Cathy is a Principal Engineer with Millbrook Proving Ground Limited in Bedfordshire. Millbrook is a complete vehicle test facility, where everything and anything can be tested from individual components such as window winders to complete vehicles.

Born to be an engineer, Cathy showed technical flair at an early age favouring Meccano and Lego sets over dolls. At school she loved physics, maths and technology and enjoyed challenges and solving puzzles and problems. She received no encouragement from her teachers when she decided to enter engineering (her careers advisor tried to persuade her to become an accountant!) but her parents fully supported her. Cathy's friends couldn't believe her choice of career - though once they saw how successful she was their opinions quickly changed.

Having finished her secondary education in 1985, Cathy enrolled at Luton College of Higher Education and, by 1991, had successfully obtained an ONC, HNC and HND in Mechanical and Production Engineering. Whilst studying, Cathy also completed engineering apprenticeships with Vauxhall Motors and Millbrook.

As a Principal Engineer, Cathy is always busy - trying to manage her various priorities. One of her key duties is to oversee the design, building and commissioning of all new powertrain test equipment and facilities prior to handover to the Powertrain Engineering Group. These test facilities, which Cathy helps create, are used every day to test vehicles which vary in size from small family cars to 15 tonne HGV tractor units. Cathy also handles the general maintenance and problem solving of powertrain equipment in every day use within the company. She is responsible for managing a team of engineers - all of whom help her to complete the above duties.

The highlights of Cathy's job have included the opportunity to drive a Lotus flat out at 160mph and to get really involved in a wide variety of exciting and innovative projects. She finds her job challenging and interesting - many of the problems she encounters daily require all her powers of logic and determination to solve.

All Cathy's hard work and achievement was recently recognised when she was awarded the WISE (Women Into science and engineering) prize at the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award.

Ideally, Cathy would love to be the president of GM (General Motors). Realistically, she hopes to become a consultant specialising in specifying equipment and facilities for powertrain tests.

Although Cathy works hard in engineering, she still finds time to be an avid sports player and spends her limited spare time playing hockey (represented at county level) and cricket. She also enjoys hillwalking, DIY and taking anything apart that moves!

Cathy is the only female engineer among 300 men - something which has never hindered her career progression. She has always worked at being the best engineer that she can be and has received the full support of friends, family and colleagues around her. Now a principal engineer, she believes that her own story clearly demonstrates that women can succeed in engineering and in most cases, as in hers, will find that they are treated fairly by their employer.