Helen Stone facts for kids

Helen Stone is a famous English civil engineer. She used to be the managing director of a big engineering company called WS Atkins Structural Engineering. She started working there in 1972. She has received special honors like the OBE and FREng for her work.

Early Life

Helen Elizabeth Stone was born in February 1950.

Education and Inspiration

Helen went to the North London Collegiate School. When she was 10 years old, she took a trip on the newly opened M1 motorway. This trip made her want to become a civil engineer.

She studied civil engineering at the University of Birmingham. Civil engineers are people who design and build important things. These can include roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures. After her studies, she became a qualified (chartered) engineer.

Helen worked on many interesting engineering projects. Some of these include the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France. She also helped with building motorways, a theme park, and a shopping centre. Her work also included an aircraft hangar and an oil refinery.

Engineering Career

Helen Stone achieved many important things in her career. In 1991, she became one of the first women to be a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. This is a very respected group for civil engineers. Later, in 2002, she was also chosen as a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

She is well-known for representing British engineering in other countries. Helen is especially interested in helping women in engineering. She has spoken about how women in many countries are not promoted to top engineering jobs as often as men.

Helen also led the Diversity Panel of the Construction Industry Council. Here, she worked with different groups in the UK building industry. Her goal was to help break down barriers for women engineers. She believes that everyone should have a fair chance to succeed.

For nine years, she was a governor at Cheltenham Ladies' College. Later, she was the chair of governors at the North London Collegiate School for ten years. She also led the Ethics and Standards Board of the APM Group. This group helps make sure that projects are run well and fairly.

Helen has also been a director for several other organizations. These include the London Hostels Association.