Metis wins Excellence in Senior Leadership award!
We’re thrilled to share that Metis has been recognised with an “Excellence in Senior Leadership” award! Technical director Ainhoa Gomez Larrea and operations director Dani Parfitt were present at the Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering (IWCE) Awards to receive the trophy. This award seeks to recognise executive teams, management boards or senior leadership that champion women in engineering at all levels.
Ainhoa presented to the IWCE judges following Metis’s initial submission – and her efforts bore fruit in style!
Women in engineering: how Metis leads by example
Metis has a clear female majority on its senior leadership team, and on its board of trustees. This sits in stark contrast to industry figures reported by EngineeringUK in May 2024. These found that the overall proportion of women in engineering has fallen to 15.7%, and the proportion of women in all age groups from 35 to 64 is falling still further.
At Metis, strong senior female representation embodies our genuinely meritocratic culture. Dani Parfitt is a case in point, having joined Metis in 2014 as a flood risk management consultant and now concurrently serving as operations director and trustee. We believe that all Metis employees, irrespective of gender, should feel inspired by our leadership – and able to realise their personal and professional ambitions.
Supporting women in engineering at Metis
Our senior leadership team spearheads professional training programmes accredited by ICE and CIWEM. We celebrate Metis engineers who further their careers through this platform, and have a high representation of female mentors and women in delegate engineer and supervising engineer roles. We also ensure that leading female voices at Metis are amplified on our recently-formed Innovation Board.
In 2025, Metis adopted the wellbeing platform Heka as a universal employee benefit. Everyone receives a monthly budget to spend on their wellbeing priorities. Our senior leadership team chose this platform in part because of its female health provisions. These include period and menopause support, cervical cancer screenings, and maternity clubs for new or expecting mothers.
Our senior leadership team ensures that we remain committed to supporting women before, during and after maternity. The team has delivered enhanced maternity pay, and a return to work policy that ensures smooth transitions. We also recognise the emotional and physical toll of pregnancy loss. Our pregnancy loss policy offers paid leave to provide the time and space needed during this difficult period.
Why Metis won this award
Metis garnered praise for its “well thought out, holistic approach to senior leadership”. The judges particularly noted the consideration and support that Metis offers for the needs and challenges that women in engineering experience at different stages of their lives and careers.
They describe Metis as “genuinely people-first, with care and understanding of people’s needs at all levels for a more productive and happy business”.
A word of thanks
“This award is a proud moment for all of us,” says managing director Simon Jones.
“Our leadership team inspires not just through their achievements, but through the way they support and encourage women in engineering to reach their full potential. I’m delighted that Ainhoa and Dani were present to represent our team. They are leading lights of Metis and will be key figures as we look towards the future.”
We’d also like to thank Construction News, Ground Engineering and New Civil Engineer for hosting a superb awards evening!