WSP executives build on the strength of their people. In every region where WSP operates, its local leaders guide the mission, drive the vision and uphold the company's collective beliefs.

Meet some of WSP's female women leaders thriving in successful careers.

Talented women help forge leadership across the UK

Karen Sewell is the EMEIA General Counsel and Head of UK Legal for WSP. She is a member of both the UK Executive Committee and the Executive Leadership Team. Karen is based in our Leeds and London offices, and her role involves the oversight and implementation of all legal matters throughout the EMEIA region, with particular focus on the UK business. Karen joined WSP in May 2016, and has extensive legal and commercial experience, gained over 16 years in practice in the UK and the US. Karen joined us from Addleshaw Goddard LLP where she was a corporate finance partner. Prior to that, she trained with Linklaters LLP in London and spent a number of years at law firm Gibson Dunn LLP, headquartered in California. Karen graduated from Oxford University in 1997 with a degree in Jurisprudence.

Lesley Hume joined WSP in September 2018 as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the UK and South Africa.  Reporting into the UK CEO, Mark Naysmith and Global CIO, Gino Poulin she is responsible for managing the IT strategy and computer systems for the UK and South Africa. Lesley has over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sector with a career which has encompassed a wide range of digital and senior leadership roles across central and local government and the engineering consultancy and oil and gas sector. Lesley joined us from the UK Government’s Cabinet Office where she worked as Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2008 and prior to that, the CIO at the Cabinet Office, where she held responsibility for all corporate services across the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street. Prior to joining the Cabinet Office, Lesley worked as Group Information Services Director at Atkins.

Emma Wyatt is the UK Director of Marketing and Communications in the UK with responsibility for internal and external brand and reputation.  Prior to this, she worked at the Australian property developer, Lend Lease, as Head of Marketing and Communication for their EMEA operation, overseeing consultation and PR on major projects such as the Elephant and Castle development, Greenwich Peninsular and the Olympic Village, as well as managing the Investor Relations programme for the EMEA CEO.  Before Lend Lease, Emma worked on major global, heavy civil bids for the American Engineering company, Bechtel.  She was part of the Crossrail and UK Olympics bid teams during her time there.  Emma holds a BSc in Economics, an LPC in UK Law and has a green belt Six Sigma qualification. In her spare time, Emma is on the Board of Trustees for a legal charity as well as an educational charity, where she also chairs the Finance Committee.

Rachel Skinner is Executive Director at WSP and is the 156th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Infrastructure Commissioner for Scotland, and a Patron of Women in Transport and one of its founding board members. She is a chartered engineer, and in 2016 was named as one of The Telegraph’s inaugural UK Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering and in 2017 was named as the Most Distinguished Winner and Best Woman Civil Engineer at the Women in Civil Engineering Awards. She has authored and co-authored various publications on topics including autonomous vehicles and future place-making, and before that about digital technology and its potential for infrastructure, industry innovation and collaboration. She is involved with major projects for clients across the public and private sectors, including leadership of a growing portfolio of future mobility projects in the UK and overseas.

Many further women executives across WSP's multi-national presence

Around the world, WSP sees many further executive women leading success.

Meet Ivy Kong, Chief Executive Officer for WSP in Asia

Ivy is known for being a dynamic leader with a result-driven approach. She is a Chartered Engineer with 20 years of experience in professional engineering consulting. Her expertise encompasses client relationship management, business development, project delivery as well as employee development and operations. She has worked extensively across Asia where she has established a strong track record in winning and successfully delivering major infrastructure projects across the region including Greater China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India. Ivy graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil & Structural Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to joining WSP, she held senior management responsibilities at AECOM in Asia. 

Meet Marie-Claude Dumas, WSP Global Director for Major Projects & Programs/Executive Market Leader in Quebec

Marie-Claude has more than 20 years of management and consulting experience acquired with various multinationals, including SNC-Lavalin, Bain & Company and Nortel. Marie-Claude holds a Bachelor of Engineering, a Master of Applied Science from Polytechnique Montréal and an MBA from HEC Montréal. 

Meet Julianna Fox, WSP Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer

Julianna is responsible for overseeing the global compliance and ethics program and provides strategic advice on matters of business ethics. Julianna previously served as the Global Director of Compliance and Ethics. She began her career in legal and regulatory compliance as a litigator in the Montreal-based law firm Fasken, following which she was in-house counsel specializing in matters of regulatory compliance for a large international airline. Julianna holds an MBA from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business as well as civil and common law degrees from the University of Ottawa. She is a member of both the Quebec and New York State Bars.

Forge a successful leadership career at WSP

Women leaders at WSP help develop creative, comprehensive, and sustainable engineering solutions for a future where society can thrive.

Equipped with an intimate understanding of local intricacies, world-class talent and proactive leadership, WSP's executive women plan, design, manage and engineer long lasting and impactful solutions to uniquely complex problems.  

Help design the future by taking your experience on a leadership journey with WSP.

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