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, which was published on National Women in Engineering Day on 23 June 2016. 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. In 2019, WES ended its collaboration with the Daily Telegraph and started a new collaboration with The Guardian newspaper.
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:
2025: Together We Engineer 2024: Enhanced by Engineering 2023: Safety and Security 2022: Inventors and Innovators 2021: Engineering Heroes 2020: Sustainability 2019: Apprentices and Former Apprentices 2018: Returners and Transferrers 2017: Most Influential Women in Engineering Under 35 2016: Most Influential Women in Engineering
2016 Winners: Most Influential Women in Engineering The judging panel 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, Fiona Tatton, editor of Womanthology and Michelle Richmond, director of membership and professional development at the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Roma Agrawal CEng, MIStructE, MIET, FRICS structural engineer, associate director, AECOM Professor Helen Atkinson CBE, FREng head of Department of Engineering, University of Leicester Danella Bagnall chief product engineer, Jaguar Land Rover Faye Banks FIET, FCMI, FinstLm, CEng, Cmgr head of operations North East, National Grid Alison Baptiste CEng, FICE, BEng, MSc, MCIWEM director of strategy and investment, Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency Jayne Bryant FREng, CEng, FIET, FWES engineering director defence information, BAE Systems Muffy Calder OBE, FRSE, FREng vice-principal and head of College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow Liv Carroll DIC, CGeol, FGS, FIMMM Chartered Geologist, Geological Society Jacqueline Castle CEng, FIMechE, FRAeS chief engineer A330neo Wing, Airbus UK Amanda Chessell CBE, FREng distinguished engineer, IBM Naomi Climer FREng, CEng, FIET president, IET, Institution of Engineering and Technology Susan Dio chief executive officer, BP Shipping Limited Dr Michèle Dix CBE, CEng, FICE, FCIHT, FCILT managing director, Crossrail 2, Transport for London (TfL) Professor Dame Ann Dowling president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge Elizabeth Eastaugh global head - customer experience, Expedia Dawn Elizabeth Elson CEng, FICE, FIMechE, FRAeS, FWES group engineering director, Merlin Entertainments Group Jane Gartshore FInstR director, Cool Concerns Ltd Professor Lynn Gladden CBE, FRS, FREng Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge Dr Paulina Bohdanowicz-Godfrey director energy and environment, Hilton Worldwide Dame Judith Hackitt CBE, FREng chair, EEF Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE, FRS, FREng director, Web Science Institute, University of Southampton Eur Ing Louise Hardy CEng, FICE, CMgr, FCMI, FWES non-executive director, Sirius Minerals Plc Professor Caroline Hargrove CEng, FIMechE technical director, McLaren Applied Technologies Professor Karen Holford FREng, FWES, FLSW, CEng, FIMechE pro vice-chancellor, Cardiff University Ying Hu manufacturing systems engineer, Rolls-Royce Plc Dame Sue Ion FREng, FRS chair NIRAB, Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board Lady Barbara Judge CBE chairman emeritus, UK Atomic Energy Authority Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE, FREng vice-chancellor and chief executive, Aston University Ailie MacAdam FICE, MIChemE managing director, Europe and Africa, Infrastructure, Bechtel Dr Cathy McClay head of commercial, electricity, National Grid Steph McGovern presenter, BBC Breakfast Linda Miller PEng (US) senior project manager, Bechtel Dervilla Mitchell CBE director, Arup Heidi Mottram OBE chief executive officer, Northumbrian Water Group Alison Nimmo CBE chief executive, The Crown Estate Belinda Oldfield FICE, AMIoW general manager, Scottish Water Chi Onwurah MP, CEng, FIET, FCGI MP, UK Government Isobel Pollock-Hulf OBE, CEng, Hon DSc, FIMechE, FCGI Master, Worshipful Company of Engineers Dr Haifa Ross head of School of Engineering, Solihull College and University Centre Helen Samuels United Utilities Dr Angela Seeney FEI, CEng, CEng, CPet Eng director technology, supply chain and decommissioning, Oil & Gas Authority Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, FEI chief executive, Renewable Energy Association Jane Simpson chief engineer, Network Rail Dana Skelley OBE director of asset management, Transport for London Rachel Skinner CEng, FICE, TPP, MCIHT director of development, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff Dr Debbie Smith OBE, FIFE, CPhys, MInstP managing director, BRE Global Vicky Stewart MIOA, MWED associate acoustic consultant, Atkins Eleanor Stride professor of engineering science, University of Oxford Dr Alison Vincent chief technology officer, Cisco International Ltd Katherine Ward CEng, MICE group head, offshore wind, Atkins
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.
Kimberley Abbott, Customer Innovation & Strategic Growth Developer, Thales UK Dr Nadia Abdul-Karim, lecturer, Cranfield Forensics Institute, Cranfield University Lucy Ackland, Senior Development Engineer, Renishaw plc Pavlina Akritas, Associate, Arup Maela Baker, Civil Engineer, Pick Everard Camilla Barrow, Deputy Project Manager, Bechtel Ltd Chloe Branston, Advanced Apprentice (CAD Designer), Cavendish Nuclear Victoria Brown, Maintenance Apprentice Coordinator, EDF Energy Kerrine Bryan, Chartered Electrical Engineer / Author, Butterfly Books Limited Abi Bush, Technical Advisor, Field Ready Angela Carr, Mechanical Engineer, EDF Energy Kim Cave-Ayland, Control Engineer, UK Atomic Energy Authority Helena Conceicao, Senior Project Manager, Carillion Sophie Dent, Systems Engineer Graduate, BAE Systems - Submarines Priyanka Dhopade, senior research associate, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford Frances Dixon, Construction Manager, Colas Ltd. Louise Ellis, Senior Engineer, Ove Arup and Partners Ltd Ozak Esu, Electrical Engineer, Cundall Lidia Galdino, research associate, University College London Claire Gott, Design Manager and UK Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, WSP Louise Hall, Commercial Services Manager, Environment Agency Nikita Hari, Doctoral Scholar & Social Tech Entrepreneur, University of Cambridge Sophie Harker, Aerodynamics and Performance Engineer, BAE Systems Gemma Holmes, Site Manager, JN Bentley Ltd Jodie Howlett, Product Definition Engineer (Year in Industry Student), Rolls-Royce Abbie Hutty, Lead Spacecraft Structures Engineer, ExoMars Rover, Airbus Nada Issa, Intermediate Mechanical Engineer, ChapmanBDSP Jessica Leigh Jones, Engineer, Sony Lynsey Lennon, Performance Team Leader, Scottish Water Nan Li, Lecturer, Imperial College London Eva Linnell, Senior Engineer, Atkins Susan McDonald, Senior Consultant in Infrastructure & Capital Projects, Deloitte Orla Murphy, Forward Model Quality Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover Áine Ní Bhreasail, Geotechnical Engineer, Arup Kimberley Norris, Systems Engineer, Leonardo MW Ltd Hiteshree (Tesh) Patel, Software Manager, Dyson Victoria Richardson, Structural / Bridge Engineer, Arup Victoria Roots, Senior Systems Engineer, BAE Systems Sharon Ross, Senior Cluster Engineer, Mars Petcare Marie Sebban-Lee, Associate (Environmental), ChapmanBDSP Lauren Shea, Arkwright Scholar/TeenTech Ambassador/A-level Student, Alton Convent School Lara Small, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Rolls-Royce & British Army Royal Engineers Jennifer Stables, Senior Engineer, AECOM Lorna Tasker, Head of Rehabilitation Engineering, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Samantha Thompson, Project Engineer, Dooson Babcock Katy Toms, Infrastructure Engineer, AECOM Elizabeth Waterman, Senior Engineer, PDL Solutions (Europe) Limited Simone Weber, Technical Project Manager at Airbus Helicopters UK and researcher at Cranfield University Dr Catrin Ffion Williams, Ser Cymru Research Fellow, Cardiff University School of Engineering (High Frequency) Amy Wright, Senior Site Engineer, Farrans
2018 Winners (Theme: Returners and Transferrers)
Katie Atkinson, Materials Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover Kate Black, University Lecturer, University of Liverpool Cheryl Blenkinsop, Lead Engineer – Development, SP Energy Networks Emma Booth, Senior Project Manager, Black & Veatch Karen Britton, Technical Director, AECOM Emma Browning, Environment Manager, Scottish Power Renewables Antje Budge, Design Coordinator, Balfour Beatty Samantha Burchell, Operations Manager, UK Power Networks Isobel Byrne Hill, Senior Engineer, Arup Kate Cairns, Founder, Cairns Consultancy Savina Carluccio, Associate, Arup Dr Fiona Charnley, senior lecturer in Circular Innovation, Cranfield University Dr Sarah Chen, Civil Engineer, EDF Energy Dr Lorna Dallas, Graduate Safety Engineer, Babcock International Group Rachael De'Ath, Senior Engineer, Arup/Senior Teaching Associate, University of Bristol Kellie Dillon, Innovation Workstream Lead, UK Power Networks Agata Downey, Engineer, Elliott Wood Karen Friendship, Managing Director, Alderman Tooling Ltd Penny Gowler, Associate Director, Elliott Wood Partnership Ltd Nicola Grahamslaw, Ship's Conservation Engineer, SS Great Britain Trust Hilary Hill, Director of Engineering Operations, KBR UK Ltd Dr Isobel Houghton, Senior Engineer, Atkins Sharon Jones, Eagle Lab Engineer, Barclays Eagle Labs Katie Kelleher, Crane Operator, Laing O'Rourke Louisa King, Project Engineer, Waterco Consultants Keely King, Area Manager—Gas Mains Replacement, Triio Georgina Lockwood, Senior Engineer, Arup Leah Lucien, Graduate Mechanical Engineer, ChapmanBDSP Professor Eur Ing Dr Phebe Mann , Chartered Engineer, Institution of Civil Engineers Stacey Marple, Project Development Manager, Monitor Coatings Ltd Lisa Matthews, Associate, Arup/CEO, HellyHolly Louise Maynard-Atem, Innovation Exchange Lead, BAE Systems Danielle McGrellis, Senior Engineer, Arup Angela McIntosh, Design Project Engineer, SP Energy Networks Carol Morris, Senior Lecturer-Engineering & Innovation, Open University Lisa Montague, Business Intelligence Engineer, BAE Systems Fi Neoh, Senior Consultant, Amey Hayley Oakes, Offshore Project Engineer, ODE Maria Ribera Vincent, teaching fellow, Imperial College London Nicole Saunders, Aviation Consultant, Osprey Consulting Services Ltd Professor Emma Sparks, Head of the Centre for Systems Engineering, Cranfield University Sarah Tattersall, associate, Arup Dr Emma Taylor, Lead Systems Safety Engineer, RSSB Julie Verrill, Junior Technician, Cundall Ruth Voisey, Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Dyson Technology Ltd Catherine Wenger, Director, Arup Tammy Whelan, Apprentice Civil Engineer, Arup Dr Connie Wilson, Senior Systems Engineer, BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships Kate Young, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Skanska Ellie Zemani, Project Engineer, Spirit Energy
2019 Winners (Theme: Current and Former Apprentices)