What about International Men in Engineering Day

Wendy Blundell

Wendy is a distinguished leader in the global infrastructure sector, leveraging over 40 years of experience in her consultancy and non-executive director roles. A Chartered Civil & Structural Engineer and former director at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), she has a proven track record of driving strategic growth, digital transformation, and sustainable development.

Her extensive board-level experience underpins expertise in strategic planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. Beyond her corporate impact, Wendy is a passionate advocate for good governance and inspiring future generations, demonstrated by her service as a school governor and Chair of the Board of Governors for a 1,000-student independent grammar school.

A Queen's University graduate, Wendy's significant contributions to civil engineering and her commitment to diversity were recognised with an OBE in 2012 and an Honorary Doctorate in 2017. 

Mateusz Dabkowski

Mateusz is a Civil Engineer at Doran Consulting with over seven years of experience specialising in water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout Ireland and the UK. He holds an MEng in Civil Engineering from Ulster University and is the immediate Past Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers Northern Ireland Early Careers Network Committee.

Serena Gildea

Serena is past Vice Chair of Engineer’s Ireland Northern Region Committee. She is a Chartered Structural Engineer with Engineer’s Ireland and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Serena spent her early career in New Zealand, following the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence of 2011. In 2016 she moved to London and started working with Design ID and in 2022, she was awarded a prestigious Scholarship with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (S.P.A.B).

Serena is an Associate Structural Engineer at Design ID with over 15 years’ experience working across various sectors of the industry. She now focuses her work on Conservation Engineering allowing her to bring her passion for the preservation and repair of our historic built environment into her everyday work.

Jamie Graham

Jamie Graham is a Project Civil Infrastructure Engineer at Design ID, working in sectors such as marine, rail, temporary works and bridges. 

Jamie was the 2024 Co-Chair of the IStructE Northern Ireland and Ireland Young Members Group and also served on the IStructE Council. Alongside his role as an engineer at Design ID, Jamie regularly contributes to the Big Bridge and the Think Design Engineer Foundation – a community interest company focussed on inspiring the next generation of engineers through practical learning. Jamie is also a STEM Ambassador and Engineering Leaders Scholarship Alumni at the Royal Academy of Engineering, contributing his engineering and educational outreach experience to benefit engineering students and graduates.   

Laura Kileen

Laura is the current Chair of the Northern Ireland Regional Hub of the Institution of Structural Engineers, the youngest person to hold this role in the region.

Laura has 20 years’ experience in the industry, and is a Senior Associate structural engineer at Design ID. Laura is also a Chartered Examiner for the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Fionnuala McKenna

Fionnuala McKenna is head of strategic development at Construction Futures, a recently established organisation dedicated to transforming Northern Ireland’s construction industry by addressing key challenges and delivering practical solutions. Its work includes improving access to career pathways, shifting public perception, and fostering stronger collaboration between the education and construction sectors. A qualified civil engineer and former secondary school teacher, Fionnuala brings a unique perspective shaped by hands on site experience, pre-construction planning, and a strong commitment to improving overall industry culture.

Hanagh Winter

Hanagh Winter is the STEM Ambassadors Project Manager for Northern Ireland at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. With a background spanning biomedical science, medical research, industry and science engagement, her career has included roles as an R&D Scientist at Randox, Business Development at medical technology start-up MediNect, and completing a PhD investigating the relationship between the eye and the body's internal clock. Passionate about connecting people with STEM, she now works to build partnerships between education and industry to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators.