Reflections on my time as CIBSE Scotland Chair

MA MSc CEng FCIBSE
Principal Sustainability Consultant
Partner

woman standing at a podium with man looking into the distance

I recently finished my three-year term as CIBSE Scotland Chair and thought that International Women In Engineering Day was a good opportunity to reflect back: what we have achieved as a committee, what I have gained from the experience and what we can do to support the next generation to get involved. 

Committee achievements

I’m so proud of everything the committee has achieved over the last three years, from restarting in 2022 after the pandemic to what is now a strong group putting on a variety of technical events, education outreach activities, engaging and collaborating with the wider construction industry, and being actively involved in updates to devolved Building Standards. 

Year one and maternity leave 

The first year was spent reforming the committee and supporting new members. We also put a lot of effort in relaunching two big events: the annual conference and dinner. This period was particularly challenging for me, as not only did I have the challenge of finding a new committee, but I went on maternity leave five months after starting as Chair. I think it’s good to mention this on International Women in Engineering Day, as hopefully it can show that having a family doesn’t need to hold you back in your career. While on maternity leave, I led meetings remotely (often with a little one joining in) and made it along to some of the conference (with baby). 

Inclusivity and collaboration 

I have tried to make CIBSE Scotland more inclusive. While events such as the annual golf championship are great, I have tried to broaden our scope to attract a more diverse group of participants, with more technical events including the annual conference and CPDs running most months, education outreach work and forming partnerships with other groups such as RIAS, ACE Scotland, IStructE, CIOB, universities and more. We have the Chair of ACE Scotland and Scottish Government Building Standards represented on our committee and I have been part of Construction Industry Council (CIC) Scotland. This has brought along several architects, clients, students and policy makers to our events. We have also set up joint conferences and events with our collaborators and worked together on policy papers presented to MSPs. We are also organising a joint collaborative competition for young professionals with RIAS and IStructE to be launched later this year.  I think it is very important to collaborate across industry to get the best results. 

Man and woman who is holding a baby in front of a banner.

Ingrid with baby Arran and CIBSE President Adrian Catchpole at the CIBSE Scotland conference

What I have gained from CIBSE Scotland

I recommend getting involved with an institution such as CIBSE; it’s very rewarding and opens up lots of opportunities for you to shape the work the group is delivering. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to be part of working groups such as the Scottish Government’s Energy Standards Review Working Group, to advocate for pathways to zero carbon and a more sustainable future. 

It has also provided me with opportunities for personal development. I find public speaking daunting and would never have imagined that, during my first week back to work after maternity leave, I would be giving a speech in front of 300 people at the CIBSE Scotland Dinner! 

a group of people standing together in formal attire

Ingrid at the CIBSE Scotland dinner

Supporting the next generation

I am passionate about supporting the next generation into a career in construction, sustainability and engineering. Over the last three years, we have put a lot of effort into education outreach work: 

  • Relaunched our student poster competition, with winners presented at our conference; 

  • Awards for top students in CIBSE-recognised courses in Scotland, presented at our dinner; 

  • Started a schools outreach programme in 2024, delivering three workshops, including one to almost 200 S1 pupils!  

Our CIBSE Scotland Young Engineers Network (YEN) also reformed over the last two years and has been supported to also run a huge number of technical and social events. And not forgetting winning the bid to host CIBSE YEN Global Conference in 2025!  

I have also worked with the CIBSE Scotland golf organisers to make this event more inclusive by putting on a sponsored team for Women in Property and YEN. 

coloured plastic items on a table

CIBSE schools outreach

Next steps

Thank you to all committee members for your hard work throughout the last three years and good luck to the new Chair, Damien Kane. I am looking forward to seeing the activities planned for the year ahead take shape. Next for me: I am going to stay involved with CIBSE, remaining on the CIBSE Scotland committee as Fellows Network Scottish representative and as a CIBSE Interviewer. 

I hope my time as Chair has inspired other women to get involved. When I joined the committee in 2015, there were only a few women and now it’s 40% of the committee. But women still only make up 10% of the membership in Scotland and I am only one of two female fellows in Scotland, so there’s still a long way to go.  

Some ways you can get involved: 

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