As the President of IStructE, it is an honour to champion the structural engineering profession and the innovative, purposeful work we all do.
In my inaugural lecture, I spoke about Engineering with Purpose, sharing my passion for the human side of structural engineering. I shared how community and collaboration can power up our connections, to create and deliver amazing projects and steer us in directions we may not have considered.
Engineering with purpose is both individual and collaborative. It is about enhancing our personal capabilities, and leveraging our expertise. It also involves embracing lifelong learning and professional evolution – both are essential for our profession to progress and thrive, especially due to accelerating and unprecedented change.
Mentoring plays a part in making all this happen. That’s why my presidential mission has included a focus on mentoring. I believe mentors can define and deliver a new purpose for mentees, helping them to reach their full potential.
I’m therefore thrilled that IStructE has launched a new mentoring programme called Elevate, designed to focus on career advancement and personal development.
A lifelong journey of learning and growth
My career has been anything but linear. Like many of us, I’ve faced opportunities, challenges, and unexpected turns that shaped my career. I now understand the importance of mentoring as part of my lifelong learning.
Early in my career, I reached a level of technical confidence that felt like a milestone. However, I realised that I still had much to learn—after all, structural engineering is all about continuous development and learning.
Mentoring can accelerate knowledge and development, both as a mentor and mentee. Whether it’s understanding the latest advances in sustainable design, or assessing how to incorporate AI into my work, mentoring has provided me with the insights and support I’ve needed to stay ahead.
Mentoring: more than just technical knowledge
For me, mentoring goes beyond the traditional image of an experienced professional imparting wisdom to a younger colleague. I see mentoring as a two-way exchange.
I’ve had the honour of learning from younger engineers, especially about emerging technologies and innovative approaches to design. This reverse mentoring has helped me to recognise and build on my strengths.
Mentoring should extend beyond technical skills, as it’s also about strengthening human connections, of sharing knowledge and insights to support a mentee to achieve their goals.
Ours is a truly inspirational profession. Yes, it is about technical expertise, calculations and codes – but it’s also about creativity, collaboration, and positively impacting the world by creating safe, purposeful and functional structures. Mentoring plays a critical role in ensuring that we don’t lose sight of these aspects of our work.
A commitment to mentoring at IStructE
As President, I want to ensure that every structural engineer has access to the support, knowledge, and guidance needed to succeed, whether they’re just starting or are well-established in their careers.
I think Elevate will achieve this, as it is designed to support members wherever they are in their career or on their membership journey with the Institution. Elevate is about reaching the next level professionally, and to foster a deeper sense of community and connection within our profession.
I believe Elevate will play a crucial role in shaping the future leaders in our industry—those who not only excel technically, but also understand the importance of giving back and supporting others.
A commitment to EDI
Furthermore, Elevate also reinforces IStructE's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) by ensuring that it is accessible and beneficial to all members, regardless of background or experience.
By pairing mentors and mentees from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, Elevate will foster a culture of inclusivity where different perspectives are valued and celebrated.
This approach enriches the mentoring experience, and strengthens our profession by promoting a more diverse leadership pipeline. It ensures that the structural engineering community reflects the broad spectrum of talent, and viewpoints necessary for its continued growth and innovation.
Join Elevate
Clearly, I’m a mentoring advocate because it’s helped me, both as a mentor and mentee, to become a design and business leader. It’s driven me to overcome knowledge barriers, and I am sure that Elevate as it grows and develops will do the same.
I’m committed to ensuring that Elevate becomes a key part of IStructE’s offer to members at all levels, regardless of the stage they are in their career. Elevate will help us become a more inclusive and innovative structural engineering community. Together through mentoring, we can truly elevate the profession to new heights.
Find out more about Elevate and mentoring here: https://www.istructe.org/training-and-development/mentoring/