Céline and Steve, Delivery Leads, Laborelec

A few words about your career path?

Steve
I started at Laborelec in 2006. It was my first job as a materials engineer, and I worked mainly on analysing damage problems in gas turbines. In 2012, I was seconded for 18 months to ENGIE’s international branch in London as a materials expert, before coming back to the Laborelec site at the end of 2013 to start a research programme on metallic 3D printing.
For the last 3 years, I have been in charge of coordinating the materials research programmes at Laborelec, both for ENGIE R&I and for collaborative projects, such as European programmes.
Céline
After earning a degree in materials engineering in 2011, I spent a year at the ESA (European Space Agency) as part of the YGT (Young Graduate Training) programme for young graduates. After that, I started working at Laborelec a little over 10 years ago. 
I started in the same team as Steve, the metallic materials team, but with a focus on boilers, rather than gas turbines. 
I also gradually joined the quality team at Laborelec, I diversified and since last year, we are both “Delivery Leads”. Each of us is responsible for a portfolio of projects in a specific field of activity.
This means making sure that the projects are progressing technically, that the schedules and budgets are kept to, and sometimes interfacing with the clients.

Do you each have your own project portfolio or do you work on the same one?

Céline
I centralise the ‘failure’ projects, i.e. all the studies connected with damage, whatever the material (metal, concrete, etc.) or the source (conventional power stations, wind power, etc.). As soon as something breaks, it goes into my portfolio.
Steve
My portfolio is more about collaborative research and innovation, research projects identified through R&I, but also collaborative projects that benefit from European or regional funds. My activities include identifying key topics, preparing submission dossiers for subsidised projects, and technical and budgetary follow-up throughout the project’s lifetime.

Do you see being a man or woman in this job as an advantage or a liability?

Céline
I think it can be an asset as much as a drawback. In the Belgian, French or more generally European context, it is more of an advantage to be a woman. For example, at an industrial site where you are truly in a man's world, your expertise is not challenged. What’s more, if I need a hand, there's always someone ready to help out right away.
In countries where the culture is different, it’s a bit trickier: you have to assert yourself, and you are by default taken less seriously. 

Steve, do you feel the same way? 

I can only give my opinion from a male point of view. Maybe at first glance, in certain contexts, being a man can be seen as an advantage, but in the medium or long term, it is your competence and human qualities that prevail. 
A man can totally lose credibility if he doesn't have the competence expected of him, and this becomes clear very quickly. It's over time that you the competence shows.

Céline, any response to what Steve said?

He’s right, even in the case I mentioned, meaning countries where the culture is very different, though the first contact is difficult for a woman, in the end, competence comes out on top.

In your view, professional equality means...?

Steve 
It's natural. I mean, it should be natural, regardless of the specifics a person may have. 
Céline
As I see it, it means having the same opportunities for career and personal development, whatever your age, religion, gender or eye colour! 
Steve
Yes, it should be natural – and at Laborelec, I think it is. For 10 years, my immediate superior was a woman, and my supervisor for my final year thesis was a woman.  As far as I’m concerned, whether it's a man or a woman, what really matters is competence and the way you interact with others.
Céline
At Laborelec, things are pretty well balanced, and our Head of Department is a woman. There are fewer women, but that is more the result of the lack of women in the scientific fields.

Do any stories stand out along your career path? 

Céline
For my first on-site mission in the Sultanate of Oman, I accompanied a top expert: a person with a lot of experience, older, and from whom I had a lot to learn. The first time we met the client, he mistook me for the expert’s daughter and assumed I was on holiday, doing some sightseeing while “daddy” worked. 
I had to explain that I was from Laborelec and was also coming to inspect their plant. It was a little awkward for a bit! It was quite funny for a first experience, in any case.
Steve
I don’t have anything as funny to tell! 
I’m often the only man at project meetings, so sometimes I feel a bit lonely ;)...
I think we’re seeing a lot more women in technical and engineering jobs now, probably because at university the proportion of girls is higher, at least in materials and chemistry. 
Céline
It's true that in our department, things are starting to become more balanced. However, there are still departments that are more male, for example electricity and digital technology. 

What aspect of your job do you find most exciting? 

Céline
Personally, I think it’s the fact that the work is so varied. It’s always something different, and even after 10 years, I’m still finding out new things, and I’m still learning. That’s what I like about it. I don’t get tired of it. 
And now that we have a full portfolio of projects in front of us, it’s even more interesting.
Steve
I feel the same way as Céline, although for me, another very interesting aspect of my job is to have challenges to take up on a daily basis as well as others in the long term, like 1, 2 or 3 years. These very short-term actions are motivating because I see things moving forward, with the sense that I am contributing to long-term objectives at my own level.

What’s the wildest project you've ever worked on?

Steve
It’s a project that Celine and I were on together!  In 2013-2014, the Research Department asked us to develop a specific type of expertise in metal 3D printing. It was completely new to the group, we were starting from scratch and we had to build everything in a very short time. 
For this project, an entire section was related to setting up a lab to process metal powders “from scratch". 
Céline
We were given a room and we were told, here we are, we have to make it a lab dedicated to analysing metal powders and you have 6 months! We started with a sheet of paper, we had to choose which equipment to install, lay down the electrical lines, plan the safety measures to be put in place, the communication, the marketing... We had to determine everything: how many volts in such and such a place, where do we need compressed air, argon or nitrogen, where do we put the equipment, order cupboards, work tables, etc. We needed to provide for a sink with running water, do benchmarking on the builders, the manufacturers, etc.
It was really interesting, we had a lot of freedom for this project and we were able to take on areas that we are rarely involved in, like getting the electrical meter for the laboratory validated.
It was really a neat project, and a great challenge!