What interested you about Formula Student?
I’m from a motorsport background, having been Assistant Operations Manager at Brands Hatch Race Circuit for 8 years, so the cars were the initial draw! The more research I did though, I realised that Formula Student is so much more than a motorsport event: it’s a showcase of the huge amount of talent we have available in the next generation of engineers.
What influence do you hope to have on the competition?
Firstly I think its important to acknowledge the significant contribution my predecessors and the Formula Student committee members have made to the competition. I’m fortunate enough to be leading the project as we approach the 20th competition, leading into our 20th anniversary year, so I hope to do it justice and celebrate this achievement by continuing all of the good work!
Ultimately, I want to ensure Formula Student supports the Institution's objective to ‘Inspire young people about engineering’ by maintaining its position as the biggest undergraduate engineering competition in Europe. To support this we will setting ambitious targets to develop the competition in the next 3-5 years to reflect the latest innovation and industry trends and support collaborative ventures with like minded organisations.
Why do you think Formula Student is so influential?
Within the Institution, the competition falls under the umbrella of "Knowledge Transfer", which is all about information sharing between research and development, industry and educational institutions in order to inspire the next generation of professional engineers.
The educational calibre of the competition really encourages the best from the students. The esteem in which the competition is held by Universities and future employers is a credit to the hard work that the judges, volunteers and ultimately the teams put in.
You only have to look at companies such as Ferrari, who recruited 20 graduates at Silverstone in 2016, for a demonstration of how credible, relevant and influential the FS competition is to the future of engineering.
What made you apply for the job?
I’ve always had an awareness of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers as I’ve always worked in motoring/motorsport. I knew a little bit about Formula Student too.
Working for an institution is very different to the commercial organisations I’ve been involved with most recently in my career, but I think the vision to ‘improve the world through engineering’ is so inspiring and exciting, particularly in the context of Knowledge Transfer.
Formula Student is the flagship event for the institution, so it’s pretty humbling to be entrusted with project leadership. The continued success and long term growth of the competition will be both challenging and rewarding.
What’s your professional background?
I’ve always worked on events, but the range has been quite broad. From humble beginnings, organising fundraising events for a few hundred attendees, to events at Brands Hatch race circuit and Ascot racecourse for up to 70,000 spectators!
I began my career working as a Junior Assistant in the Events Department of BEN – The Automotive Industry’s Benevolent Fund.* From there, I went to work for Mercedes-Benz at their brand experience centre in Surrey, as an Event Coordinator. I then moved on to Brands Hatch race circuit in Kent, where I was Assistant Operations Manager and Hospitality Manager, where I remained for eight years operating events such as DTM, British GT, Blancpain, BTCC, BSB and even the Paralympic Road Cycling during London 2012! In the summer of 2016 I spent an unforgettable few months at Ascot Racecourse, working on their busy summer of racing, including the world famous Royal Ascot, before joining the Institution in October.
*Quick plug here – if you haven’t heard of BEN, go check out the charity at www.ben.org.uk. They provide help and support for those who have worked in the automotive industry and their families, so it’s a very relevant and worthwhile cause.
Are you interested in motorsports?
I don’t think you can work at one of the UK’s most iconic race circuits and not have an interest in motorsport! BTCC is pretty close to my heart, as it’s so great to watch on the Brands Hatch GP circuit. I think bike racing is really entertaining, too.
What car do I drive? Nothing very exciting I’m afraid, so I’ll tell you my dream car instead…….a Land Rover 110! If we’re talking something sporty though, I love the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish from James Bond; Die Another Day and the Lamborghini Miura from the opening scenes of The Italian Job.
What changes can competitors expect to see this year?
I’m very conscious that my first year leading the project should be about making improvements to the overall experience, particularly for competitors, by creating efficiencies and streamlining processes...boring, right? Haha! Seriously, I’m a strong believer in doing something well before you try to do it bigger, so I’m not going to make big promises for change in 2017, but I will commit to celebrating our 20th competition by launching our 20th Anniversary year in 2018. Formula Student has an extremely capable, dedicated and influential committee and the members are discussing lots of ideas for our 20th Anniversary, so watch this space!
What are your interests outside of work?
Eating - Ha! I’m a bit of a foodie, so I love eating out, trying new things (I recently had ‘fried porridge’ in a restaurant in London!) and cooking. Not baking though – I’m terrible at it!
To balance out all the eating, I’ve run 3 marathons (03:53:00 PB) and have competed in triathlons (sprint and Olympic distances). I’m also on a curling team and we’re three time winners of the amateur championship ‘Ice Cube Trophy’!
As for spectator sports, I love rugby and, of course, I enjoy motorsport. I’ll watch bikes, cars, even trucks! I’ve recently got into FIA World Rallycross so I’m excited that it will be moving to Silverstone in 2018. I go to the British GP every year, but I’d quite like to go to Le Mans!
We wish Lucy all the best in the role and make sure you say hello when you see her trackside at Silverstone!