WINNER : HESTER
WILLIAMS
2024
BREAKING THE MOULD
WINNER : HESTER
WILLIAMS
( SEMBCORP )
“ Just follow your dreams ” – that ’ s the message to girls from a pioneering process engineer who ’ s never felt constrained by being a woman in an often male-dominated sector .
After a globetrotting career , which began as a young chemical engineer on Teesside and has seen her help build and develop plants in China , America and the Netherlands before returning to Teesside ’ s Wilton site , Hester Williams is Sembcorp UK ’ s first female process engineering manager .
But after picking up the Recruitritesponsored Breaking the Mould prize , Hester said she has always been determined to pursue her passions – whether that ’ s engineering , sport ( she played touch rugby for England ) or playing music .
And she says it ’ s vital for females to pursue the paths they want to – even if they are in historically male-dominated areas .
She said : “ It ’ s important for girls and women to follow their dreams . I was always encouraged to do what I love .
“ I love science , engineering and sport and I never felt constrained . My parents were very open-minded – if I wanted to go and do something , they encouraged me to do it , so I ’ ve never thought of it as breaking the mould .
“ One of my brothers is a nurse and I ’ m an engineer , so it doesn ’ t matter what gender you are , you can do whatever you want .
“ Most of the time over the years , I haven ’ t noticed I ’ m a female in what can be a male-dominated sector . You sometimes have to prove yourself to be accepted but once they realise you know what you ’ re doing , they just take you on as one of them .”
And Hester said she was pleased to be joined at the ceremony by two young female Sembcorp colleagues who were both showing enormous potential – fellow Breaking the Mould finalist Bailey Mercer and Best Newcomer finalist Rachael Evans . She said : “ I have a couple of amazing women here tonight with me who are rising stars , so I just want to encourage them and others like them to go and break the mould for themselves and not feel constrained .”
Chloe Hanlon
( Teesside International Airport )
Head of operations at Teesside International Airport , Chloe is responsible for service delivery , providing senior leadership to Teesside ’ s passenger management team , with accountability for customer experience and operation standards .
Bursting with ideas and creativity – for example , she took the lead in giving passengers the option to board their aircraft directly from the business lounge with a host escort – she ’ s described by airport MD Phil Forster as “ a huge asset to the business ”.
Sponsored by Recruitrite
Recognition – Sembcorp ’ s Hester Williams receives the Breaking the Mould award from Recruitrite MD Melissa Coutts .
FINALIST : FINALIST :
FINALIST :
Sharon Williams
( The Digital Gene )
Bailey Mercer
( Sembcorp )
A WORD FROM THE SPONSOR
As maintenance team leader , Bailey , from Redcar , oversees dayto-day maintenance at Sembcorp ’ s Water Treatment Plant at Wilton International while supervising an all-male team of 12 Level 2 to Level 4 technicians and several apprentices .
Hard-working and determined , Bailey actively seeks career advancement opportunities and aims to inspire the next generation of women in STEM .
Director of sustainable web and software development agency The Digital Gene , based in Stockton , Sharon is a trailblazer in the tech industry – pioneering carbon literacy training and challenging environmental impact norms .
Sharon ' s “ Best Before End Date ” blog and advocacy for women ' s health confronts mid-life stereotypes and menopause , providing vital support and empowerment .
Melissa Couts , MD , Recruitrite We ’ re looking to open new fields and Breaking the Mould is a great category for that – women who are pushing themselves forward , smashing the glass ceiling and exploring new career options , which leads the rest of us to do the same . The quality of finalists was absolutely outstanding – it was a long shortlist and our winner is exceptional .