As part of Leonardo’s wider commitment to inclusion and diversity, the company’s Equalise network group has become a driving force for gender equality practices within Leonardo and the wider aerospace, defence and security sector.
Part of this is thanks to the company being a signatory of the Women in Defence Charter, a Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Company Partner and a driving force behind AeroWomen.
Leonardo Chief Systems Engineer, Julie McManus, who leads Equalise’s engagement with WES, says supporting the society is “an obvious choice” for her. “We all understand the benefits of a diverse workforce, but more importantly, the defence industry is facing a massive recruitment challenge – one that cannot be met without attracting women engineers.
Leonardo attendees at the WES 2025 Conference
“Collaborating with WES increases opportunities for Leonardo to reach potential future engineers through their schools outreach activities which encourage girls to see engineering as a career option. WES’s work championing apprenticeships also aligns with our approach to early career opportunities, while the ongoing support it provides to women engineers throughout their careers – such as networking events, conferences, personal development and mentoring – dovetails perfectly with Leonardo’s nurturing culture.
“Furthermore, being a WES partner opens up chances to work with other partners, sharing best practice and actively demonstrating Leonardo’s commitment to women in engineering.”
During the conference, Leonardo’s Dr Chineye Princess Udeze and Freya Woollett were panellists in the session entitled ‘Together We Engineer: Strength in Diversity’, where they shared insights into their own careers paths.
Princess, who joined Leonardo through the STEM Returners programme, and is now a Senior Systems Engineer, explains: “My journey into engineering began with curiosity and a love for problem-solving, and it’s taken me across medical and defence industries. Along the way, I’ve faced challenges, but I’ve learned to let my work speak, to advocate for others, and to use my visibility to show the next generation what’s possible.
Dr Chineye Princess Udeze addresses the audience during the panel session
“Now, as a black woman in STEM, I’m proud to be a visible role model, showing others that they belong in these spaces too. Diversity brings strength, and together, we engineer a better future.”
Freya, who joined Leonardo as a Mechanical Engineering Technician Apprentice in 2021, is now “passionate about being the role model I wish I’d had”, having experienced a series of challenges and rejections in her pursuit of an engineering career.
The Covid-19 pandemic thwarted her plans for a life on the stage, so Freya focused on an engineering career, inspired by her dad who was an engineer at Ford in Dagenham. She spent two years applying for apprenticeships, facing rejection after rejection, before discovering Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil and being accepted onto their mechanical technician apprenticeship.
As one of only a few girls in the intake, Freya felt “incredibly apprehensive at first and was worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously,” but found the exact opposite as she was welcomed into a group of apprentices with different backgrounds, personalities and engineering experience.
Freya Woollett addresses the audience during the panel session
“It was the first time I truly felt like I belonged in engineering,” explains Freya. “Having struggled to find my own way into the industry, I made a personal commitment to make it easier for others. I’ve since become a STEM ambassador, sharing my story to encourage young people – especially girls from non-traditional backgrounds – to consider careers in engineering.”
She also joined the AeroWomen committee in 2022, and three years later, co-chairs it and has hosted two successful conferences.
“I have had the privilege of starting my engineering career at a time where the industry is more diverse and inclusive than ever, but I still believe there is work to be done. True innovation in engineering starts with inclusion. Diversity makes us stronger, more creative and better equipped to solve the challenges of the future,” maintains Freya.
Reflecting on the two-day conference, Helen Allen, who chairs Leonardo’s Equalise network group, says: “We’ve been working more closely with WES for several years now and are consistently impressed with their passion and impact. It’s important to us that WES is more than just a logo on the Leonardo website; we want to ensure that as many of our colleagues as possible feel the benefit of our partnership. I was delighted to see so many Leonardo people here at the conference this year, not least our two panellists Freya and Princess.”
