Meet Some of 2H's Inspiring Women Engineers

International Women in Engineering Day takes place on June 23rd. It’s a day to celebrate the work that women engineers are doing around the world and to inspire more young women and girls to take up engineering careers. To mark the occasion, we are featuring a few of the amazing women engineers at 2H.

19 Jun 2023

These talented women come from a range of engineering disciplines from structural to mechanical to electrical. We are proud to have such brilliant people on our team helping us build solutions to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. Here’s what they have to say about why they chose a career in engineering and what they want to say to the next gen of girls considering a career in STEM.

Anzi Nazimudeen

Anzi, Structural Engineer, Woking

I chose to pursue a career in engineering because of my innate curiosity and passion for problem-solving. Engineering provides me with a platform to combine my love for science and mathematics with my desire to create tangible solutions to real-world challenges. At 2H, my days are filled with a diverse range of activities and responsibilities. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my technical expertise as a structural engineer, from analysing structural systems, performing calculations, and optimising structural designs to suit project requirements. I also play a key role in ensuring that projects strictly adhere to safety standards and codes.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

Embrace your curiosity and believe in your abilities. STEM fields offer boundless opportunities for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Surround yourself with a supportive community that encourages and celebrates your achievements. Stay determined, persevere through challenges, and never be afraid to ask questions!

Nafiseh Talakesh

Nafiseh, Engineer, Woking

I am an engineer based in London with a background in civil engineering. At 2H, I specialise in the design and analysis of deepwater riser systems. I was attracted to a career in engineering through a curiosity in how structures are built. Being interested in this field, but not having any engineers in my family made it challenging to know if this was a good career path for me. One of the things that motivated me, other than being naturally good at maths and science, was the assumption that “engineering is for boys”; an attitude that I encountered often. I took on the challenge of pursuing a career in engineering to prove to myself and others that engineering is for everyone! It has been the best decision I have made. My role at 2H allows me to apply my strengths to real world projects and involves working with calculation spreadsheets, analysis software, documenting results, and communicating results with the rest of the team as well as to clients.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

If you have an analytical mind and are curious about exploring a career in STEM, you are on a great path. It is one of the most rewarding career choices and I can say with confidence that you will not regret it.

Yohanna

Yohanna, Principal Engineer - Clarus Subsea Integrity, Houston

I started at 2H as graduate engineer and progressed to principal engineer with Clarus Subsea Integrity, a division of 2H. I specialise in the integrity management of subsea production systems, structural fitness for service, inspection, and life extension assessments. I chose a career in engineering because I was always interested in science and structures. Both of my parents are engineers, so from a very early age I was exposed to different engineering disciplines and the variety of challenges they got to tackle at work, and it inspired me to follow in their footsteps.

Every day as an engineer is very different. Some days I focus on a specific technical problem and develop solutions and plans to help our clients confirm the integrity of their equipment, and on other days I work on project management and support clients by planning routine maintenance and inspection campaigns. The role of an engineer is varied and offers the opportunity to grow, develop and keep learning new things. I enjoy working on challenging engineering problems and am proud that the culture of our company nurtures continuous learning and innovation.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

Be curious and even if you are afraid, do it anyway! It is challenging but the reward of pursuing your passion is worth it.

Catherine Ioannou

Catherine, General Manager, Aberdeen

I am a chartered engineer based in Aberdeen and specialise in the analysis and technical assurance of offshore engineering. I have always loved to build things and push boundaries, and it just so happened that engineering combines these things. A typical day as an engineer includes a lot of problem solving, optimising engineering analysis, and interacting with both colleagues and clients. As manager of 2H’s Aberdeen office, my day also includes supporting and growing the business as well as managing the team. While my role is not strictly all engineering, starting as an engineer has opened the door to new opportunities and enables me to have a varied and fulfilling career. My favourite part of the job is when our team collaborates to find the best solution to a problem.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

STEM is a complex and fascinating way of describing how our world works and how humans and the environment interact. We all have a part to play to help improve it and make it better. Don’t be afraid, just go for it!

Cristina, Senior Engineer, Rio de Janeiro

My name is Cristina and I am a riser and subsea structures analyst in 2H’s Rio office. Since physics and maths were my favourite subjects in school, it was a natural decision for me to pursue engineering as a career. After many years of doing this job, I realize that I made the best choice for my life. What I enjoy most about working in engineering is that every day is different, but I’m always having fun and being challenged.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

Believe in your dreams and follow your intuition. Don’t listen to those who say that engineering and technology are not for girls. It’s really an amazing career!

Elaine

Elaine, Senior Engineer, Houston

I am a senior engineer in Houston specialising in drilling risers, shallow water conductors and component FEA. I’ve always been fascinated by large structures and buildings, particularly those that seemed to defy physics. It was the curiosity to find out how these worked that led me into engineering. What I do at 2H really depends on the day! Some days I’ll be using specialized software to model and analyze a structure or component, some days I’m knee-deep in spreadsheets when I’m processing the analysis results into a sensible form from which the conclusions of the analysis can be drawn, some days I’ll be writing up reports for the projects I’m working on, some days I’ll be presenting the results of my analysis to our clients, and some days I’ll be offshore on an installation in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico seeing the analysis come to life.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

I’d tell anyone interested in a STEM career to just do it. Ignore any pre-conceptions there may be about gender roles and just do what makes you happy. I can happily say that in the 17 years I’ve studied engineering/been an engineer, I’ve only had a handful of instances where I believe my gender was a factor – it just doesn’t matter!  A focus on STEM subjects in school opens up a world of diverse, rewarding, interesting and well-paid job opportunities. If you enjoy digging into details and have a passion for the technical side of things, a STEM career is ideal.

Liz

Elizabeth, Director, Perth

I started with 2H’s Houston office as a graduate and am now director of the Perth, Australia office. I specialise in engineering design, structural monitoring and integrity management of subsea riser and conductor systems. I pursued engineering because I really enjoyed maths and physics in high school and wanted to find a challenging and interesting career that incorporated those. A day in the life of an engineer is never the same. I get to be involved in all aspects of our engineering business; technical project management, marketing, business development, HR, recruiting, and strategic planning. Most of all, I enjoy meeting new clients, growing the business and managing interesting technical projects!

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

If you love math and science…go for it! You will find yourself in a great career with a load of different opportunities to learn new things and travel the world.

Fengjie Yin

Fengjie, Technical Advisor, Houston

I am a mechanical engineer specialising in fatigue and fracture mechanics. My father was also an engineer and occasionally used to take me to work with him. Seeing how much he enjoyed it really inspired me and heavily influenced my decision to pursue engineering as a career. At 2H, I spend my days solving problems, answering technical questions, and meeting with clients. The highlight of the job for me is finding solutions to real life problems through engineering. It is like completing a puzzle, it leaves you feeling very accomplished.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

There is a wonderful world of STEM careers out there and lots of opportunities for girls to excel in this field.

Luiza

Luiza, Principal Engineer, Aberdeen

I am a principal engineer, originally from Brazil. I have worked in several 2H offices around the world and am currently enjoying living in Scotland. I am currently leading 2H’s renewable engineering efforts in the UK. I chose a career in engineering because maths and physics have always been my passion and decided to challenge myself by pursuing an engineering degree. My father is also an engineer and I look up to him, so it all made sense. My day-to-day job is office based and a large part of it involves communicating with clients and colleagues. I love when I find a solution for something that I have been struggling with for a while. It really makes my day!

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

Be brave and join STEM. It is challenging, fun and it pays well!

Marcia, Engineer, Aberdeen

I joined 2H as an engineer at the beginning of the year. I have always enjoyed numbers and technology, and hearing my father speak about his job as an engineer inspired me to follow in his footsteps. At 2H, my main focus is riser analysis and my day involves lots of spreadsheets, writing reports and interactions with the rest of the team. I love troubleshooting when something doesn’t go to plan and also how I am always learning something new.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

It is an exciting career, with opportunities to make things more efficient and better. If you have a curious mind, this is the place to be.

Vicky

Vicky, Senior Engineer, Houston

I am a senior engineer based in Houston. I specialise in riser analysis and modelling but am also the local quality representative. I pursued a career in engineering because I am intrigued by real-world applications and problem-solving. No two days in my job are the same and most of my time is spent modelling and running analysis. I really enjoy the challenge of a new project and working as part of a team to find solutions to complex applications.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

Be curious and never stop learning! Set a vision and focus on your goals.

Yenny

Yenny, Engineering Specialist, Houston

I am an engineering specialist in 2H’s Houston office specialising in riser design and analysis. I was drawn to engineering because I like to figure out how things work. I spend the majority of my time analysing and solving engineering problems for projects that I am currently working on. We have regular internal meetings with the project team to discuss the project schedule and/or technical aspects of the project. We also have regular update meetings with clients to discuss the progress of the work and the results of the project. My favorite part is solving engineering problems and getting input from colleagues and clients so we can deliver the best results possible.

What advice do you have for the next generation of girls who might be interested in a career in STEM?

I suggest not being afraid to explore new things and not to limit themselves. Anything is possible!