The Women’s Engineering Society was honoured to have Dame Jo Da Silva, Global Director of Sustainable Development at Arup, give this year’s Caroline Haslett Lecture. One of the 2021 WES Top 50 Women in Engineering, Dame Jo gave a fascinating insight into her experiences in disaster relief work and highlighted the essential role that engineering has to play in transforming lives and building a sustainable future.

The annual event also celebrated the winners of this year’s Karen Burt Memorial Award, Amy Johnson Inspiration Award and Men as Allies Award.

Eleanor Earl, recipient of the Karen Burt Memorial Award, gave an inspirational presentation on her professional journey as a civil engineer specialising in sustainable drainage projects and spoke about the importance of continued learning and growth.

The Amy Johnson Inspiration Award was received by Rose Russell of the Ursuline Academy Ilford. An Art and D&T Technician, Rose has worked tirelessly to inspire and encourage girls of all ages to pursue STEM through extra-curricular activities, creating a support network of aspirational role models and playing an instrumental part in the Ursuline Academy’s improvement plan to remain an Centre of Excellence for STEM.

This year’s recipient of the Men as Allies Award was Dr Andy Palmer, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Switch Mobility. A world-renowned automotive leader, Dr Palmer has championed apprenticeships, acted as a mentor to female engineers, and has driven cultural change in the automation industry through his progressive approach and work on intersectional issues affecting gender.