Making waves in engineering: In conversation with Natalie Wireko-Brobbey

It’s not that often you can walk down a street and personally say you had a hand in creating the luxury car parked next to you. But for Biochemical Engineering (MEng) alumna Natalie Wireko-Brobbey it’s a reality. 

Natalie is a Launch Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, UK’s largest car manufacturer and is involved in bringing the new Jaguar XE to the UK and international markets. "Being a Launch Engineer means that I’m one of the bridges between all the other engineering divisions, suppliers and the more corporate divisions that all contribute to the success of the vehicle launch,” says Natalie. 

A happy accident

Natalie’s path into engineering wasn’t exactly straightforward. 

In a moment of apprehension in senior school, Natalie almost never made it to UCL.  In fact, she describes herself ending up at UCL “somewhat accidentally on purpose”. 

“I was actually about to withdraw my entire UCAS application when my biology teacher all but sat me down and told me that I was going to attend UCL and study Biochemical Engineering,” said Natalie.

She investigated the course, applied and as she puts it “the rest is history”. 

While she took on the undergraduate degree, Natalie never envisioned herself in working in the STEM industries. Instead, her plans were to work in investment banking, or even as an actress in the US.  Natalie comments: “I’ll be honest - I had no intention of being an engineer!” A trip to Hong Kong during her UCL course to learn African Studies and Africa-China Relations gave her the catalyst to pursue a career in engineering after university. 

“It ignited a desire to improve the quality of life experienced in Africa through engineering. I remember standing in the metro station in Hong Kong and something just clicked in my head - I wanted to make things that people would use on a regular basis.”

Fighting for equality

As Natalie moved into the workplace, one thing stood out to her: very few females work in engineering. “My course was about 45% female, yet less than a handful of us pursued careers in STEM, let alone engineering,” says Natalie. “I’ve heard women speak about engineering still being an ‘old boys club’, where there are stigmas against maternity leave and flexible working, and where female career progression is more difficult." 

But representation is worse for black and minority ethnic women. While many of Natalie’s peers have forged successful careers in banking or financial services, diversity within science engineering industries still remains elusive.

““Sometimes this is because of the perception that nobody like them works in engineering, or that, as a black woman, for example, there is little to no chance of reaching top level management within STEM fields,” comments Natalie. “But we cannot identify problems without contributing to the solution in some way. This is why I'm passionate about not only making companies aware that my generation still feels like this but also about informing other women about the changes within the industry."

Networks can also prove fruitful resources to draw upon for personal and professional support. Natalie commented: “Like any kind of minority, there are times where you may feel slightly isolated or require support from people who can share in your experience first-hand. Which is why is it is so important that groups such as the UCL BME Alumni Network exist”. 

Natalie’s advice for those seeking a career in STEM?

“Be open and absorb all that you can. In this world that we live in, where the relevance of STEM studies only continues to grow, be malleable, innovative and make the most of that career.”

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