Lola Yomi-Baker is product manager at BioPure Technology - part of Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group. Having studied biochemistry and biochemical engineering, she has worked in a number of bioengineering roles, most recently at PALL Life Sciences and Benchmark Vaccines Limited.
When were you first interested in engineering?
I think I have always been interested in engineering as I’ve always wanted to understand how things work, but it wasn’t until I had my first pharmaceutical job with Sanofi-Aventis that I decided to pursue a career in engineering.
What’s your experience been like within the engineering and pharma industries?
That’s such a broad question! I have been lucky enough to work in quite a few different roles within pharma over the years but I have particularly enjoyed the positions which allowed me to utilise my creativity.
What do you think some of the barriers are for women wanting to get involved in engineering and life sciences?
I have to say I have seen a lot more women working in the life sciences than in engineering so I’m really keen to encourage more women to get into engineering careers. There are obviously still a multitude of barriers for women to overcome and I think one of the main problems is that the public face of the industry tends to be mainly male. There are also so many different types of engineering pathways out there, but many are not well known. I therefore think the promotion of female role models across the wide-ranging industry is hugely important.
Another issue which affects women across multiple industries is that they tend to only apply for a role if they believe they meet 80-90% of the shopping list of skills and experience listed in the job spec. Updating the recruitment process might be one way to help overcome this. Even once you’ve got your foot in the door, men and women work differently. It’s therefore so important that we recognise individuals for their own successes, even if they are not used to shouting about them.
Overall, how inclusive have you found the culture to be in the engineering industry?
Not very! However, that is definitely changing as people and organisations focus on the numerous opportunities and growth benefits that come from a diverse workforce. I’m excited to see this change continue.
How was Watson-Marlow’s recent celebration of the International Women in Engineering Day?
I really enjoyed the day, the team did a great job in organising everyone, especially all the children! Partnering with Goonhilly Earth Station to host the event was a fantastic example of the amazing engineering companies based here in Cornwall and the South West, especially with all the excitement surrounding the recent 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
It would be great to be able to extend the INWED celebrations and open it up to more people in the future, both within the group companies and the wider population. We’re hoping to share future events more widely, possibly by recording the round-table talks for a podcast so it is accessible to all aspiring engineers. As we are still relatively few, the INWED events are a great opportunity to build networks within the female population of Watson-Marlow and Spirax-Sarco as a whole, to help with the recruitment and retention of female engineers.
What are some of the most exciting trends happening within engineering and pharma?
I am a biologist/biochemical engineer by training, so I like to keep a close eye on what’s happening in advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) manufacturing. These guys aren’t looking to process thousands of litres at a time, like their monoclonal antibody counterparts, so from a supplier point of view we have to think differently in how we cater for their needs. This area is of particular interest to me as there is a lot of space for innovation and creativity, they are forcing us to think outside of the box to satisfy their processing requirements.
With all the conversation about AI, I’m also interested to see how this will be implemented in companies such as ours in the future.
In five years time what would you like to see happen within your industry?
Five years is such a short time in the world of pharma and biotech but there are some changes already in progress. Engineering at a professional level is still considered quite elitist so it is great to see the industry actively trying to engage and inspire young people from a wider variety of social backgrounds. Events such as INWED and organisations like the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) are already doing fantastic work in this area, so I look forward to seeing these grow and develop, and working with Watson-Marlow to encourage more people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in engineering.