Overview

This is an opportunity to hear from chemical engineers working in non-traditional fields, such as risk management and insurance, strategy and supply chain consulting, start-ups, and system engineering.

Panellists will share their journeys into alternative careers, and how being chemical engineers set them for success.

At the end of the panel there will be a networking session and attendees will have the opportunity to chat with the panellists about their career journeys and meet other attendees. Light refreshments will also be provided.

Panellists

Andrea Di Lena, Director, Aon

Andrea is an energy expert with experience across insurance and risk management, consulting, project management and engineering. In his most recent roles, he led the Energy Business Interruption Consulting Practice of one of the largest insurance brokers and he was Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer for a leading energy loss adjusting company. Before moving into the insurance space, he advised energy companies on capital improvement projects and on operations optimisation at KBC and Bechtel. He started his career designing and building oil refineries, petrochemical and LNG plants at Bechtel and Saipem.

Andrea is a Chartered Chemical Engineer in UK and Italy, holds an MBA from London Business School and an MSc in Chemical Engineering from University of Naples Federico II in Italy. He is the current Treasurer of IChemE’s London and Southeast Coast Member Group.

Cat Brownlie, Partner, Argon & Co

Cat leads the strategy and transformation practice for Argon & Co, a global operations strategy and transformation consultancy. Before joining Argon & Co, Cat was Chief Programme Officer at bp Pulse – the EV charging business for bp, and also worked at Babylon health, the health tech start-up at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this, Cat worked at McKinsey on global transformation programmes for major corporations, after starting her career at AkzoNobel – making paint! In her spare time Cat enjoys running, yoga, spending time with friends and family – and is a regular at Glastonbury!

James Woolner, Head of Business Development, 44.01

James has spent his whole career commercialising IP-based climate technologies across various sectors and countries globally. He has experience across R&D, process engineering, project management, operations management and commercial strategy. He is a chemical and materials engineer, is a Chartered Chemical Engineer (CEng, MIChemE), and has a masters from the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

Sion Griffiths, Senior Systems Engineer, Mott MacDonald

Sion is a senior systems engineer and Chartered Chemical Engineer working for Mott MacDonald in their Power, Process and Nuclear division. Sion's current role is focussed on using systems engineering tools and processes to better understand complex systems to help develop nuclear capabilities for our clients. Before beginning their professional career, Sion graduated from the University of Sheffield with a First Class MEng in Chemical Engineering. Sion's master’s thesis was focussed on the remediation of radioiodide from spent nuclear fuel and is published in the Chemical Engineering Journal.

After gaining Chartership in 2023, Sion is keen to give back and contribute to the IChemE and its member groups and would also be keen to help other IChemE members who are pursing chartered status from non-traditional chemical engineering roles and demonstrate that it is possible as Sion, gained chartered status through experiences in the aerospace industry. Sion spent over the years working for Rolls-Royce in their aerospace business and held various roles as a manufacturing engineer (completing continuous improvements in a special process area), aerothermal engineer (thermal modelling and CFD of exhaust systems) and systems integration (ensuring physical and functional requirements between engine sub-systems were aligned).

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenters' own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the London and South East Coast Member Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.