FEB 11TH: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE 2023

Previan is as fast growing company. Innovation, focused on client needs, is our driver to push the limits of technology. This involves hiring the best people, which is why Previan is so keen to seek employees from all corners of the world wherever and whoever they may be. It’s important to us that talent, not gender, is the recognised competency. Whilst it would be easy to think we live in a world where gender equality is no longer an issue, complacency teaches us to be vigilant and to continue supporting women and girls into and within the industry.

We are proud to support the women across our companies, so let’s see what some of female team members across our businesses have to say about working in the science and engineering industry!

Jeanne, tell us what prompted you to work in this industry?

I am a Software Developer and Scrum Master (I am reliably informed, this has nothing to do with rugby). I loved to create websites when I was younger, because I was fascinated by how you could do anything with a few lines of code. When I went to university, I decided to choose the Computer Science program, because I knew my creativity and problem-solving skills would be a great asset in this field.

Great to hear how you’ve found the mix of creativity and problem-solving Jeanne. So, what’s life like for you at Eddyfi Technologies?

I love that every day is different. We never work on the same code [or] the same problems. Also, since the software is at the core of our product, this job allows me to work with people from different fields, such as physics engineers and electronics designers.

Lene, as one of our directors, what led you to the fascinating field of finance?

The freedom to choose from a variety of career paths and opportunities within different industries.

That would make working life varied and interesting! But, getting down to the nitty gritty of your day-to-day role, tell us what you love most!

[It’s] the fast-paced working environment, continuous challenges and without a doubt the cooperation with my co-workers. The finance team works closely with all disciplines within our business, and I love to learn from their experience and at the same time bring valuable insight to continue to grow and develop our business.

Karla, Mia, although you are from different continents, you both joined Previan businesses during lockdown. Karla, you mentioned that changed your plans…

[Yes], I began working for Senceive in September of 2020…my initial plans to travel that year were cut short, due to the global lockdown, [so] I started looking for a new job. When I was offered the role at Senceive, I jumped at the chance to work with such an exciting, growing company and moved to London from my home in Ireland!

So, what inspired you to get into your field of work?

Growing up, I was always curious about how the world around me worked, and in school, I enjoyed maths and science subjects. I think engineering allows me to see and understand the world in a different way.

And Mia, how about you?

As a child, my favourite school classes were the sciences. I loved learning about everything from how volcanoes formed to how sound travels. I decided to study Mechanical Engineering in university because it challenged my problem-solving skills in an interesting field of study and offered a variety of career paths not limited to a particular industry.

So, tell me, what do you love about your job at Dynamic Risk?

I love that in my current role, I contribute to the wellbeing of both the pipeline industry and the environment. Integrity engineering makes a positive impact to improve the health and efficiency of the industry, which benefits all parties. Another key aspect of technology consulting that I enjoy is the room for creativity when utilizing tech-enabled processes to provide innovative solutions.

Creativity within the industry has come up a lot throughout these conversations. Allowing our employees to think outside the box is critical not just to the growth of our company, and pushing technological boundaries, but in support, encourage and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

Karla, how about you? Tell us what you love most about your job?

The things I like most about my job are the people that I work with, and the fact that I’m always challenged and constantly learning. There is also a great sense of satisfaction when you find a solution to a problem you’re working on, and when you complete a project and provide a final product or solution.

So moving over to you Katja, you’ve been working in this field for a while now and with NDT Global since 2014. What’s kept you going?

My job is always exciting and challenging – hardly “daily work”. I love when an idea turns into reality and when we turn something that looks like being a failure into something precious. I love seeing when my people get excited about their work and can make something a success.

That’s great to hear, but what got you involved originally?

I studied physics because I loved seeing the stars and width of the universe and I wanted to understand how all this works. I changed during my studies to environmental physics because I had the feeling, that I can change more here, down to earth. I liked my work in ground-based research at the industry, but I missed to see that it was able to make changes – so I started a position in the industry. Doing R&D in this setting is what makes me happy now.

Because we were curious, we asked each of our panel what it was like to work in a field still dominated by men?

Lene: More than once in my career I’ve been told that I will not get the same opportunities as my male co-workers…but [I’m] glad to see that it’s improving and proud to be a part of a company that values diversity.

Jeanne: As a woman, I think we can sometimes bring a new point of view in certain situations, because of our different life experiences. However, I believe we need to prove ourselves more than men to be taken seriously in a male-dominated field. Since people in this field are used to working with men, some of them underestimate what women are capable of.

Karla: Being a woman in a male dominated field feels like I’m breaking the stereotype and setting an example for other girls to choose a career in engineering if they’re interested. And I think that’s pretty cool!

Mia: The majority of my experience has been positive; I have had excellent mentors and supporters, women and men. I have also experienced frustrations [but] for every frustrating encounter, there have been countless more positive interactions.

Katja: I start [to] see, that there are “restrictions” [for woman] – often under the surface, sometimes not visible for a quite rational and objective mind and way of thinking. Only if we bring women also to the higher decision-making levels, we can overcome those restrictions, decisions and feelings.

It’s been great getting to know these highly motivated, engaging women across Previan’s businesses, thank you to you all! The energy, creativity and love for problem-solving is inspiring. And as Karla said, it’s pretty cool to be setting an example to future female engineers out there!

However far we’ve come, there’s still room to improve. At Previan we acknowledge that and encourage the engineering and scientific community out there to join us in continuing to champion women and girls in science.