b'Girl PowerHelping to Shift the Balance in Engineering RolesWith the percentage of women in Engineering increasing, Carter Manufacturing reflects on Francesca Brundell-Romeros path to success within the company.Data published in March 2022This improved my customer engagementin regional sales around Michigan, summarises how the gender compositionskills and made me a familiar faceChicago, Indiana, and Texas.of the UKs engineering workforceto our clients, said Francesca Working in Sales and Business has changed over the last 11 years,Brundell-Romero. Development Outside Carter USA:confirming that engineering remains male-dominated. However, trends areAttending Conferences: I began at Carter UK focusing on the gradually shifting, with the percentage ofIn my early years, I was too youngsales inbox and supporting Unasis, women in engineering increasing.to officially attend conferences butCarters sister company. As the team In 2010, just over 1-in-10 (10.5%) of thoseinteracted briefly with people. As I gotexpanded, my role progressed to Head working in engineering roles were women.older, I started attending conferences,of Sales, managing the sales team, By 2021, the percentage had risen tosocialising with customers, and and supporting account and business 16.5% (source: ONS), with changesbenefiting from networking at events likedevelopment managers. Post-COVID, I focused on associate and technicalthe BearingNet User Meetings, whichoptimised business relationships through professional levels rather than managerialhelps keep up with industry trends. overseas trips to Germany, Sweden, and or director levels. the USA.Visiting Bearing Factories: Joining Carter UKProgression through A notable example of increased femaleAnnual visits to suppliers are criticalthe Company:involvement in engineering is Francesca Brundell-Romero, Head of Sales atfor maintaining relationships andThe company recently expanded, precision bearing specialists Carterensuring high-quality manufacturingopening new offices in the USA and Spain Manufacturing. In an interview, Francescaprocesses. These visits help buildand increasing our headcount at our UK shares her journey, growing up amidst thelong-lasting relationships and ensureHQ. This internal restructuring created world of bearings and rising through thesuppliers understand and respond tomore roles and promoted me to Sales ranks of this complex industry. complex enquiries. Director. My role has become more varied, overseeing the sales team, and managing Growing up in the Bearing Industry: University Placement at Carter Inc.: key accounts while delegating technical After studying International Business atrequirements to our Technical Manager.From a young age, I experiencedNottingham Trent University, I worked atBarriers as a Woman in the Industry:many bearing industry eventsCarter Inc. in Michigan. I started in theThere are fewer women in the and exhibitions, meeting manyworkshop assembling bearings, gainingbearing industry compared to other businesses that we still work insight into the backend of factory work.manufacturing sectors, which can be Later, I moved to business development,daunting. Without a technical upbringing, with today. calling potential customers, and engagingI rely on engineers to fill knowledge gaps.'