CIBSE YOUNG ENGINEERS AWARDS | PREVIEW PASSING THE BATON As she prepares to join the judging panel for this years award, current CIBSE Graduate of the Year Reanna Taylor is thinking about who will follow in her footsteps, writes Ewen Rose B uilding up her professional and personal network has been a major benefit for 2018 CIBSE Graduate of the Year Reanna Taylor, who has packed a lot into 12 months. As well as serving as an ambassador for the profession at home and abroad, she chaired BESAs Future Leaders group, was promoted by her employer NG Bailey and got married. The award expanded my network at a rate second to none, she says. I am able to call on people outside of my organisation to discuss issues and solve problems. I was honoured to speak at the House of Lords, to write numerous articles and share my story with the building services sector. Last year was just the second time in the awards 23-year history that the top three places were all filled by female engineers and Taylor is only the second ever winner employed by a contractor. Building on these developments would be a fitting legacy for her year, she believes. Women are good team players and we are also very process-driven, which is just what the industry needs right now, says Taylor. A team with a diverse membership is far stronger than one person trying to go it alone and forging strong links between contractors and the design professions is crucial if we are to turn vision into reality. Exchange The graduate award is jointly awarded with ASHRAE, which gave Taylor the chance to exchange ideas with North American counterparts after she attended the Societys conference in Atlanta. (This years winner will travel to Orlando, Florida, next February.) I was able to suggest some small changes that would help them, and I have managed to implement changes in my own company from what I learned over in the US it was really interesting to see how they operate. She would have liked to become more involved with her local CIBSE region in the North West, but it clearly was not possible to cram everything in. However, it is now her ambition to work towards chartered engineer status, and hopes local CIBSE members will mentor her. Taylor is an enthusiastic mentor and Stem ambassador herself and hopes that her experience 22 October 2019 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Oct19 pp22-25 Young engineers.indd 22 20/09/2019 15:43