and contribute to shaping what future engineering education should look like.

We are inviting applications from both final-year students and recent graduates across a wide range of disciplines, and we are particularly keen to hear from those with diverse perspectives and lived experiences.

First Event Delivered!

As you may know, this year we’ve been building partnerships with a number of Professional Engineering Institutions.

Yesterday marked an important milestone, our first joint event, delivered in partnership with the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC), with a fantastic level of attendance and engagement.

The session focused on The Role of Engineers in Creating a Safe Environment, exploring how safety is shaped not just by systems and processes, but by everyday behaviours, leadership choices and team culture.

Drawing on The SAFE Leader approach, the discussion created space for reflection, shared experience and practical insights that participants can take back into their organisations.

We’re currently preparing a series of further events with other PEIs, so keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to get involved.

This Week on The SAFE Leader Podcast

This week I sat down with Andrew Brümmer for a conversation about what leadership really looks like in a world being reshaped by AI, shifting expectations and accelerating change.

Andrew challenges traditional ideas of leadership, arguing that the future belongs to those who can think differently, adapt quickly and empower others to do the same. Drawing on his experience as a global operator and advisor, he explores how leaders can move beyond control, avoid decision paralysis and build teams that think independently rather than rely on constant direction.

We also dive into the deeper shifts happening beneath the surface of modern organisations, from navigating generational divides to embracing AI-first thinking, and why trust, autonomy and social awareness are becoming the real levers of effective leadership.

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!