Trustees and Members of Directors' Committees

Susan Robson is a Principal Consultant at National Grid. Building on seven years’ experience as a management consultant with PwC, she works across the National Grid business to help drive the strategic initiatives that will play a key part in enabling the UK’s transition to net zero carbon. Alongside this and in a voluntary capacity, Susan has significantly contributed to the promotion of gender equity, inclusion and diversity in the company through building, professionalising and chairing the gender diversity employee resource group.

Mamta was born in the USA, has Indian parents and was educated in Scotland: she holds an affiliated degree in product design engineering from Glasgow University/Glasgow School of Art; an MSc in engineering management from Strathclyde University; and an MBA with distinction from Strathclyde International Business School. In 2004 she was a finalist for the UK’s Young Achiever Leadership and Diversity Awards and, since then, has used her position to empower women and BAME communities, and champion STEM.

Paul Cliff is an experienced People Development expert specialising in supporting businesses to retain and develop their people. He is a qualified and experienced Executive Coach focusing on Performance and Wellbeing in his coaching practise.

Dr Katherine Critchley graduated from Coventry University in 2002 with a PhD in Process Analysis Software for the draw bending of small diameter thin walled tubes.  Prior to this Katherine had gained an MSc in Computer Aided Engineering (1992) and an Honours Degree in Engineering (1991), from Coventry University.

Professor Elena Gaura is a Research Institute Director at Coventry University. She draws on 25 years of research experience and a decade of work as a senior manager and leader in engineering.

Chrisma Jain graduated from the University of Leeds in 2004 with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering. She is a Chartered Engineer working at Transport for London as a Senior Project Manager. She mobilised and is leading a £220m rail contract to modernise and renew the track and drainage infrastructure on London’s tube.

Emma was elected to Associate Fellow by the WES Board in July 2020.  Emma is an accomplished Chartered Senior Project Manager and Chartered Environmentalist with Board experience, and works as a Development Manager for SLC Rail.  She has worked in Infrastructure and the Built Environment since 1998, and was a Finalist in 2018 for a Quality Excellence Award for the Leeds Art Gallery and Leeds Library roof restoration.  In 2012 Emma worked as an Environmental Manager for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Professor Vince Pizzoni has a portfolio career in international business, academia, executive search and career coaching and business mentoring. Alongside an engineering background he spans the whole career lifecycle from school to university, executive and board level, and has made it his mission in life to inspire, motivate and mentor future generations into STEM/Engineering careers of whom many are women.

In the early 1980s Pauline was working as Management Accountant for a hosiery manufacturer when she realised that what she really wanted was the Production Manager’s role! She then went to the University of Nottingham where she graduated with a BSc in Production and Operations Management followed by a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering and Operations Management. She never made it back to manufacturing and has remained in academic roles for 27 years.

Emily Spearman  is Head of PMO (Portfolio Management Office) in QHSE for Orsted – the most sustainable energy company in the world. She leads a team overseeing the global portfolio of QHSE projects across offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, bioenergy and energy storage. Part of the QHSE Senior Leadership, Emily plays a major part in setting the organisation's strategic QHSE direction. A far cry from her first role as an engineer working on offshore oil rigs in the North Sea.