Julie Wood

Tell us about your career journey

My career in engineering nearly didn’t happen at all. Despite loving to make things and understand how they worked, engineering was never presented to me as a realistic career option. In fact, my school wouldn't allow me to take technical drawing or metalwork because they were considered subjects for boys.

Encouraged by my then boyfriend, now husband, I secured an apprenticeship as a structural engineering technician and began studying on day release. Seeing drawings I had produced become real structures was a revelation. It showed me that engineering is about turning ideas into outcomes that improve people's lives.

I went on to complete a degree in civil and structural engineering, become a chartered engineer and build a career spanning transport, science, energy, healthcare and aviation. Along the way I have worked on projects including Gatwick Airport's North Terminal, the McLaren Technology Centre, the Francis Crick Institute, HS2 Euston, the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the New Hospital Programme.

Over time my focus has expanded from designing individual assets to helping clients tackle increasingly complex challenges. Today I work across the entire project lifecycle, from defining strategic outcomes and shaping investment decisions through to delivery, operation and service. I specialise in bringing together technical disciplines, organisations and stakeholders to help major programmes achieve better outcomes for clients, communities and society.

How do you contribute to Mott MacDonald making a difference to people and planet?

Major programmes shape how people live, work, travel and thrive. I help clients make decisions across the whole project lifecycle so that investment delivers lasting benefits for people, communities and the environment.

On the New Hospital Programme, the wider purpose is to improve the health of the nation. New hospitals are only part of that story. The overall goal is to create the environments, services and systems that enable better health outcomes for patients and communities.

Across my work, I bring together technical disciplines, organisations and stakeholders to focus on the outcomes being sought, the long-term performance of assets and services, and the wider value investment can create. My aim is to help clients achieve the greatest possible benefit for society from major investment in infrastructure and public services.

I am also passionate about developing people. I create opportunities for talented individuals to build their skills, grow in confidence and fulfil their potential, helping them take on new challenges and progress their careers.

Do you have a mantra you live by or that motivates you?

"Was I the best I could be today?" That is a question I often ask myself, especially on the commute home or when I reflect at the end of the week. I think about what went well, what could have gone better and what I'll do differently next time. For me, excellence is not about perfection. It is about taking pride in your work and always looking for ways to improve, whether that's in a calculation, a conversation, a client relationship or the way a team works together.

Describe your role on a transformative project

One transformative piece of work I'm involved in at Mott MacDonald is the Infrastructure Systems Review, commissioned by the Infrastructure Client Group, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) and the Green Construction Board.

My role is to lead a team drawn from across the infrastructure sector, bringing together expertise and perspectives to identify emerging trends, opportunities and better ways of working. The aim is to develop practical recommendations that help future investment deliver greater value and better outcomes for society.

What excites me most about the review is its potential to influence both policy and delivery. Too often, we focus on improving individual projects when the bigger opportunity lies in focusing on purpose and outcomes. The review is exploring how infrastructure investment can deliver greater value, resilience and long-term benefits for communities, the economy and society.

It brings together many of the things I care most about: technical excellence, systems thinking, collaboration across organisational boundaries and helping society achieve better outcomes from infrastructure investment.