Helen Adamson

A mentor to young professionals, Helen empowers and supports young engineers early in their careers by encouraging them to get involved in various committees and offering opportunities for them to shine.

Helen has taken the initiative to create several employee engagement surveys where employees can anonymously give their feedback and honest opinion. Her desire to learn about others, their cultures, and experiences has made her a pillar of support for so many. As a nominator of Helen shared, “She focuses not only on diversity, but also inclusion. She ensures everyone feels welcome to share their thoughts and no one feels left out.”

An advocate for women in engineering, Helen has used her personal experiences to fuel her drive against bias. She challenges that status quo, acting as a role model for other young women professionals who aspire for greatness.

Why do you believe in diversity and inclusion?

The world is full of people of varied backgrounds, beliefs, thoughts, ideas, views, and experiences that can be so different from our own. This provides an opportunity to challenge our thinking and consider things from an alternate perspective. Ultimately though I believe in ‘do unto others as you would have done unto you’. I want to feel like I belong, and can speak up, share my thoughts, and be heard with equal consideration, and I feel everyone else should have that opportunity too.

What do you think we need to do as individuals to improve inclusivity?

Actively work on making people feel welcome and that they belong – invite people to participate, ask them to share their thoughts, encourage and make time for constructive discussion particularly when varied viewpoints exist, and display an appropriate code of social conduct.

What does positive change mean to you?

It means bringing a positive & collaborative mindset and working together to achieve change. Encouraging awareness of the wider world, understanding of people from different places, being grateful and every day taking action, even in the minutest of ways, to demonstrate care and consideration for each other and the world around us.

What are you most proud of?

Having a happy family, raising capable children who are broad minded global citizens, being part of teams who have achieved great things.

What do you like most about working at Hatch? How do you think the Hatch culture is different from other companies?

The people, the people, the people! The flexibility. The opportunities. This is why I have stayed longer than I ever imagined when I joined. The capability and behaviours of the people is what makes the company, in my view. I like to think that what makes us different is our structure. That it provides people the opportunity to be their best. I’ve worked in many roles and projects, and in all cases, the quality of the team is what stands out in my memory.