Elspeth Finch facts for kids

Elspeth Finch, born in December 1975, is a successful engineer and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of a company called IAND (Indigo & Limited). Elspeth is known for her work in city design and planning, making it easier for people to move around. She has received important awards, like the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal in 2013. She was also honored with an MBE in 2018, which is a special award from the British Empire.

Early Life and Learning

Elspeth grew up in a family of scientists. Her mom was a medical physicist, and her dad was a physics professor. Elspeth often says her engineering work is about "removing friction." This means making things smoother and easier for people.

She started studying chemistry at the University of York when she was just 17. Later, she earned a master's degree in transport and planning from Newcastle University. After her studies, she began working in research and teaching at University College London.

Her Career Journey

Elspeth Finch's career has covered many different areas. She has worked on government policies, transport engineering, and even designing software.

Starting Her First Business

When she was 24, Elspeth started her first company called Intelligent Space Partnership. This company was a transport consultancy. It focused on making town planning better for people walking and cycling. She created special software to study how people move around cities.

Her company worked on big projects like the Boston Downtown Crossing and the Regent Street strategy in London. She also worked with the Metropolitan Police Service for events like the Notting Hill Carnival. In 2007, she sold Intelligent Space to Atkins, a large global infrastructure company.

Working at Atkins

After selling her company, Elspeth joined Atkins. She became a leader in their Futures team. Her job was to identify changes in how people live and how society works. She then looked at how these changes would affect important structures like roads and buildings.

Elspeth became the youngest director of Highways and Transportation at Atkins. She was also the UK Innovation Director. In this role, she was in charge of redesigning London's Oxford Circus in 2009. She also led a report called Future Proofing Cities. This report looked at challenges in city growth around the world, using information from 129 cities. In 2009, she was recognized as one of Management Today's "35 Women Under 35."

Indigo& and Advocacy

Elspeth is a co-founder and CEO of her current company, Indigo&. This company provides a digital platform to help manage suppliers.

She strongly believes in having more different kinds of people in science and engineering. In 2013, she received the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal for her important work in UK engineering. She was only the fourth woman ever to win this award. That same year, she was named one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's "175 Faces of Chemistry."

Elspeth is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering's Diversity and Inclusion panel. She also helps judge the Royal Academy of Engineering Launchpad competition. This competition helps new entrepreneurs with their business ideas. In January 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 2021, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.