One Big Circle Hosts Successful ‘Women in Western’ Event with Young Rail Professionals

Last week, One Big Circle had the privilege of hosting the Young Rail Professionals (YRP) Western committee at our Bristol office for the ‘Women in Western’ event. The event aimed to shed light on the diverse pathways into the rail industry and discuss the critical role of diversity in shaping its future.

The event saw an excellent turnout, with a lively networking session kicking off the evening. Attendees from a wide range of backgrounds connected over interesting discussions, and experiences in the industry. The focus of the evening was a panel discussion led by Lydia Parsons, our Business Development Manager at One Big Circle, alongside Nick Kingsley, Executive Editor at Railway Gazette International.

The panel featured five brilliant speakers:
– Emily Kent, Co-Founder of One Big Circle
– Ruth Humphrey, Head of Business Development and Strategy at Siemens Mobility
– Rachel Pitt, Programme Manager at Network Rail
– Rachel Geliamassi, Customer Service Director at GWR
– Joanna Grew, Industry Programme Director at Network Rail

Each panelist shared their unique journey into the rail industry, covering a range of experiences from their first jobs to academic backgrounds, offering attendees valuable insight into the diverse pathways into rail. Their stories highlighted the vast opportunities available and the growing importance of diversity to drive innovation and ideas in the industry.

The event fostered meaningful discussions, with participants staying afterward to continue conversations, ask further questions, and delve into important topics raised during the panel. This extended engagement reflected the genuine interest and commitment to learning and networking within the industry.

Lydia Parsons commented on the evening, “It was a pleasure to represent both the Young Rail Professionals and One Big Circle at our Women in Western panel last week. It was a truly inspiring opportunity for some of the brilliant rail professionals working hard in their early careers to connect and learn from experienced industry leaders in the Western region – I look forward to OBC and YRP continuing to work together on more exciting opportunities like this in the future.”

Aleksandra Naumowicz, Business Development Specialist at Siemens Mobility Rail Infrastructure added, “Networking is a key part of bettering your career, and we wanted to give YRP members an opportunity to practice their networking skills with senior colleagues and with each other. I was very happy to see how impressive panelists’ careers and advice are and we truly couldn’t have asked for a better panel!”