KCC Engineer wins national Women in Engineering award

KCC Structures and Tunnels Asset Manager, Helen Rowe, in Top 50 across the UK

Kent County Council’s (KCC) Structures and Tunnels Asset Manager, Helen Rowe, has been included in the Women’s Engineering Society’s Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) list of winners for 2024.

The yearly award takes place every International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June and celebrates women who are trailblazers in the world of engineering. The theme for this year’s award, "Enhanced by Engineering," showcases the powerful impact made by Helen and women engineers across the country.

Helen’s engineering journey began at University of Surrey where she received a First Class Masters (Honours) in Civil Engineering in 2015. Since then, her career has spanned across highways, rail and marine Civil Engineering before joining the Highways and Transportation team at KCC in 2020 – just one week before the country went into the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Her role ensures that KCC keeps Kent moving and meets its obligations to road users under the Highways Act. This means approving new structures like bridges and tunnels proposed on the highway, and also managing existing structures, making sure they remain fit for purpose for as long as possible into the future.

Helen is keen to ensure any work her team does is sustainable for the future by selecting the materials and methods that extend the life of the structures as much as possible.

Helen said: “Being recognised by WES for my work is a huge honour and I am thrilled to be winning alongside such remarkable women.

“For me, being a Civil Engineer means being able to improve other people’s lives and make a difference. Every single part of my job is about making the best decisions for Kent communities, not just now, but into the future.

“My work means I look after structures on our roads, ensuring they are fit for purpose for as long as possible with minimal intervention. I am entrusted to care for things that will outlive me and that will protect the needs of future generations who aren’t even alive yet. It’s a huge responsibility, but one I am proud to have.”

In addition to Helen being awarded one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering Awards, Fiona Paine, also part of the Highway Structures Team, was included in the Top 100 Women in Engineering Awards.
 

Neil Baker, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Anyone living or visiting Kent benefits from the incredible engineering work of Helen and Fiona. It is brilliant news that this has been acknowledged by WES. I would like to offer my congratulations to them both and thank them for their commitment to making a difference in Kent."

Simon Jones, Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, said: "I was delighted to hear Helen and Fiona had been presented with this award, which reflects the hard work and dedication they put into their role. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for Engineering means Kent is in safe hands. I am honoured to have them on the team.”

The full list of winners is available on the WES website.

Source: Kent County Council