Following the 2025 Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Conference on 28–29 April, Leonardo is proud to highlight the inspiring contributions of its female engineers and reaffirm its commitment to gender equality across the aerospace, defence and security sectors.
As a signatory of the Women in Defence Charter and a WES Company Partner, Leonardo is actively driving forward diversity through its Equalise network group, which plays a key role in promoting inclusive practices and supporting women in engineering. Chief Systems Engineer Julie McManus, who leads Equalise’s engagement with WES, described the partnership as “an obvious choice,” citing both the recruitment challenges facing the defence industry and the critical need to inspire the next generation of women engineers.
Leonardo delegates took part in various conference sessions, including a standout panel titled “Together We Engineer: Strength in Diversity”, featuring Dr Chineye Princess Udeze and Freya Woollett. Princess, a Senior Systems Engineer who joined through the STEM Returners programme, shared her journey across the medical and defence sectors, highlighting the power of visibility and advocacy. Freya, a former Mechanical Engineering Technician Apprentice, reflected on her personal path into engineering and her drive to support others, particularly through her work as a STEM ambassador and co-chair of AeroWomen.
Helen Allen, Chair of Leonardo’s Equalise group, concluded: “We’re proud of our deepening collaboration with WES. Seeing so many of our colleagues actively involved is a testament to the value this partnership brings—not only to Leonardo, but to the industry as a whole.”
Website: Together We Engineer: Strength in Diversity | Leonardo in the UK