Around 265 engineers, directors, innovators and collaborators at all stages of their careers and education assembled at Westlands Entertainment Venue, to deliver speeches, take part in panels and exchange experiences. Now in its fifth year, AeroWomen offers an inclusive and welcoming environment for a professional network of women from all sectors of the Aerospace industry.
Former AeroWomen Chair and Leonardo Final Year Mechanical Technician Apprentice, Freya Woollett, opened this year’s event with the audience including the Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition; Adam Dance, MP for Yeovil; Sarah Dyke MP for Glastonbury and Somerton; and the Chair and CEO of Leonardo UK, Clive Higgins.
Clive said: “Women are taking action in aerospace to make vital engineering contributions at the very cutting edge of our future facing innovation, including Proteus, the world’s first autonomous helicopter.
“During AeroWomen 2025, we heard some fantastic stories about contribution made by women in our sector but also about some of the challenges that too many still face.
“Through Leonardo’s commitment to social mobility, flexible working and events such as AeroWomen, we continue championing gender equality across our business to benefit from diversity of thought and ultimately better outcomes for our business.
Jessica Sanchez, an Aerospace Product Support Engineer at Leonardo, hosted a lively panel discussion centred around the theme of this year’s event, ‘Leading by example: The Power of Role Models in Advancing Women in Aerospace’.
“The panel as a real opportunity to represent women at all stages of their careers, from an apprentice at Leonardo to the Head of Supplier Management at Vertical Aerospace,” explained Jessica. “The discussion was brilliant, because women from very diverse backgrounds shared how they tackled their challenges in very different ways. I hope that women felt represented at today’s conference, so they can feel empowered and energised to take those vital next steps.”
During the panel session, Jessica invited panellists to dispel common misconceptions about the aerospace industry, that can become a barrier to women entering the field. Panellist Jainna Bhalla, a Project Manager Degree Apprentice at Leonardo, described how her current secondment in the company’s Institutional Affairs department regularly sees her attending Westminster and liaising with MPs. She is able to take the transferrable skills she has gathered throughout her apprenticeship at Leonardo into her current role, none of which has required a degree in engineering.
Jainna said: “It is incredible to see so many women in industry share, connect and empower one another. Although we all have diverse backgrounds and expertise, the overall goal remains the same and that is indeed a space I want to be part of.”
Professor Fiona Clark delivered a presentation inviting the audience to consider all the diverging factors that combine to make a role model. She asked: “When you’re considering role models, why not consider yourself? I found myself becoming the role model I couldn’t find in my life. Rather than waiting to find one, why not become one?”
