'Problem-solving was a fun skill I enjoyed, now it's a vital tool'

Tell us about you

I'm the senior manager for Young Member Programmes at SPE International, a membership society focused on supporting energy sector engineers. My role involves managing global initiatives, resources, and events primarily targeted for our young professionals and student members, but also incorporates wider soft skill development programmes.

I have been working with membership societies for 15 years, and at SPE for 10. Over that time I have been working on overall society strategies and working with board members and membership committees to do all we can to ensure future generations are supported in their careers

Are you an early riser or a night owl?

I used to be a night owl, then I had kids and I am forced to be an early riser. I now wake up before 6am whether I like it or not!

Describe your perfect day at work

I like to start the day with music on and getting emails down to a manageable level. Working internationally means every day starts with a bundle of emails from other time zones so there is always a lot to get through. By late morning, I like to dig into a big project. The coffee is working full speed by this point and I can make real headway on new ideas, creative solutions, or some video editing. This means I can get some real progress on my to-do list before the U.S. wakes up and the many meetings begin.

How do you stay motivated?

Working with young members means I am always working with passionate, eager, and driven people. This could be the young people themselves, or the ones who are also driven to support them. This is very infectious and often leads to creative and new solutions, so nothing ever stays the same. I find this really exciting, and it certainly keeps me motivated each day.

Are you a meticulous planner or a spontaneous creative?

At my previous role, our society ran so many events that a meticulous approach was a necessity. It taught me everything I could ever need to know about the process of running an event, from concept and budgets, to marketing and facilitation. When I came to SPE however, our members were so much more involved in the step-by-step running of activities that having a plan and sticking to it became a luxury.

Running events all over the world often meant you had to quickly adapt for unknown venues and different cultures, and problem-solving turned from a fun skill I enjoyed to a vital tool. Now I try to use the best of both worlds, and I ensure I have a few presentations in my back pocket in case a speaker drops out last minute!

What's your favourite inspirational quote?

It's a long one that has always stuck with me, by Donald Rumsfeld:
“…there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know.”

I find bridging the gap between these key types of knowledge is vital for young people working on their career, but it’s always fantastic advice for project and event planning too.

What are you grabbing for lunch?

At the office, it’s always a meal deal. I love a bargain! When working from home, a quick omelette is a great, tasty way to keep me going.

You’re off to a desert island to work and can only take three things – what are they?

My laptop is an extension of my own body, I don’t think I could do anything without it. On top of that I would always ensure I have some music with headphones. With that I can work anywhere no matter how noisy or distracting the world gets.

Finally, I would have a camera as I think in events we never savour our successes, and quickly move on to the next one. With a decent camera you can capture all the parts that make an event special.

How do you unwind?

A few months ago I joined a gym for the first time. That has quickly become a safe space to get away from my phone, kids, and work for a few hours and I always feel better afterwards.

What project are you most proud of working on?

At SPE we have a student contest, similar to University Challenge or jeopardy. Over my time working on it, it’s grown in popularity across the world and it reached its peak when Covid happened. The quick-fire reactive nature of the contest meant we thought it would have to be cancelled, but working with engineers taught me there is always a solution; we just have to make it!

I pulled together a small team of staff and a handful of members to create software that would be globally accessible and maintain the competitive 'buzz-in' elements of the game despite internet latency and technological issues. Even today I have never seen anything quite like it from other societies or even professional quiz shows.

And while the introduction of ChatGPT has meant the project is no longer viable, I am immensely proud of the team that got it together so quickly. For our innovation, we won the Best Digital Transformation Award given by the Association of Association Executives.

What would be your dream event ?

My biggest challenge right now is running international events that everyone can attend. We have so many amazing young people wanting to be seen on a global stage, but politics and funding is making this harder and harder each year. If I could run an event where travel fees and visas were no barrier to the quality of the people participating, I would be very happy.