Q: Work-life balance is important at Trigon, what is your ‘go to’ recharge activity, Irene?

Lockdown reignited a love of hiking for me.  Connecting to nature has always been important, especially living in London but so has socialising.  So, I joined a social hiking group.  There is something very soul enhancing about talking to people on a walk.  You don’t know each other at the start, there’s no expectations or preconceptions and it can be very uplifting and insightful.  

I also love Chinese and Thai TV dramas.  Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Romance are my go-to! 

Q: You enjoy travel Irene, what’s the next dream destination?  

China.  I’ve always wanted to go and have been learning the language for a while.  I’m all booked and travelling with a friend who used to live there.  I’m most excited about meeting up with her parents – doing what the locals do, getting off the beaten track.  

It’s South Korea after that!   I’m working my way around the world.  

Q: What do you consider your biggest achievement?  

Making the decision, as a teenager, to leave my home and family in Spain to attend school in France.  I was far from fluent and suddenly all my lessons were in French – a steep learning curve, but I enjoyed the challenge!  

Career wise, it is without doubt receiving Chartered Engineer status last year. I’ve spent my whole career working towards it and it is hugely recognised throughout the industry.  

Q: As a child, what did you want to be growing up and what influenced this?

A diplomat.  It ticked all the boxes for me – making a difference and travelling the world.  

Then you get to that age about 16 when you must make the decision of what you will spend your life doing. So, I sat down with my family to discuss all the options. One by one – on a simple yes, no and maybe basis. My mother and cousin are engineers, and I could see that as an area where I could make a difference too. My cousin sold me into the idea of dam design which would allow me to work, and have a positive impact, in developing countries. In reality, I went from ‘Water’ to ‘Fire’, but that started the journey into engineering.  

As part of my civil engineering degree at the University of Edinburgh, I ended up specialising in Fire Safety.  I was just lucky to have some really inspiring professors who started my interest.  

Q: What inspires you most about being a Fire Safety Engineer?      

It’s still quite young as a field and that really motivates me as it’s an area and industry I can have an impact on.   There are many idiosyncrasies with it in a way that I want to explore.  You have the reality of historic fires, modern research and guidance trying to catch up with that.  

I love that everyone can influence the area.  It requires an understanding of the psychology of people, especially their unpredictable behaviour in emergencies.  That’s really fascinating.  

You also need to be logical and have strong negotiation skills.  There are always lots of varying views from multiple disciplines, piles of guidance to decipher and not everything and everyone agrees.  Being a good listener and communicator too - not being afraid to speak my mind definitely helps – but I thrive off the challenge!       

Q: Have you faced any challenges as a woman in engineering and how did you overcome them?  

I can honestly say I don’t think I have, not knowingly anyway.  It’s a male dominated industry for sure and while things do come up, it is mainly unconsciously from just not being used to having women in that work environment.

My experience is that male engineers and project colleagues usually welcome the different perspective that women can bring to the table.  I’ve always encountered managers who are outcome based and reward accordingly.  Although, it helps that I’m not introverted and will speak my mind when needed.  I think all genders have to respect that when done in the right way.  

The great news is that more females are now entering the field compared to years ago and I think that’s down to a wider cultural shift of no longer linking a certain career to specific genders but encouraging personal professional development in all careers. 

Q: What would you say to young girls interested in an engineering career?  

Go for it!  What have you got to lose?  My family taught me to embrace failure as part of growing – if you don’t get it this time, then let’s go again!  

Yes, an interest and qualifications in maths and physics is needed but it’s much more varied than that.  My day job largely involves problem solving, not always pure maths.  Communication, understanding and other ‘human’ qualities are valuable and with considerable report writing an interest in English language helps.   

Q: What life advice would you give your 16-year-old self?  

The same as I would give any young person.  If you want it, go for it!  I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, and I’d say to myself ‘let’s do it all again’.  

Q: Which women inspire you the most?  

I genuinely don’t follow people in general.  

The one woman that does come to mind is Clare Barker a colleague at my previous company.  Clare has IFE fellowship status and has always been hugely motivating and charged to give back to the fire safety community.  

Also, my sister.  She’s very humble but has achieved so much and currently works in International Law for the UN in Guatemala.    

On the world stage I’d say Lady Gaga purely because of her incredible energy in the face of adversity.  Dealing with a chronic illness that causes severe pain and delivering live performances like she does deserves everyone’s admiration.   

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you, Irene?  

It’s good to be reminded that we should all be proud of who we are.  But every day is a celebration of that.  Life is a challenge, and both men and women deserve recognition for all they achieve, no matter how small.  

Thanks so much Irene, I’ve really enjoyed our chat and I’m feeling very inspired.  One last question…

Q: What’s the one project you’d like to be remembered for (so far)?  

My involvement in the development of a masterplan for the Sittwe Hospital in Myanmar.  This was in collaboration with the Article 25 charity based in the U.K. The project was hugely challenging but it’s extremely rewarding to be able to make a difference in a disadvantaged country!