In Mouchel’s engineering and technical teams, 50% of staff are women, well above the industry average of around 10% (based on 2011 ABS Census figures).
The engineering business has an office in Perth and a design centre in Sydney that specialises in roads design.
Across these two offices, women are holding a wide range of important technical and management positions, including Program Manager, Pavement Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Drainage Engineer, Structural Engineer and Environmental Consultant, among others.
Mouchel Strategy and Development Director Ritchie Taylor said that the organisation’s high proportion of female staff members reflects the education sector’s campaigns to encourage more women to study engineering and Mouchel’s commitment to employing quality staff.
"We achieved this gender balance by focusing on employing the best people for the job,” Mr Taylor said.
“I think that this statistic reflects the excellent work done by universities and technical institutions to attract more women into this traditionally male dominated sector, and we are pleased to be building on this.”
Mouchel’s design centre Program Manager Virginie Lanfrey is responsible for leading around 30 projects across a range of technical disciplines.
Ms Lanfrey’s experience as a Project Manager and Design Manager includes leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver highways and transport projects, such as toll roads, arterial roads, light rail and bus corridors.
"The secret is teamwork, both in the office and at home juggling family life,” Ms Lanfrey said.
“I am proud of what I have achieved, proving that women have an important role to play in developing high performing teams.
“Sydney is an exciting place to work in engineering right now and our office provides a challenging, but fun, environment in which to develop as a technical expert or Project Manager."
Ms Lanfrey’s most challenging project to date is the Northern Beaches B-Line project, considering the large number of stakeholders involved and being satisfied that her team had chosen the best solutions.
Mouchel’s design centre became a Professional Development Program partner with Engineers Australia in 2016.
This partnership signifies a strong commitment to the capability and professional development of their engineering team, particularly in the achievement of Chartered status.
Mouchel sees this recognition of the competency of their engineers as a vital assurance for their clients as the business grows.
Top image: Mouchel's engineering team at their design centre in Sydney. Courtesy Mouchel.