Engineers Australia’s CEO, Bronwyn Evans AM, has been announced as the recipient of the Women in Industry Excellence in Engineering Award.
Evans was lauded for her work as an engineer and trailblazer within the industry. The first woman to graduate from electrical engineering at the University of Wollongong, Evans has evolved from an industry and academic visionary into a boardroom dignitary.
The first woman to rise to the role of CEO at Engineers Australia, Evans was formerly the first CEO of Standards Australia. Evans played a pivotal part in improving the standards development process and was elected to a global role on the ISO’s governing President’s Committee. The Engineers Australia CEO has additionally held a number of non-executive positions in a number of sectors including Industry 4.0, STEM, industry-academia connections, construction and innovation.
A Chartered Engineer, Evans is an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia. In the last year, she has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Swinburne University and appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to engineering, standards and medical technology.
In accepting the award at a gala event last week, Evans says there is still work to do throughout the industry to increase female involvement and gender equality.
“Nights like tonight are important so we can celebrate our successes. However, we still need to have difficult conversations about education, bias, assumptions and missed opportunities for women in industry,” she says.
“We know we will have succeeded when women are represented 50 percent top to bottom. I urge all of us here tonight to use our profiles and our influence to be role models and to be champions for the amazing women who are joining our industries and professions.”
The Women in Industry Awards seek to celebrate the contribution of women in the industrial sector – those who work in mining, road transport, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, bulk handling, waste management, rail and infrastructure. Excellence in Engineering category sponsors BAE Systems are quick to point out the lack of representation of women as engineers on a national scale.
“We have female engineers to thank for many of the world’s greatest innovations, yet they make up only 12 percent of engineers employed in Australia. Awards such as these are important to not only celebrate achievement but to also provide inspiration to others to break down barriers and excel in the engineering industry,” a statement from the company reads.
To read the full list of winners at the Women in Industry awards, visit womeninindustry.com.au.
Image: Supplied
