Siobhan Robinson leads a team of approximately twenty professionals in Kerr Wood Leidal’s Water Supply and Treatment sector. They focus on water quality from source, through treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment and back to the environment.
In her role, she is responsible for staff recruitment, retention, and development, as well as business development. Siobhan oversees project delivery within her sector and extends her support to project managers when necessary to ensure project success.
Engineering revolves around safeguarding safety and health. As an engineer, she believes in the obligation to protect both people and the environment. In an ever-changing world, engineers possess the tools and perspectives required to guide society through challenges related to climate change and evolving socio-economic conditions.
Siobhan’s journey into engineering began with an initial aspiration to become a doctor – driven by a desire to contribute to people’s health and well-being. However, during her fourth year of Chemical Engineering studies, she enrolled in a course on water and wastewater treatment. It was here that she realized she could have a more profound impact on public health through engineering, ultimately guiding her towards her life’s work.
In her daily work, Siobhan draws her motivation from the people around her. She possesses a deep fascination for understanding what drives each member of her team and collaborates with them to help achieve their professional goals. Creating a safe and inclusive space where every individual can bring their true selves to work is a core motivation of her daily work.
Proud Career Achievements
Siobhan’s career is studded with remarkable achievements. Notably, she was promoted to the position of Sector Leader in February of the current year, making her the youngest female ever to hold this role in the company’s history. Her pride in this accomplishment is not simply to serve as a role model for women and minorities in engineering but to demonstrate that one can successfully balance multiple facets of life, such as motherhood, engineering, and leadership.
One of the most significant milestones in Siobhan’s career isn’t solely professional. Becoming a mother to her two children, aged 5 and 2, is an accomplishment she cherishes. She believes that motherhood has made her a better person, fostering qualities such as patience, empathy, and efficiency that have subsequently enhanced her leadership abilities.
Furthermore, Siobhan has received various awards along her journey, including recognition from ACEC-Canada, ACEC-BC, and the BC Water and Waste Association. These awards underscore her commitment to making both consulting and the water sector conducive environments for career growth and impactful change.
Formal Recognitions and Awards
Siobhan’s dedication to her field has been duly recognized with several prestigious awards, including:
- 2015 Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner in the TELUS Future Leaders category.
- 2017 BCWWA Service Award for Outstanding Contribution to the BCWWA – Young Professional Award.
- 2020 ACEC-BC Young Professional Award.
- 2021 ACEC-Canada Allen D Williams Scholarship Award.
- 2023 BCWWA Service Award for Outstanding Contribution to the BCWWA – Stanley S. Copp Award.
- 2023 FIDIC Future Leaders Award – Outstanding Achievement
Admired Leadership Attributes
Throughout her career, Siobhan has valued specific leadership attributes that have played pivotal roles in her growth and success:
- Accountability: Doing what one says they are going to do.
- Consideration: Thinking about how actions and words impact others.
- Organization: Keeping an eye on tasks and aiding others in staying on course to achieve collective success.
- Systems Thinking: Thinking through a problem and breaking it down into pieces that can be executed by individuals or small groups.
- Generosity: Giving of your time to others.
Siobhan credits her journey in part to the guidance of remarkable mentors, both within and outside her organization. Effective mentors, in her experience, are active listeners who facilitate one to arrive at solutions rather than merely providing answers.
In the spirit of mentorship, Siobhan offers a note of advice to those aspiring for a career in consulting engineering:
“Take the time to think about what REALLY matters to you, what you’re good at and what you like doing. Use this to guide you when choosing your work. Also find ways to connect to your purpose outside of work, volunteering is a great way to connect with a community of likeminded individuals and have a larger impact that you could alone.”
Contributions to Industry Organizations
Siobhan’s dedication extends beyond her workplace. She has actively contributed to industry organizations and initiatives, including:
- ACEC-BC and ACEC-Canada, where she has volunteered for a decade, including chairing both BC and National future leader groups and serving on the boards.
- BCWWA, where she has volunteered for ten years, engaging in various committee roles. She now co-leads the Drinking Water Technical Advisory Committee and plays an active role in the active role in the newly formed Truth and Reconciliation Committee.
- Science World’s Scientists and Innovators in the Schools program, where she shares her expertise in engineering and water with primary and high school students.
Positive Changes in the Industry
Over her career, Siobhan has witnessed positive changes within the industry, particularly in two key areas:
- Increasing Diversity and Equity: The industry is becoming more diverse, with a heightened focus on equity and inclusion. This diversity not only strengthens the engineering profession but also fuels innovation in project delivery.
- Mental Health and Work-Life Balance: There is a growing emphasis on mental health and achieving a work-life balance among professionals. This shift has reduced burnout and increased retention in the engineering profession.
Siobhan’s priorities for the ongoing improvement of the profession and industry encompass:
- Diversity and Inclusion: Prioritizing diversity and inclusion, along with a focus on equity, is crucial. Training and strategies are being directed toward fostering these values in her workplace and the organizations she volunteers with.
- Reconciliation: She also hopes to see reconciliation integrated into the way business is conducted and projects are delivered, reflecting a commitment to addressing historical injustices.
Perspective on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access
Siobhan strongly believes that diversity alone, without inclusion, can place a burden on underrepresented groups. She emphasizes the importance of educating oneself about the experiences of marginalized communities and recognizing one’s privilege. Creating a safe space where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work is the catalyst for genuine collaboration and innovation, in her view. True progress occurs when individuals feel secure enough to express their true selves, fostering a culture of inclusivity.
A concluding note from Siobhan:
“We all have the opportunity to make a difference in the world. Big or small, actively working to make things better gives life meaning. I believe that when we take the time to think about what matters to us we can find our purpose. If we can connect this purpose to our life’s work we can find satisfaction in our work and be proud of our accomplishments.
I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to connect my desire to bring health and wellbeing to others to a career in water and wastewater treatment. I am excited about the next chapter in my career where I can focus on creating an environment where those around me can connect to their purpose and find meaning in their work.”
