Victoria Sharpe

"My personality types came up as coach, developer and manager which perfectly match my role as a managing director of an engineering company, and as a hockey coach and captain in my home life!As a managing director, I manage and coach my team by listening to their needs, provide motivation by giving targets, and provide praise and thanks when we achieve our goals. When we miss our goals, I provide encouragement and work with the team to figure out how we can improve.As a leader in an engineering company, I work with the team to develop new applications for our products as a result of working with our customers. I develop new and more efficient manufacturing processes as a result of analysing the time processes take, the data (including mistakes and repeats) recorded throughout the processes and keeping up with the latest technologies."

"I am a chartered mechanical engineer working in the medical device industry. I design and develop implants to save and improve lives. This involves working with surgeons to understand their needs, complying with strict rules governing the sale of medical devices, and demonstrating that the product performs safely as well as developing an efficient, repeatable manufacturing process."

"On graduating from mechanical engineering, I became a development engineer developing and testing products. I then progressed to a more senior role where I led engineering projects before becoming an engineering manager leading teams of engineers. As a result of the experience gained in these roles, I now use my knowledge and skills to run a medical device company.In order to get to this position, I have worked for several different medical device companies, and have taken up engineering positions in other engineering industries including automotive, shipping, electronics and mechanical. This has given me a broader understanding of how products are developed while still using the same key skills."

"I am mother of two children, play hockey for my local club, and a member of a book club. I have played hockey for over twenty years, made countless friends, met my husband playing it, chaired the club, coached juniors, and have been team captain. It's a great sport, where there is very little to separate the genders in terms of ability and achievement.The book club serves as interesting compliment to my career where I meet with others who love using literature to understand why people are the way they are, rather than seeing everything as machine which can be defined by a few key equations."

"My day to day work involves supporting and planning manufacturing activities, planning product and process testing, reviewing and writing technical reports, reviewing business accounts, selecting suppliers, and planning and implementing the marketing and business strategy. I also spend time with individual team members to check they have all the tools needed to do their job."

"A levels: Maths, Physics, German and Spanish Degree: Mechanical Engineering with Study in Continental Europe at University of Bristol Chartership: IMechE (5 years post graduation)Fellowship: IMechE (20 years post graduation)"