GKN Aerospace’s business and strategic intelligence manager sees relationships and a willingness to learn as key in her role to help the business make informed budgeting decisions and to plan effectively
What are your qualifications?
I did a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from City University London which a included summer placement at Dubai International airport. It was a great course and the placement helped me really focus on the important aspect of the aerospace industry – we enable millions of people to travel around the world, safely and on time, every day. That’s a great achievement.
Tell us about your career so far
I started my career as an International Graduate Programme member with GKN. As part of the scheme, I had placements at the National Composites Centre in Bristol, as well as with GKN’s Powder Metallurgy division in India and GKN’s Driveline division in the USA. At the end of the programme I joined GKN Aerospace and progressed to become the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) programme manager. GKN’s graduate programme was highly personalised and allowed me to set my own goals and develop my career path. I am currently working as business and strategic intelligence manager for GKN Aerospace.
What have been the highlights?
During my role as AGP programme manager, I was lucky enough to manage a major project to support the UK aerospace industry as it developed a strategy to secure its position as world number two. AGP is a programme that has led to a step change in the relationship between government and industry, while encouraging UK companies to co-operate more closely in addressing problems that affect the sector as a whole. The role allowed me to get a top-down view of the aerospace sector, interacting with the government and the businesses that shape the sector, and playing a role in developing the future of the industry. I was also involved in events that promoted women in engineering and I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with and support some of the industry leaders of tomorrow.
GKN Aerospace
What does your current role entail?
My role involves assessing the current market and economic situation and ensuring that relevant information is fed into the business strategy. The intelligence I provide helps form the basis for budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning for GKN Aerospace, but with so much data available today, the real challenge is to filter the information correctly. The aerospace market is going through a phase of change and in today’s world, new technologies are being developed quite rapidly. So my role is to be on a constant watch of what is happening, not just in the aviation sector, but also with new technologies, market economics and trends that could offer opportunities for the business.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
My job requires me to be up to date with all current events in the aerospace world, across civil, defence and the business jet side. In order to achieve that, I have to build strong relationships in the industry and continually learn new things. I particularly enjoy being out and about and interacting with the wider aerospace market. The role puts me in a unique position in the business and I feel proud that I am able to contribute to the vision of our business.
The least?
Inevitably with business intelligence, there are times when I have to be behind a desk number crunching, which is not the favourite aspect of the job. As an engineer, exploring the latest technologies and working collaboratively with others in the industry is always the most enjoyable part of my work.
What are your ambitions?
My current ambition is entirely focused on my role: to ensure that business intelligence is embedded at all levels of the company, so that we can use data to act swiftly and decisively as a company. If I were to do something totally different altogether, I would look to set up my own business.
Source: Flight International
