LGBTQ+ engineers showing how diverse views make a difference

In an industry driven by innovation, the diverse contributions of LGBTQ+ engineers are essential.

Organisations with more diverse teams of people have been shown to come up with more innovative solutions.

These six remarkable individuals excel in their fields and champion for inclusivity.

1. Sam Blanchard

Sam Blanchard, a planning engineer at Cementation Skanska, began her civil engineering career when she applied for an ICE QUEST undergraduate scholarship.

Working with a company that aligned with her values, such as sustainability, was essential for Sam.

Skanska provides an environment where Sam felt comfortable being open about her mental health and identity as a queer person in a long-term relationship with a woman.

In her time with Skanska, Sam has been involved with some incredible LGBTQ+ initiatives.

This includes a graduate project on improving workplace inclusivity, which focused on Gen Z entering the workplace and LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Her involvement in this project and commitment to building and inclusive workplace for all won her the company's Living Our Values – Recognition Award.

As a member of Skanska’s Pride Network, she engages with people at all levels of the organisation to spotlight important issues in the LGBTQ+ space.

2. Rémi Sauffisseau

Rémi Sauffisseau, a civil and structural engineer in Auckland, New Zealand, recently upgraded a steel plant at Beca to use an electric arc furnace powered by renewable energy.

This project, which supports the circular economy by repurposing scrap metal, is a source of great pride for him.

When based in the UK, Rémi was South West co-chair for InterEngineering.

In this role he collaborated with organisations from Building Equality – a group of construction companies working together to make the industry inclusive for LGBTQ+ people – to engineering consultancies and universities.

What companies can do

For Rémi, companies must support LGBTQ+ employees in all locations, including international companies where local laws may differ from those in the UK.

He firmly believes that larger engineering companies must lead by example by challenging the industry.

They should help ensure that small and medium enterprises support their LGBTQ+ employees to foster positive change throughout the entire sector.

Want to know more about Rémi? Check out his brilliant blog on the power of showing his ‘whole’ self.

3. David McAulay

David McAulay is a graduate civil engineer who’s worked at Mott MacDonald since 2021 as part of the building and cities water team.

Having worked on impactful projects such as the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, he's currently completing a part-time secondment with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

Here he’s working on the 6 Priority Flood Alleviation Scheme, which is expected to reduce flood risk to 290 residential properties, 360 business properties, rail and tram-train infrastructure and more!

LGBTQ+ inclusion

Aside from David’s influential work in flood defence, he’s also deeply committed to furthering LGBTQ+ inclusion at Mott MacDonald.

A queer trans man, David is currently on the committee of Mott MacDonald's LGBTQ+ Staff Network.

He's a Northern Division Equity, Diversity and Inclusion representative.

Over the past few years, he’s worked on creating several incredible initiatives within the organisation.

This includes an internal trans support network, creating guidance on LGBTQ+ terminology and pronouns, and attending a Pride parade with Building Equality.

4. Alise Germova

Not many people can say they began their engineering careers at 16.

But for Alise Germova, a civil engineering technician at Stantec, the years between 16 and 21 have defined her as an engineer, colleague, and person.

Alise is an apprentice in Stantec’s Leeds office, specialising in wastewater and designing engineering solutions for projects across Yorkshire and Humber.

While Alise has achieved much in her early years, one of her greatest accomplishments is co-chairing the LGBTQIA+ Pride Employee Resource Group.

Through policy changes, event planning, and advocating for inclusivity, Alise is determined to drive change within the industry.

Recently, Alise has been mobilising Stantec's Leeds office to participate in the Pride parade in collaboration with Building Equality.

5. Julian Phatarfod

Julian Phatarfod, associate transport consultant at Arup, has vast experience in rail strategy, but his work in LGBTQ+ advocacy is also a huge part of what drives him.

Currently sitting on the national executive committee of Building Equality, he’s never felt that being LGBTQ+ has resulted in any disbenefit or discrimination from the sector.

“This speaks volumes about the inherent inclusion of engineering,” he says.

Julian's lived experience has given him a unique mindset he brings to project teams.

This diversity helps him manage teams inclusively, empathise with others, and consider various end users and customers, leading to better solutions.

Julian's vision

Julian's vision for discourse around LGBTQ+ issues might initially sound surprising: “I'd like for us not to have to talk about it anymore!”.

As he points out, people and organisations tend to talk about the inclusion of specific communities in silos.

Still, he hopes that the education happening now on different people's lived experiences will mean that in the future, “we treat everyone - no matter who they are or where they're from - in an inclusive, meritocratic way.”

6. Jessica Patterson

Jessica Patterson is a buildings and cities social outcomes leader and principal consultant at Mott MacDonald.

She’s been instrumental in driving diversity and inclusion in engineering projects.

Growing up in Newcastle in the 1970s, LGBTQ+ language didn’t exist in the way it does today.

But once Jessica had the tools and resources to investigate – “as engineers do” – she began to accept that she’s transgender.

Engineering inspiration

Having a “rational neurodivergent mind” and a passion for how things worked meant engineering was the ideal vocation for Jessica.

Seeing how engineering shaped the world around her was inspirational. The Tyne and Wear Metro, which opened the city and opportunities to young people like herself, particularly stands out.

Her passion for improving social outcomes has transferred into her work.

This places people and communities at the heart of projects by focusing on accessibility, inclusion, empowerment and wellbeing.

This can be seen in her work to build diverse project teams, including a large-scale regional rail development project, where women made up 30% of the team.

This is double the UK rail industry average!