Meet the Climate Emergency Group
Paula McMahon – Climate Emergency Group Chair
Paula is a high profile multi award winning Civil Engineer who advocates for an equitable and sustainable society.
Working for Sir Robert McAlpine she mentors staff working towards professional qualifications and manages the wide reaching and varied social value on the A19 DBFO Project.
In the wider SRM she is also a Co-Chair of the Gender Equality Network and active member of the LGBT+ Affinity Network.
She is an Honorary Professor of Teesside University, an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Trustee and Head of Professional Conduct and Ethics as well as Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Trustee and Chair of the WES Climate Emergency Group.
She truly believes we need our workforce to represent our society so we can effectively face future challenges sustainably.
Ana Blanco-Alvarez
Ana received a BSc and MSc in Civil Engineering from Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain and was awarded a Doctoral Degree in 2013 from the same institution. After several years as a postdoctoral researcher working on hydraulic and underground infrastructure, repair and maintenance; and co-founder of a spin-out company, she joined Loughborough University in 2018 where she is now Senior Lecturer in Infrastructure Engineering.
Ana’s research includes advanced and low carbon construction materials, infrastructure repair and maintentance, modern methods of construction and sustainability assessment. She is passionate about supporting early career researchers and professionals.
She is a Chartered Engineer, member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Concrete Technology and the UK Young Academy, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Vince Pizzoni
Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham, Vince has coached and mentored 1000s spanning the whole career lifecycle from school to university, executive and board level, and made it his mission in life to inspire and mentor future generations into STEM, Engineering and Energy careers.
Vince has 40+ years’ of relevant, global business experience incorporating executive management and board positions in blue chip companies including ExxonMobil, Suez, V. Ships, Nalco and P&G and today manages a portfolio career as a consultant in a boutique energy executive search firm, energy sector career coach to students at several prestigious UK business schools including LBS, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge and Chicago Booth and holds Trustee/NED/Ambassador positions on several boards.
These include the Women in Engineering Society, Female Leaders in STEM Subjects, POWERful Women, MyBigCareer, a charity providing career guidance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, FOCUS expatriates and the South Shropshire Multi-Academy Trust.
Vince is also a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of a number of organisations including the Institute of Chemical Engineers, Energy Institute, Women’s Engineering Society and the Chartered Management Institute. He is also a Group Partner of Circklo.
Rebecca Wade
Dr Rebecca Wade is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland. She teaches BEng & MEng Civil and Environmental Engineering, MSc Environmental Management and has created Sustainability upskilling courses for students and the general public. In her teaching she inspires the next generation of civil engineers, to work collaboratively and sustainably to address climate change. In her research she collaborates across disciplines and organisation to deliver multiple benefits from sustainable water and greenspace management (including river restoration, sustainable drainage, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions). She has been named Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Scottish and UK National STEM Ambassador of the year, and was also named Woman of Influence 2022 by Action for Children Scotland. In 2023 she took part in a life-changing voyage to Antarctica, part of the prestigious Homeward Bound International Women in STEMM leadership programme.
Nancy Jonsson
Nancy is currently a Technical Consultant to the Heat Pump Association (a trade body that represents the heat pump sector) and has over 25 years’ experience working for renewable heating product manufacturers. Leading various technical industry groups, she helps to shape product standards and policies that alleviate barriers to heat pump adoption. When considering how to decarbonise domestic heating, Nancy appreciates that homeowners have different requirements and believes that supporting people with practical approaches will better equip them in their decision making. Nancy is a Judge for the National Heat Pump Awards and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI).
Ann Donaghey, MEng MSc LSSMBB FWES
Ann is a senior transformation leader with over twenty years’ international experience across pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, FMCG and biotechnology. A Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with an MEng in Chemical Engineering and an MSc in Change Management, she blends technical excellence with people-centred leadership. She is currently leading a €50m decarbonisation and 50%-capacity expansion programme in Europe while building ACED Engineering Ltd to combine corporate and entrepreneurial approaches. Her career includes senior roles at Unilever and Ecolab with World Economic Forum recognised decarbonisation and digital transformation programmes delivered.
She is active in the Climate Emergency Group and EDI, Ann works at the intersection of inclusion, climate and skills. She founded Unilever’s global Women’s Network and co-created a cross-industry gender equity playbook with the LEAD Network Europe. As a UN Women UK Ambassador and STEM Ambassador, she champions social mobility through education and purposeful work. She collaborates to advance allyship and supports sustainable scale-ups from plastic recycling to turning food waste into biomaterials. Guided by care, curiosity, clarity and courage, Ann focuses on work to close the gap to the UN Sustainable Development Goals so more people and systems can thrive; this includes by creating practical playbooks, strong governance and visible green career pathways.