Stephanie Cole MBA
What have you valued most from being a member of WES?
Contact with other women engineers and watching young women engineers develop.
How have you been involved with WES?
Attended the WES annual conference for many years, informal mentoring of young engineers, gave careers advice at local schools.
Stephanie’s Story: Defying expectations, driving change
In the 1960s, Stephanie attended an all‑girls grammar school where she was encouraged to take science A‑levels. Armed with exam success, she ignored advice to pursue a more “traditional” path and instead chose civil engineering at Nottingham University—where she was one of only two women on the course. Despite being told repeatedly that “girls don’t do engineering,” Stephanie’s determination only grew stronger.
On graduating, she began her career as a bridge engineer and gained membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Her roles evolved to include design and construction in road and rail building, traffic engineering, and transportation planning. She also worked across disciplines to develop green transport plans, reduce traffic pollution, and create new transport opportunities—bringing engineering solutions to pressing societal challenges.
Stephanie’s engineering expertise led her into senior management roles in the public sector, where her responsibilities extended well beyond technical services. Her final post as a government inspector of public services drew together her wide experience, enabling her to drive change and improve the effective delivery of services nationwide.
Stephanie’s journey reflects the resilience of women who challenged stereotypes and proved that engineering skills can transform not only infrastructure but also the way society itself is served. Her story embodies the change WES continues to make: ensuring that women’s determination and talent reshape both the profession and the communities it supports.