In today's podcast we spend a delightful 30 minutes or so discussing what drives successful careers in engineering and infrastructure.

I say delightful because my guest today is Dervilla Mitchell CBE, deputy chair at world renowned design practice Arup, someone who, over the last few decades, I have never tired of talking to!

As she prepares to step down from the Arup board - a post she’s held for the last ten years - I’m keen to get her take on what drives - and what defines - career success. And perhaps find out what comes next in her own career!

So some background, Dervilla grew up in Dublin. And although her father was an architect, her grandfather and three uncles were engineers so she took their lead and headed into engineering. Having gained a degree in Civil Engineering from University College Dublin in 1980 she started her structural engineering career with Arup in Dublin soon after graduating and later a was awarded a Diploma in Project Management from Trinity College.

Since then, Devilla’s career as a structural engineer and project manager has accelerated and seen her work on an extraordinary number of high profile projects including major airport designs at Heathrow, Dublin and Abu Dhabi, the 2012 Olympics and Portcullis House in Westminster.

It has seen her travel the world and rise up the ranks over the last 44 years to become Deputy Chair on Arup’s main board and the most senior woman in one of the world’s most respected engineering businesses. 

And today she is certainly one of the most influential – and I have to say one of the nicest – people working in infrastructure.

So let’s find out – what does it take to build a successful career in engineering

Resources
Arup website - designing for a better future
Bio and projects
Royal Academy of Engineering
RAE National Engineering Policy Centre
Womens Engineering Society
Engineering Heathrow T5