Our industry is currently experiencing a major shift that is seeing more diversity and inclusivity in the engineering sector, better internal policies that allow greater retention and a better work life balance, and greater awareness among students and young professionals about the range of opportunities available in the industry, and the options and routes into work.
Here you will hear from some of the influencers in our organisation who have witnessed and been part of this ongoing transformation, and who are working to encourage more positive change, inspire the new generation of young professionals, and make our industry more inclusive.
Four influencers who are part of WSP Middle East’s Property & Buildings business unit, and who have experienced firsthand the strength and success that comes from an inclusive and diverse team, share their experiences and words of advice.
Sophia Kee – Head of Future Ready, WSP Middle East
“Be the change you want to see, even if no one else around you is doing it. If you can see the potential and it fires you up then just go for it.”
Being flexible and building relationships enabled Sophia Kee to work in many countries and find her passion, now flexible working policies enable her to bring her best to both her professional role and personal life.
During Sophia’s Architectural Technology and Digital Innovation degree, she made a great impression during her placement year with an architectural firm. In 2008 on a backpacking trip to see the world, she met her placement colleagues in Shanghai, secured a job in Hong Kong, and was selected to work in Singapore on the Changi Airport Terminal 4 project.
“Being flexible and building relationships allowed me to work in many countries and find my passion. You never know who you’ll collaborate with later on.”
Noticing the pollution, and the impact buildings have, Sophia completed a master’s degree in Energy and Sustainable Building Design, to help improve that. She then left her Associate Director role to start afresh as a sustainability consultant and worked her way up to her Head of Future Ready role at WSP Middle East.
For Sophia, a workplace that embraces equity is one that trusts and understands everyone’s value and commitment. This means not having to choose between her children and working but having a healthy balance because its about the value she brings to the role, rather than based on being visible on a seat between specific hours. “It’s not all just about work, it’s about the things that light you up. When we feel valued, we are not only more productive, but will go over and above.”
“We produce better work when we have access to stress management options, time for exercise and a break, and when we can enjoy the good things in life like picking your child up from school. It’s a big shift from the previous few hundred years of traditional working and we’re better for it. It’s not ‘produce produce produce’ but ‘how can I enhance my wellbeing? How can I impact others positively?’”
Sophia recently presented at Edinburgh Napier University to provide foresight about potential career paths to second year Architectural Technology students. “We can be good at informing our children about our work, how we can make the world a better place, but there is a lot we can do to empower and inspire graduates and the younger generation.”
“Your life is a continuous learning process. Rather than focusing on what you know, focus on what you can learn.”
Caroline Forbes - Associate Director, WSP Middle East
“Diversity of thought and approach is how we improve and everyone’s contribution to that is key.”
Building an impressive portfolio of international projects has given Caroline brilliant insight and experience that she utilises to empower the future generation.
To professionals entering the industry, Caroline says: “Stay open to opportunities and challenges and don’t be afraid to share your contributions, your ideas are just as valuable as those who have been in the industry for 20 years. It’s easy to set on the path we think we ‘should’ take, but often we grow the most when we explore opportunities that are completely left field.”
Caroline began her career in water and flood risk and joined WSP in 2013, moving quickly from the technical side to managing the design of more complex projects with multiple disciplines. Her career has taken her to London, New York, and Dubai, and seen her manage projects on a large scale with a range of clients, including VVIPs.
“Design coordination and having a more overarching role on projects really drives me, and seeing projects become a reality and open to the public are always highlights.”
Caroline worked on a variety of projects in London that in 2018 landed her an onsite opportunity in New York delivering Moynihan Train Hall – a new midtown-Manhattan train station that became the project she is most proud of due to its challenging nature, the opportunities it gave her to experience new elements of project delivery, and the benefit it provides daily to so many people.
To Caroline, embracing equity means ensuring everyone is empowered to contribute in a way that enables them to excel and feel comfortable in doing so. This means creating environments that recognise, respect, and celebrate each person’s value, views, and backgrounds.
Caroline supports learning programmes to help young professionals find their ambition, increase opportunities, and reach their potential. “We must engage with more educational and youth organisations to improve understanding of our industry and the opportunities available – to highlight there is no limitation on who those opportunities are available to.”
“To embrace equity, we must consistently identify and challenge conscious and unconscious biases in all areas from hiring to project delivery, to how we conduct meetings and conversations, and ensure we’re allowing inclusive policies to be utilised.”
Drew Tinsley – Head of Building Services, WSP Middle East
“WSP is the most diverse company I have experienced, and that is exactly why we are able to provide such a comprehensive approach to solving challenges on all kinds of complex projects.”
Drew’s earlier experience in previous workplaces and during his degree highlighted a lack of inclusivity when it comes to encouraging applicants into engineering roles, driving his dedication to creating positive change.
Throughout his career, Drew’s formative years were spent in male-dominated office spaces, and he found that his experience while studying for a part-time degree highlighted the fact that the industry was lacking when it came to inclusivity and encouraging a diverse range of applicants into engineering roles.
“When I joined WSP in 2015, it did appear that my immediate team was lacking in diversity of thought and approach. I am pleased to say that the women who were in my team from the beginning are still with us now, but I did realise I needed to commit myself towards achieving greater inclusivity and diversity.”
Drew and his team have since been dedicated towards driving positive change by focusing on improved recruitment policies and have achieved a steady balance shift in recruiting and a more diverse team over the last two years.
Drew has also personally mentored student interns, where he supported and challenged their projects and helped them on their journeys towards all receiving first class honours degrees, with most securing full-time roles with WSP. “I think it was as rewarding for me as it was for them. “The university programmes in the UAE for Architectural and Building Services Engineering have been almost exclusively female which was a stark contrast to my university experience in the UK, and their work was exceptionally advanced for undergraduate level.”
“Working with our impressive projects, we often need to identify a wider set of solutions to unorthodox problems and technical challenges. WSP is the most diverse company I have experienced, and that is exactly why we are able to provide a more dynamic approach to solving issues within complex projects.”
Raghda Elkhatib – Project Manager, WSP Middle East
“Change in the industry is happening, do your best to be part of the momentum.”
Raghda initially had some concerns about what the industry would be like, but she has found it very rewarding and now works with students to share advice to help change the perspective and promote inclusion.
Raghda promotes inclusion in the industry by connecting with university students to answer questions and emphasise the importance of celebrating diversity, and she was interviewed in Middle East Consultant’s ‘Women in Construction’ publication.
“We all have a role to play in ensuring equality! Diversity is imperative for success. To narrow the gender gap and reap the rewards, we must show women’s stories to reenforce the message that we can do anything.”
Having always been intrigued by buildings and their influence, Raghda began her career onsite in the Integrated Project Delivery team and is now part of the design process. “Working with WSP enabled me to help deliver iconic projects across the region. The teams I worked with found their success through incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences.”
Raghda believes the main barriers to entering the industry are a lack of awareness about the range of opportunities, inaccurately gender stereotyped roles, and difficulty in achieving a good work-life balance.
“At first I was concerned about a lack of role models and progression too but approaching this industry with an open mind and confidence has been very rewarding. Keep an open mind, be curious and confident. Do not be afraid to step up, be bold in accepting challenges and be willing to admit you don’t always have the answers.”
Raghda encourages businesses to embrace equity by exploring the benefits of supporting employees, such as with childcare responsibilities, and encouraging more organisations to follow to create a more successful, inclusive industry.
“Businesses are making good progress, increasing awareness and striving for equal opportunities – now I’d love to see public and private sectors cooperating to create frameworks to improve diversity and gender balance in future workforces.”
