Women in aviation and aerospace | Diversity in aviation
Women have been integral to aviation and aerospace since Katherine Wright Haskell and her vital contributions to the first controlled flight on December 17th 1903. However, we’re now 120 years on from that landmark day and aerospace and aviation is still an industry dominated by men. What can be done to address this imbalance and to attract more women and girls into the industry?
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What you will learn
- The current state of diversity in aerospace and aviation and what women can do to thrive in a male-dominated workplace
- The education system and whether enough is being done to promote STEM careers to girls
- Why diversity is so crucial to running a successful business
- What can be done to make the industry more inclusive for women of all backgrounds
Meet our speaker
Jo Field
Chart.PR FCIPR FCIHT, President Women in Transport, Women in TransportJo is the President of Women in Transport, a not-for-profit organisation empowering women in the transport industry to maximise their potential. Jo is especially passionate about addressing women’s under-representation in the transport sector and has been a Board member of Women in Transport since 2015. Jo led the industry body’s engagement with parliamentarians to set up the first ever All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Transport in 2016. In the same year, Jo was named everywoman in Transport & Logistics Industry Champion for her work attracting and retaining women and inspiring young people to choose transport careers.
Aside from her voluntary work with Women in Transport Jo is the Founder and Chief Executive of JFG Communications, a public affairs and PR consultancy that is helping the transport industry to decarbonise and improve the diversity of its workforce.
Named among the 100 most influential women in Westminster and the top ten most inspirational women in public affairs, Jo has 20 years of experience in helping transport companies engage their stakeholders, build advocacy for their plans, and inform and influence public policy.
Before founding JFG Communications, Jo spent almost a decade at Transport for London where she built and led the company’s award-winning stakeholder engagement team, building stakeholder support and advocacy for London’s transport infrastructure and the funding to deliver it.
Sally Longstaff
Aviation Data Analyst, IATASally is one of the flight data analysts for IATA's Flight Data Exchange and Incident Data Exchange programs, working with the world's largest flight and safety datasets across more than 12 years in aviation safety, safety management, and data intelligence. Specialising in incident investigation and safety management system software, she brings a wide-ranging operational perspective spanning military, civil, and industry environments, underpinned by a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London and advanced training in accident investigation, FDM, and safety management systems.
Michelle Low
Board Director, Women in Aviation International Singapore ChapterMichelle Low is a Board Director with the Women in Aviation International Singapore Chapter (WAI SG), championing inclusivity and talent development across the sector. In her professional role, she leads IATA's safety and sustainability consulting practice for Asia, bringing expertise in regulatory affairs and safety management across senior positions at Boeing, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and ICAO. Michelle holds degrees from Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
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