International Women's Day panel: rights, equality and empowerment

Lewis Brimmell

Lewis Brimmell (MEng CEng MICE MCIHT) is an associate director at SLR Consulting within its Transport Engineering team, specialising in highways. He has over ten years’ experience in the industry and gained chartership with the ICE in 2018. Lewis has worked on a range of projects including Middlebeck Southern Link Road, Pendleton Town centre improvements and the M62 J10 to 12 Smart Motorway scheme.

Lewis is chair of the ICE North West regional committee.

Kate Mackay

Kate Mackay is a graduate civil engineer, holding a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Strathclyde University. Kate works within Mott MacDonald's Flood Risk team, focusing on flood alleviation schemes and economic appraisals.

Elizabeth Griffin-Bennett

Elizabeth is an ICE Fellow and founder of Constructing Change — a pioneering multi-network advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social value in the construction industry.

With a career spanning bridge design, project management and flood risk management, she has delivered complex infrastructure solutions across local and national sectors.

In her role at the Environment Agency, Elizabeth supports risk management authorities in delivering flood mitigation projects, collaborating nationally with commercial teams and delivery partners to strengthen community resilience.

Through Constructing Change, she has united over 40 organisations to foster a more inclusive industry, including through initiatives such as live site visits for students aged 13–16, promoting diverse career pathways, social mobility and equity for underrepresented groups, including Looked After Children.

Elizabeth is passionate about creating opportunities and driving lasting positive change within the construction sector and beyond.

Gayathri Saudha

With a passion for creating impactful change, Gayathri is dedicated to encouraging young people to think critically about making a difference. Through Gayathri's work, she aims to promote sustainable engineering practices that not only advance the field but also contribute to a better and more sustainable future. Driven by the motto "create an impact", she strives to inspire the next generation to engage in transformative projects.