Winners 2017

Moore, 38, joined JLR on a graduate scheme in 2001 after leaving the University of Birmingham with a masters degree in manufacturing engineering. Her interest in vehicle safety led to a role working on pedestrian protection for the Jaguar XF before moving to the team tasked with solving technical manufacturing issues for new vehicles. At JLR’s SVO division she develops high-performance and luxury variants. Moore is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ambassador, visiting schools to give demonstrations and career advice.

Kowalczuk, 31, joined JLR in 2015 after spells working in the defence industry and a computer simulation firm. She holds a masters degree in electronic and electrical engineering and a PhD in wireless communications from Loughborough University, knowledge currently being put to good use helping JLR better understand in-car wireless services delivered via Bluetooth, mobile networks and car-to-car communication. She also trains JLR staff on ways to simulate other wireless applications, including EV charging and tyre pressure monitoring. 

Rawlings, 29, joined JLR in 2011 on a graduate scheme after gaining a masters degree in materials science and engineering from Leeds University. After three years in materials engineering she stepped up to her current role in global product strategy, working on future vehicle programmes. She became one of the youngest chartered engineers in the country in 2014 at the age of 26 and now mentors others as well as speaking at conferences and running internal seminars on plastics. She is also a brand ambassador promoting engineering to young people.

Hitch, 33, joined JLR in 2008 on a graduate scheme after gaining a degree in mechanical engineering from Exeter University and a masters in advanced materials from Cranfield. Described by JLR as having an incredibly promising career ahead of her, Hitch has already risen to the role of manager for the launch engineering team for the Jaguar F-Type, focusing on body structures. She won a ‘Rising Star’ award from the Royal Academy of Engineers in 2013 and helps inspire the next generation of engineers, particularly women, by helping at events such as the BigBang fair. She gained chartered status from the Institute of Mechancial Engineers (IMechE) in 2016.

Rothwell, 26, started her career at JLR as a graduate trainee while still studying for her masters in mechanical engineering with management at Edinburgh University, where she also helped found the university’s first Formula Student racing team. At JLR she very quickly rose to become responsible for the off-road capability of JLR's small SUVs, taking them from computer designed concepts to physical vehicles. She carried over her interest in racing to lead the JLR Greenpower electric racing team and oversee the building of a new workshop for them at JLR’s Gaydon site. 

Witt, 40, is now leading the UK-based project to launch a plug-in hybrid Transit van in Europe from 2019, with early versions scheduled to go on test with the police in London this summer. She joined Ford back in 2000 and has held roles in product development, quality and purchasing, rising to her current high-profile and demanding position. The Transit project needs to be delivered on a much quicker timescale than comparable projects of this scale and puts her in control of £12 million to be spent with engineering and suppliers. According to Ford her work on the project has proved her “passion, leadership, dedication and outstanding commitment”.

Islam, 46, started out in engineering in 1990 when she secured a Ford sponsored degree in manufacturing systems engineering aged 19. That led to a job as a graduate engineer at Ford in the UK, where her early jobs included working on processes at the Dagenham plant, then still making Fiestas. She was part of the launch team for the Transit in Genk, Belgium, and worked on installing the first Transit Connect in Ford’s joint venture plant in Turkey. In a bold move, she left engineering in 2002 to gain a law degree and pursue a legal career, but in 2012 she decided she missed engineering too much and returned to Ford, where she is now responsible for the quality planning of new commercial vehicles.

Proffitt, 27, joined Bentley in 2011 after the company sponsored her through a degree apprenticeship that resulted in a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. She’s now technical project manager for delivering chassis systems and components for the next Continental GT coupe, including braking, suspension and axles. Before this she was working at Porsche’s technical HQ at Weissach, Germany, as chassis engineer to liaise between the two firms to make sure that shared platforms were engineered to meet the needs of both brands. In 2012 she was named as one of 30 rising stars under 30 years old within the manufacturing world by then Business Minister Mark Prisk. Since September 2007, she has been in the Royal Air Force Reserve as an engineering technician.