Caitlin Richardson
Head of Rolling Stock at Mott MacDonald
Mindset is hugely important. If you want to do it, do it, and don't let others put you off. There is so much flexibility in the field of engineering that there will always be interesting things to learn. Be prepared (and flexible enough) to take opportunities and don't be scared to say if you find that they aren't a good fit for you. I have tried a few things but decided that it wasn't right for me, so moved sideways into something else. Those experiences will still be useful (nothing is wasted effort).
About Caitlin...
Who am I?
"My Trainer and Coach personalities are great and reflected in my interest in supporting and developing people. They allow me to manage teams and develop people effectively."
What do I do?
"I manage a team of Engineering Specialist Consultants who deal with Rail vehicles (Trains, trams etc). This team can be involved in repairing vehicles or advising clients who are buying new rail vehicles. Siemens work both in the UK and Internationally. Being able to deliver a new fleet of trains to a customer and see them go into passenger service for instance, is very rewarding. I also do finance control work and project management as well as work as a technical specialist. There are further opportunities to progress further within Mott MacDonald.I do get to travel with work and so far I have been to Australia, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands."
How did I get here?
"After graduation, I worked as a design engineer for several companies, gradually gaining experience and responsibility. I then became a Project Engineer taking wider responsibility for a team delivering larger scale projects. I moved to an Engineering Consultancy becoming a Principal Engineer where I did a more financial project management alongside my technical work. I was then appointed to my current role based on my experience and performance. My motivation has always been to learn constantly and apply that knowledge. I didn't have a role model when I was starting my career, but during my career, I found a previous manager to be a role model in terms of how to inspire and lead a team. I also made a friend through a shared hobby who became a role model for succeeding as women in engineering management."
The life I live
"I play musical instruments and like to meet up with friends!"
My typical day
My qualifications
"I could be reviewing technical documents or putting together or reviewing proposals for new work. I may be doing financial control work on projects or going out to meet clients. I might be dealing with more office-based issues such as staffing concerns.The variety and being able to contribute to making the business and the people a success are what I enjoy most."