Jane Atkinson facts for kids

Jane Victoria Atkinson is a very important engineer who works as the Executive Director of Engineering and Automation at a company called Bilfinger UK. She has achieved many amazing things in her career, especially in the world of engineering.

Learning and Education

Jane Atkinson studied something called chemical engineering at Loughborough University. This type of engineering helps people understand how to change chemicals into useful products. Later, in 2011, she received a special award called an honorary doctorate from Teesside University. This award recognized her great achievements in business.

Her Engineering Journey

Jane's career started in 1990 when she was a student engineer with a company called British Steel. After finishing her first degree, she worked as an advisor at a huge factory called a blast furnace in Teesside. A blast furnace is a giant oven used to make iron from raw materials.

In 2004, Jane made history! She became the first woman in the world to manage a blast furnace. This was at the Corus cast house in Redcar. Later, she also became the second woman in the world to manage a coke oven, which is another important part of making steel.

During her time in the steel industry, she managed many big production units. She even spent five years working with the company in Alabama in the USA.

After her time in steel, she moved to other important roles. She became a Senior Vice President at SembCorp Utilities UK. In 2014, she joined Cape plc and helped bring it together with two other companies, Hertel and NSG, to create a new company called Altrad. In 2019, she moved to work at Bilfinger, where she is now.

Awards and Recognitions

Jane Atkinson has received many special awards for her work.

Britain's Top Female Engineer

In 2007, the CBI honored her as Britain's top female engineer. This was a huge recognition of her skills and leadership.

Youngest Woman Fellow

In 2010, she became the youngest woman to be made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Being a Fellow means you are recognized as one of the best engineers in the country.

Top Woman Leader

In 2019, she was recognized as the first of the 100 top women leaders in engineering in the UK. This shows how much she has inspired other women in the field. She is also a Fellow of IChemE, which is a professional body for chemical engineers, and has special status as a chartered and designated European Engineer.

See also

In Spanish: Jane Atkinson para niños