Paula started life as a civil engineering apprentice with her local Council straight from school.
She is currently the regional supervising officer for Sir Robert McAlpine’s Northern region where she oversees the professional development of future ICE members.
She also manages the Social Value for the A19 DBFO Project, is an employee representative and sits on several Affinity and leadership groups.
Her career has been wide ranging and varied and has included significant roles on high profile projects including the Thames Barrier, Hinkley Point C and DUBAL Aluminium. She is a Chartered Fellow of the ICE and Chartered Management Institute as well as being a Fellow of the Women’s Engineering Society and Royal Society of Arts, Commerce and Manufactures.
Paula is currently the North East Chair and Honorary Editor and Panel Chair for the flagship ICE Proceedings: Civil Engineering. She also sits on several strategy groups including the North East Chamber of Commerce Transport Forum and Teesside University’s Engineering Board where she is also a visiting lecturer.
Paula strongly believes in inspiring our next generation of civil engineers and educating everyone to work towards an equitable and sustainable future.
She is the driving force behind Engineering Together which brings together a wide selection of UK and International Engineering Institutions and bodies to work collaboratively to raise awareness and understanding of engineers and engineering.
She set up Primary Voices to impress the need for urgency climate action whilst providing everyday solutions to help tackle the climate crisis.
She is regularly invited to speak at national and international events on a range of topics including engineering, diversity and sustainability.
Paula’s work in the industry and education has earned her many Awards and accolades including the prestigious European WICE Award Lifetime in Engineering for 2021.
