In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks with Hayaatun Sillem. She is the chief executive officer of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom—the first woman to serve in that role—and of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. She also serves as chair of judges for The St Andrews Prize for the Environment.

Sillem discusses her transition from a career as a biochemist into the world of engineering, and the work she does to promote the industry to girls and women as well as individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds. On the latter, she collaborated with seven-time Formula One world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton on a landmark study on diversity in motor sport. She answers questions including the following:
— What excites you most in the world of science at the moment?
— How does engineering fit into a dematerialized world?
— How do we change the low share of girls and women who study engineering?
— Do you feel optimistic or pessimistic that we can solve the environmental challenges facing us?

This conversation was recorded in November 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/Sillem

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