In the build up to the end of 2020 The Manufacturer and KTN have teamed up to bring you profiles of 30 Inspiring Women in Manufacturing.
This is the final part of our Inspiring Women in Manufacturing series with KTN. Although gender diversity is just one aspect of broadening representation in manufacturing, we feel it’s a good place to start.
During Digital Manufacturing week, we came up with the idea to run this series and spoke with 30 inspiring women in manufacturing who have each enabled change and innovation. We’ve celebrated their achievements, stories and got their words of wisdom to help inspire others follow in their footsteps.
We hope you have enjoyed the series and feel inspired by the women featured.
Claire Holt, Business & Partnership Consultant, Hosokawa Micron
“Be true to yourself :- Keep your individualism, innovation , USP and work ethic.”
Claire is the Business and Partnerships Consultant at Hosokawa Micron Limited , responsible for innovation, development and data driven manufacture. Her Career has spanned Pharmaceutical, Food and Chemical industry sectors and within SMEs, start-ups and in global blue chip organisations through academia and associated spin outs. With extensive experience in process design, commissioning, production, operations, supply, capital expenditure, new product, technology and business development, commercialisation business strategy, planning and evaluation, and multi-functional general business management. Claire has a BSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering and is a Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers and a Chartered Engineer.
Camilla Wigmore, Director, Newton Europe
“My advice for others is make sure you enjoy your work. Engineering and manufacturing careers can present fantastically stimulating, rewarding and fun environments to work in. Do more of what you enjoy, be kind, have fun and make the most of every opportunity that presents itself.”
Camilla Wigmore is a Director at Newton Europe, an organisation working with some of the UK’s largest manufacturers to deliver lasting change and address issues like the UK ventilator challenge and multi-billion-pound defence manufacturing programmes. After studying Manufacturing Engineering at Cambridge Camilla worked first at Rolls-Royce, then as an Operations Consultant at PwC. Over her career she has worked with Engineering and Manufacturing clients in Nuclear, Aerospace, Automotive, Oil and Gas and Medical device manufacturing sectors to optimise their workforce productivity. Moving into industry she then led a manufacturing business in the Midlands as Managing Director. Whilst Camilla managed the organisation it delivered a significant improvement programme, won national awards, and increased the proportion of domestic sales as well as increasing service revenues. All of this achieved before turning 30 and whilst raising two wonderful daughters, Camilla is a passionate advocate for and supporter of women in STEM and business leadership positions.
Philippa Oldham, Strategic Engagement Director, Advanced Propulsion Centre
“You are entering a time of transition when the world is your oyster. Manufacturing is the heart of everything that we use and dispose of – ideally in a sustainable way. Improving the efficiencies of these processes and retaining the value within our products is paramount. However, never feel trapped in one sector – always move when you start to feel comfortable or bored, as other sectors will need your wealth of knowledge and experience to improve and grow their businesses.”
A Chartered Engineer with a wealth of experience gained from motorsport, defence, aerospace and policy development. Philippa thrives on working with a wide range of stakeholders from government, industry and academia to create visionary solutions, with the ability to challenge existing silos across the sectors. Her experience allows her to offer oversight into the challenges faced both locally and internationally within the manufacturing and transport realms. Joining the Advanced Propulsion Centre in January 2018 she uses her experience and knowledge of the UK’s transport modes and infrastructure to support the development of strategies that incubate collaborations. This joining of the dots will help ensure that the UK can develop solutions, and attract the right investment to create, develop and sustain UK supply chains that drive both job creation and exportable products and services to enable the UK to fulfill its net-zero ambition.
Kadine James, CEO & Founder, The Immersive Kind
“Companies can’t afford to lose women leaders – Everything we do during and after this crisis must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, and the many other global challenges we face”
The Immersive KIND is an interdisciplinary collective working with artists, crafting machine intelligence, we work with 3D designers, neuroscientists, AI engineers, data scientists and bio architects. Our model is both fresh and exciting in the arts and in the history of digital counter culture. We are an art and advanced technology organisation that’s focused on providing opportunities for emerging artists, diverse, underrepresented voices, and queer communities to exercise their ideas and their voices. We foster collaborations and have built a 24/7 URLxIRL online community of artists, 3D designers, creatives, and technologists from around the world who use emerging technologies such as, game engine software (Unreal Engine 4, Unity), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and robotics. We are an ecosystem for extended reality (XR) innovation and XR artists that look beyond the immediate environment of contemporary art and pursue tangible impacts elsewhere, setting new standards of technological advancement, sophistication and innovation.
Helen Anderson, Head of Business Improvement, TMD Technologies Limited
“With the digital revolution, the opportunities within Engineering & Manufacturing, to have a fulfilling and continually evolving career that also shapes the future, have never been greater.”
Helen provides technical leadership, vision and experience to identify and implement digital, process & culture improvements, which underpin TMD’s operational efficiency and business goals. Helen championed TMD’s adoption of the prestigious Sharing in Growth programme; an ambitious transformation programme which raised capabilities across the UK aerospace supply chain. Helen has spent her career at the forefront of technology. Initially as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer developing products for leading brands Sony, Nokia, Psion & Sanofi Aventis. Helen has extensive experience of leading diverse teams including 18 months’ in Germany and 18 months’ in the Far East with PA Consulting. Helen is passionate about harnessing ‘Lean’ thinking & technology to design, develop & deliver innovative products to Customers.
Read part one, part two , part three, part four and part five here.
