Rachel Hurst
Chief Operating Officer, Domino Printing Sciences PLC
The face of engineering is changing but there are still not enough women. Rachel Hurst believes more needs to be done to encourage school-age girls to pursue engineering subjects.
As a child, Rachel Hurst had no notion of a career in engineering. Yet she is now the Chief Operating Officer at Domino Printing Sciences (Domino), a company she has stayed with throughout her working life. “Academically I was ok, but I didn’t enjoy school and after leaving I was a little lost,” she says.
Originally, she wanted to study mechanical engineering at university but the lack of women taking the subject made her decide to do electronic engineering instead. She then worked for a local engineering business, making cabinets to store food on airlines, before joining Domino as a test technician.
Finding the right field
Domino sponsored Rachel to do a Master’s degree in Engineering Business Management. She says: “It was an epiphany – it unlocked me, I understood I could make a difference. It taught me how an engineering business runs and how to apply the skills in practice through classroom and practical experience.”
Rachel travelled the world working in product management and then ran a factory for five years, which she says was one of the highlights of her career. She became the first female board member of Domino in 2015 and is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Rachel has seen the working culture for female engineers evolve, albeit more slowly than we need it to.
She is now fervent about the need to get women into engineering. “There’s a real shortage of engineers in this country and we won’t move the dial unless we influence children in schools before taking subject options. It is the people with the right sorts of aptitudes and skills who are not yet considering a career in engineering that we need to inspire.”
Originally, she wanted to study mechanical engineering at university but the lack of women taking the subject made her decide to do electronic engineering instead. She then worked for a local engineering business, making cabinets to store food on airlines, before joining Domino as a test technician.
There’s a real shortage of engineers in this country and we won’t move the dial unless we influence children in schools.
The value of mentors
“Mentorship is also really important: I had an internal mentor who supported me with the master’s degree and helped with career and personal guidance,” she continues. “Younger women I’ve tried to help have had issues with confidence and self-belief, creating an inclusive environment to sustain a diverse employee base is key for recruitment and retention.”
Rachel is a trustee of the Institute of Engineering and Technology and is a firm supporter of their awards. “They offer an inspiring level of awards. Engineers always have and always will deliver solutions to the big societal challenges we face. From apprenticeships and technicians upward to prestige medals, the IET is encouraging recognition for engineering success.”
