Jane Simpson is the Head of Asset Creation at Severn Trent Water. She was the first woman to be Chief Engineer at Network Rail.
Jane Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Coventry University University of Cambridge |
| Employer | Severn Trent |
| Known for | Engineering |
Education
editSimpson grew up in Coventry.[1] She was inspired to become an engineer when she made a light bulb work on the WISE Campaign bus in the 1980s.[2] She was advised to consider a career in teaching or being a nursery nurse.[3][4] Simpson has been a lifelong member of the Scouts. She gained her Baden-Powell Award as a Guide and her Queen's Scout Award as a Venture Scout.[1] She left school at 16 and started an apprenticeship at General Electric.[4] They went on to sponsor her to complete a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering at Coventry University.[1] She completed a master's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Birmingham.[1][5]
Career
editSimpson joined British Rail in Quayside Tower as a graduate in 1996, which was the year of its privatisation.[5] Working in one of the maintenance companies for infrastructure, she became Overhead Line Engineer in 1998.[5] She led the Overhead line between Euston and Rugby.[6] She was the first woman to hold the role, and says that male engineers did not know how to behave in front of her.[7] She worked for Marconi Communications and returned Network Rail in 2004.[5][8] She joined the Infrastructure Maintenance Department in 2009, and was promoted to Director of Route Asset Management of the London and North Western Railway in 2011.[4] She was responsible for the electrification of train lines in the North of England.[9] She became a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in 2014.[10]
She became Chief Engineer in 2015.[1] She was responsible for £600 million of projects, and ensured that money was spent correctly to improve the UK's rail infrastructure.[11] She championed innovation in engineering whilst ensuring the customer saw the value of all investment.[12] These included mechatronics and small track-side robots which could provide intelligent inspection in situ.[4] She led a multimillion-pound project to digitise information systems at Network Rail.[13]
In 2016 she was listed as one of the UK's Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering.[14][15] She was chosen as one of the 20 Most Inspirational Women in Rail.[16]
She was appointed to Severn Trent in July 2016.[17] Here she is responsible for all above ground infrastructure, including ensuring water is clean, waste water is treated and that renewable energy is explored.[18] She was listed in the Top 100 Women to Watch in the 2017 FTSE Board Report.[19]
Simpson is a campaigner for increased diversity in engineering.[20][21][22][23][24] At Network Rail, she launched work experience and open evenings to attract more girls into the profession.[25][26][3] She is a trustee of The Scout Association.[27][28][29]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "From defence to attack - RailStaff". www.railstaff.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ WISE. "Inspiration | Jane Simpson: How a 'light bulb' moment helped me get into electrical engineering". www.wisecampaign.org.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Move over, boys! Network Rail on track to get thousands more girls interested in engineering". BT.com. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "RailStaff March 2016". Issuu. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Severn Trent names new asset creation head - Utility Week". Utility Week. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "STRIVING FOR A MODEL RAILWAY". Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "If You Can, I Can". Critical Eye. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ WISE. "Inspiration | Jane Simpson". www.wisecampaign.org.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "NW Electrification Phase 1". www.ribblevalleyrail.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Spring Member News". IET. 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "The future of British rail according to the women who move the country forward". Metro. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Innovation: Opening the gates". Rail Engineer. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Digital Business: Winning in the digital age | Accenture". www.accenture.com. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Top 50 Women in Engineering list announced". Infrastructure Intelligence. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "50 Women in Engineering". Magnificent Women. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "20 Most Inspirational Women in Rail Announced - Women in Rail". Women in Rail. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Severn Trent appoints new Asset Creation head - WWT". wwtonline.co.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Scouts - Board of Trustees". Scouts. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "THE FEMALE FTSE BOARD REPORT 2017". Cranfield University. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Network Rail staff unite to tackle gender diversity on International Women's Day.(Network Rail) – Rail Tube". railtube.info. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Full steam ahead for rail chief who is right on track | Milkround". Milkround. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ Simpson, Jane (26 August 2015). "This is how we can encourage women to enter engineering". Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ TomorrowsEngineers (22 October 2015), Lily meets Jane Simpson, Chief Engineer at Network Rail Part 1, retrieved 31 March 2018
- ^ "Jane Simpson - Women in Rail". Women in Rail. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Round table: Tackling the gender bias". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Girls urged to reject 'pigeon-holes' and go into engineering". ITV News. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Network Rail launches career drive to attract female engineers - Business Reporter". Business Reporter. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Scouts - National structure". Scouts. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "The Scout Association". members.scouts.org.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.