Joanna Lyon

"A large part of my role is to understand the problem clearly and to think creatively to come up with a solution. I can’t do this by myself and I get to work with a wide range of people, which makes the job more interesting. These are all ‘Coach’ characteristics. I also need to be able to explain our ideas to a lot of people in ways that they will understand, tell the story behind the project, be diplomatic and lead the project team so that everyone is clear on their own role and contribution – I’m an ‘Influencer probably most of all. I’m also a ‘Quality Controller’. Whilst those words don’t at first sound like me, it really means that have a sense of fair play, I like honesty and I am trustworthy. I like to keep people safe – this is always our first consideration in engineering. But I’m also curious and like to challenge the ways things have always been done, to keep improving."

"I joined a civil engineering company and as a new engineer I spent time learning how to design structures and new roads, carry out transport planning and environmental assessments, and spent some time on a construction site, making sure things got built according to plan. I chose to specialise in transport planning and eventually became an Expert Witness, giving evidence at Public Inquiries about the impacts of proposed developments on existing roads and towns. Lots of my time was spent working out solutions and talking to a wide range of people. I managed a team of 60 people and was responsible for everything about that business, from making money and doing a good job for our clients, to making sure my team were happy and were learning in their jobs. I now lead large teams of up to 80 people working to get planning permission, design and build a new bridges and roads in the UK. These are major infrastructure schemes that can really make a difference to people’s lives and create new opportunities in local communities. The size of these schemes means that we consider the environmental impacts of the design and think how we can design for the future and climate change. My varied background helps me to understand the different work of the team."

"My Dad was the one who helped most with my schoolwork when I was young and encouraged me to study. He died when I was 13. After that, I spent more time with my Grandad. He didn’t change what we did just because I was a girl. He’d get me changing brake pads on the car or building a garden wall with him. At school, I was naturally better at maths and science than history or arts and no one told me this was unusual. I was lucky to be supported to do whatever I was most interested in. As I did my ‘A’ levels my uncle, who owned an engineering consultancy, took me around university engineering departments and also gave me a summer job, so I could see what engineering was about. He really encouraged me to believe that this was something I could do and showed me the fun side of it. I chose to do a degree in Engineering Science which was a good, broad foundation for my career."

"I love getting outside and enjoying the scenery. I go for walks and take a lot of photographs, some of which I frame and put up round the house. I also enjoy cycling, swimming and running. I’ve done some triathlons and last year swam Windermere from end to end, which is 10.5 miles! I also enjoy travelling and particularly love visiting the American south-west. I have a pilot’s licence which has allowed me to do some interesting things – like fly myself past the NASA buildings at Cape Canaveral! When I’m relaxing, I love reading books, particularly action adventure novels, and playing guitar. "

"My days usually starts with me checking emails for anything new that has happened or that people need me to help with. I spend a couple of hours a day in meetings, which can be with my project team, my business directors or with clients. I need to keep in touch with my project team by internet, because we are spread across the UK, so getting together is quite difficult and expensive. I make sure that they have all the support they need to do their job well and also check that we are delivering what the client is expecting. I often travel to our clients’ offices, perhaps 3 days a week, although the last year has proved that these meetings can also work just as well by video, so I hope that in the future I can travel a little bit less often. Otherwise, I work under my own direction, to prepare or review reports, create and update project programmes and keep an eye on project finances to ensure we are delivering what we have promised within the agreed budget. I use messenger a lot to keep in touch with people and for quick updates, or phone them if possible in preference to long emails. If any of the team are going out of the office, perhaps to do site surveys, I ensure that they have done risk assessments and that we have method plans in place to keep them safe."

"12 ‘O’ Levels covering maths and all of the sciences, English literature, French, Latin, Geography and History. I studied everything because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so this kept my options open. ‘A’ Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I was better at these and liked them. Still didn’t know what I would actually do. Masters Degree in Engineering Science. I finally realised that I liked understanding ‘how’ and ‘why’, and that I would like to be able to apply my knowledge in real-life, so Engineering seemed a good choice. This course meant that I learned about all types of engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, thermodynamics…still keeping my options open!Chartered with the Institute of Transport and Logistics and a member of the Institution of Highways and Transportation. "