Laura Shrieves is the Director of Engineering at Thales, leading the digitalization of the UK Transport sector as part of the Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) division. Hailing from a family with a strong engineering background, Laura was inspired by her father and uncle, who served as her early role models.
Her engineering journey began with a BSc in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, followed by an MSc in Human-Centered Computer Systems. Laura embarked on her professional career as a software engineer but later transitioned to systems engineering, a passion that would define her career. Alongside various technical roles within systems engineering, Laura discovered her second passion: nurturing and developing others.
By 2013, Laura had become an industrial supervisor to engineering students at the University of Bristol. In 2014, she further solidified her reputation as a leader in systems engineering by chairing an INCOSE Working Group. Laura’s passion to give back continued in 2015 as she served as the deputy chair of the INCOSE advisory board, solidifying her commitment to the global systems engineering community. In 2022, Laura was recognized for her outstanding contributions, achieving Fellow with both the IET and WES. Laura now serves as a Fellowship assessor at the IET, helping identify and honour rising stars in the field.
Laura ascended through roles of Head of Engineering and now into Engineering Director using all she has learnt to inspire and support all around her. She also serves as the Exec sponsor of the Women and Allies Network within Thales and is part of the RAEng’s Inclusive Leadership Programme proving that her passion for continuous learning and supporting others always burns brightly.
In her personal life, Laura enjoys swimming, traveling, and creating new experiences with her husband Matt and their two young children, Benjamin (4) and Madeline (2).