Embedding Equitable Safety and Inclusive Design into Everyday Practice

Prof Anusha Shah

Professor Anusha Shah is a globally recognised leader in climate resilience, water, and environmental engineering, with more than 26 years’ experience delivering sustainable and nature-positive infrastructure internationally. As Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, she became only the third woman and first person of colour to lead the institution in its 205-year history.

She is Founder and CEO of Plan for Earth, an organisation focused on accelerating systems change in climate adaptation, sustainability, and nature-positive infrastructure, and previously served as Global Senior Director for Climate, Water & Nature at Arcadis. She is also Trustee at Green Alliance.

A passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and climate justice, Prof Anusha has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of East London and Heriot-Watt University, honorary professorships from the University of Wolverhampton, University of Edinburgh, and Amity University, and has lectured widely including at Cambridge, Oxford and University of East London. Her awards include recognition among the UK’s Top 50 Women Engineers in Sustainability.

Anam Balbolia

Anam is a programme manager in Strategic Transport & Connectivity at Westminster City Council. As a chartered civil engineer, she has a broad experience across public realm, safety, accessibility and inclusion and decarbonisation. Leading teams of varying scale and in different capacities, her work has covered projects across and beyond the UK; using resources globally. In 2025, she was awarded WE50 and Future Female Leader by IESE.

Jenny McLaughlin

Jenny McLaughlin has worked within the airport industry for over 20 years. The last 18 years have been at Heathrow Airport in a number of departments including Environment, Airside and now Infrastructure.

Jenny has delivered a number of business changes, introducing new IT applications, to infrastructure delivery such as taxiway rehabilitation to new Virtual Contingency Facility. Now working as a senior project manager within the Expansion.

Jenny is dyslexic and has ADHD and believes that “the way that my brain is wired differently is an asset”. Jenny is a speaker at a number of industry events on ‘Systematic Inclusion’, bringing to life the criticality of accessibility if we are to remain a safe and sustainable industry. This is most evident in being a key player in creation of RIBA Inclusive Design Overlay published summer 2023 and launch of Equitable Safety Initiative (ESI) in 2025.

Finally, Jenny is a Governor for Harrow Richmond and Uxbridge College, and leading the Heathrow Inclusive Learners Partnership to ensure equitable pathways for learners to gain experience, internships and work.

Susan Leadbetter

Susan Leadbetter is an Associate at WSP in the UK and the national lead for Gender Inclusive Design, with over 10 years’ experience working across transport, public realm and inclusive engagement.

Her work focuses on women’s safety, equitable outcomes and inclusive engineering practice, supporting clients to embed inclusion across the full project lifecycle — from strategy and policy through to design and delivery. Susan works closely with local authorities, combined authorities and national bodies to translate research, lived experience and engagement insight into practical guidance and projects.

She has led and contributed to high‑profile research and guidance on women and girls’ safety in transport and public spaces, including developing national guidance for Active Travel England.

Dr Suriyah Bi

Suriyah graduated with a BA in Human Sciences from Magdalen College Oxford, after which she completed her Masters at SOAS and PhD at UCL. The final year of her PhD was completed at Yale’s Anthropology Department. She has lectured at a number of Universities including Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Bristol, Edinburgh, SOAS, and Cardiff. Her first book was published in 2024 with Manchester University Press and she currently holds a British Academy Small Grant to research identity and belonging through mosque architecture across Europe and the UK. She also founded the Equality Act Review in 2018, through which she has lobbied the government to make changes to the Act to reflect contemporary needs of a diverse and fast-changing society.