Dr Katherine Critchley was elected President of the Women’s Engineering Society in October 2023, having served formerly as a WES Trustee, Chair of the Events Directors’ Committee and Head Judge of the Karen Burt Memorial Award. Dr Critchley is also a member of the Wales Cluster and chaired the Wales Centenary celebrations in 2019 at the Senedd in the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
Having begun her career as an apprentice, Dr Critchley became a global subject matter expert and was recognised as one of 50 Current and Former Apprentices in the WES Top 50 Women in Engineering during its centenary. Dr Critchley has established women engineer communities in her workplace and worked with local schools and colleges to promote engineering, ensuring that practical advice on engineering apprenticeships was available to all.
In October 2022 Dr Critchley was awarded WES’ highest honour, the Isabel Hardwich Medal, for her contributions to the Society over a sustained period. Her citation stated, ‘Dr Katherine Critchley is generous with both her time and expertise. Her skills, knowledge, willingness to help others, and dedication to WES make her an excellent winner of the Isabel Hardwich Medal.’