Ruth Tatanga CEng MCIBSE rises to the #CIBSE125Challenges by sharing her engineering journey



The theme for #NationalEngineeringDay 2022 is how engineering improves lives. We hear from Ruth Tatanga, CEng MCIBSE as she shares her engineering journey, rising to the #CIBSE125Challenges and celebrating #NationalEngineeringDay (02 November 2022)

Ruth is chair of the Young Engineers Network (YEN) London Committee. She is also a member of CIBSE's Minority Ethnic Group Panel and was one of the 2022 judges for the Apprentice of the Year, at the CIBSE Young Engineers Awards (11 October 2022). 



Read about Ruth's journey below:

I wanted to work in the energy sector in general as, growing up in Cameroon, it was the main driver of the economy and employment. I started my journey with the French equivalent of an HND in Energy Engineering, and the internship at the end of the program was what made me fall in love with building services and sustainability. I went to Guadeloupe Island for three months and worked on energy audits and energy efficiency refurbishment. During this time, I realised that what I loved most about building services engineering and sustainability was how these can help revive a building or bring it back to life, and create an environment where people can feel safe, comfortable and happy.

That is why I continued with a BEng and then a master’s degree in Sustainable Construction and Energy Efficiency via an apprenticeship at ESTP Paris.

When I moved to the UK, I was introduced to two organisations: CIBSE and STEM Ambassadors. These helped with my personal growth and gave me a platform to interact with local people, whilst growing my professional network. I joined CIBSE YEN London in 2019, and it was amazing! I wasn’t the only non-British person, and the group was diverse and welcoming. I’ve since taken on more responsibilities, and the past Chair even encouraged me to apply for the Vice-Chair position.

I was also blessed to find a mentor in every consultancy I joined; someone whose heart resonates with yours. After all, we are all humans before being engineers. These mentors encouraged me to pursue roles I was unsure to apply for and challenged me positively. For example, my mentor at BHE, Esther Martinez, would explain the difference in expressions between Europe and UK, and Simon Leonard, my Director at Waterman Group, is challenging my design decisions and guiding me on how to work collaboratively with other parties on a project.

Looking back, I realise how much I was inspired every time the engineers I encountered shared the story of their journeys with me and I can really notice my growth, both personally and professionally. Their stories are so diverse, and that’s the beauty of a career in building services engineering.

Through Kevin Mitchell’s #CIBSE125Challenges, to celebrate CIBSE’s 125 anniversary, I was able to reflect on my career journey so far and consider how I can continue taking part in the growth of our industry in the future.

Get involved, share your experience, and rise to the #CIBSE125Challenges

Share your #CIBSE125Challenges by engaging with one of the following:

Celebrate - your building services icon

Inspire - future engineers

Boost - development of an early years engineer

Share - your building services story

Engage - with your peers to share knowledge & fight climate change

If you would like more information about how to get involved or if you would like to share something about one of the challenges, please contact challenges@cibse.org or download the brochure

 


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