Devon engineer recognised as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Engineering

Katy Toms, a senior engineer at WSP Exeter and Chair of the board of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South West, has been announced as one of the top 100 Most Influential Women in the engineering sector.

The list, produced by board appointments firm, Inclusive Boards, in partnership with the Financial Times, will be officially released at the Inclusive Boards: Women in Engineering Leadership Conference on October 22nd.

On the same day, Inclusive Boards will also be publishing extensive research into engineering in the UK, as well as the results of their diversity survey of the UK’s top 500 engineering firms by revenue.

Katy has had a love of engineering since she saw a video about the Falkirk Wheel as a child. Soon after joining Plymouth University, where she studied engineering, Katy joined the ICE Student and Graduate Committee, before going on to Chair the Plymouth City Club. Katy was made Chair of the ICE South West board in September 2019.

Katy said :“I am honoured to have been named in this list, which is full of incredible talent. Engineering is a profession that I not only love, but also one that has such a massive impact on the world around us.

“It’s a very exciting time for the industry and it really is for everyone – it’s the perfect mix of technical skills and creativity. Engineering is a fascinating industry to be a part of and I’m keen to open it up even further to the engineers of the future.

“One of my first undertakings as the Chair of the ICE South West Board has been to start a review of ICE’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programme in the south west. This is because I want to make sure that young people, our next generation of engineers, have as many opportunities as possible to discover what careers are available to them. Most importantly, as a society we need to ensure that these opportunities are open to everyone regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity.”

Development Director, Elizabeth Oni-Iyiola, said: “Engineers have an impact on almost every area of our day-to-day lives. Katy and those featured today are role models who inspire those around them and demonstrate leadership and influence in the work that they do.”

Patrick Clarke, Director of Network Operations at UK Power Networks and judge for the list, said: “I am personally inspired but not at all surprised by the tremendous talent on the Women in Engineering list. Sadly, there are still plenty of people who will be surprised due to a mind-set that says engineering equals males not females. I took part as a judge because I wanted to be inspired.”

Those featured in the Top 100 list include senior leaders from top engineering firms such as Amey, Arup, BAE Systems, and Laing O’Rourke.