International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day when we celebrate and acknowledge the huge achievements of women across all facets of society - from culture and politics to business and the arts. This year’s theme is ‘Embrace Equity’ and I hope that by sharing my personal journey, I will be able to inspire others who are considering a career in the HVAC industry, as well as encourage those who are already in the sector, to continue driving forward much needed progress.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day when we celebrate and acknowledge the huge achievements of women across all facets of society - from culture and politics to business and the arts. This year’s theme is ‘Embrace Equity’ and I hope that by sharing my personal journey, I will be able to inspire others who are considering a career in the HVAC industry, as well as encourage those who are already in the sector, to continue driving forward much needed progress.
I’m aware that this industry is not necessarily one a lot of women and young girls are aware of when making career choices – I know I certainly wasn’t at the early stages of my career, which is why I’m passionate about changing that now. While there have been some moments where stereotypical assumptions come into play, in general I have found a true passion in this industry and have not let stereotypes hold me back! In fact, they encourage me to keep going, prove people wrong and make changes in this industry just by succeeding in my role, luckily with a very supportive team behind me.
So, what attracted me to the HVAC industry? Well, I found my way into the building services industry in a slightly unusual way, starting out my professional career in administrative services. The connection may not be obvious, but I soon realised I had always been fascinated by how things worked the way they did and why. It’s from this initial interest that I became curious about elements of planning and design in construction and building services. And although it was my first job in this sector, I was given plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get stuck in with tasks that might have ordinarily sat outside of my remit which fast-tracked my learning.
In fact, through determination, hard work and being very inquisitive, I found myself in my current role as a Pre Sales Engineer at Samsung, leading the SmartThings and BIoT technology for the future of smart homes and connectivity. I had the opportunity to work on the first BIoT project in the UK, called Element Warrington. Not only was this the first-ever project of its kind in the UK, but it was also nominated for an Energy Saving Award in December 2022 for the efficiency BIoT brings to commercial air conditioning, which we did eventually win.
As I reflect on my journey and career so far, I feel hugely grateful to have had significant opportunities to learn more about this industry, with the freedom to try out different things. None of this would have been possible without the opportunities in my role here at Samsung, as well as my wonderful team who challenge me to become a better individual every day. There is no reason why women can’t succeed in this industry, and I look forward to continuing this journey, and inspiring other women and young girls to do the same.