With a wide variety of roles available from application developer to team leader, there are many talented women enjoying careers at this energy sector leader. Here we meet Penny Parker who works with Schneider Electric as a key account manager...
1. What's Penny's current role at Schneider Electric
I teach our customers how to use, maintain and customise several of the products and systems they purchase from Eurotherm. This typically involves learning an overview of their process and the application of the Eurotherm equipment they have purchased, and then configuring suitable equipment to use during training sessions for them. I also write generic and bespoke training material to help people learn the basics on their own without needing to attend any training sessions.
2. Penny's career journey & highlights
I studied at Brighton Polytechnic and obtained a combined science degree. I then joined Eurotherm in 1986 in the newly formed Customer Support team. Within Eurotherm I have learnt about the applications of the Eurotherm products and systems from peers and mentors and by experience and self learning.
3. Describe any exciting projects worked on and the impact they have made
I have met and worked with lots of interesting, clever and fun people from many cultures and backgrounds. I have travelled the world and been on site at various fascinating production sites such as paper mills, float glass and bottling plants, off shore oil rigs, steel works, nuclear power stations and water treatment facilities. And there are 3 computers off shore named after me and 2 of my female colleagues.
4. What do you most enjoy about your role and why?
I enjoy learning about science and technology and the practical use of it in manufacturing, and also enjoy the empathy of teaching. I am not clever enough to work in R&D or the projects applications teams, but I seem to fit well into the niche of understanding enough of the technical details to pass on the important aspects to users .
5. Why Schneider Electric?
It is very inclusive. In 30 years I have never witnessed nor experienced any prejudice or lack of opportunity. It is my personal feeling that true equality has been obtained when it is not even necessary to think about being male or female, and I feel that is the case at Eurotherm and the wider realms of Schneider, in the UK at least.
6. What comments or insight might you have for women working in your sector?
Do not feel that engineering is a heavy, dirty industry. There are so many interesting and diverse roles. R&D (research and design), programming, hands on commissioning, project management; after sales support, marketing, graphic design and promotional material development and ideas.
Sound inspiring!? Why not take a look at the current roles available at Schneider Electric.
Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.