Nia Rossiter held on tight. She was on the back of a motorcycle, slicing through the bends of another twisty mountain pass in Northern Vietnam. The man driving the bike spoke no English and sped past cars, lorries and cows through blind corners, the cliff’s edge just centimetres from their tyres.
Rossiter was on a three-day backpacking adventure with a company called Easy Riders. With adrenaline pumping, and breathtaking canyons unfolding in every direction, she knew she was living up to a promise she’d made to be more open to new adventures.
Finding the right piece of the puzzle
The Vietnam bike trip was not her first adventure. Rossiter had recently accepted a new leadership role at her company, which pushed her well beyond her comfort zone. She had enrolled on a management and leadership course, and reconnected with IMechE. She even booked the first test she would have to pass to get her own motorcycle licence, so she can ride with her dad.
But one of the biggest lessons Rossiter can share with younger engineers is that there is also a time to say ‘no’ – to keep searching for people and places that support you, and help you turn hard work into a fulfilling career.
“When you’re in the right environment, you thrive,” she says. “It’s so rewarding when you find the right puzzle piece.”
Rossiter with her dad (and dog)
Mentor magic
Growing up with two brothers and a sister, Rossiter helped her family with house projects. There was decking to be built, tiling to be done and cars to be tinkered with. At school, she had her sights set on engineering. She was academic, but while her friends explored university options, she was applying for engineering apprenticeships.
Her first interview was a disaster – she felt uncomfortable and knew instantly the puzzle piece did not fit. So she turned it down and tried again.
The next interview came unexpectedly. Olympus, known for making cameras, asked her to come in on Thursday, and she started work the following Monday. At Olympus Surgical Technologies, she found mentors who inspired her, and discovered her own leadership talents. She moved around departments and started her engineering degree.
After five “brilliant” years, it was time to move on. What she did not know was that the next company she had chosen would prove to be her next ‘no’ moment. With a great salary and interesting products, it took her about half a year to leave, but she had found herself in a place that did not feel quite right.
Leadership and letting go
Refusing to settle led her to CyDen, where her energy quickly returned. She says it felt like she worked a decade in a few years, with an engineering team that exploded from five to 30 within months. It was a bit crazy but she loved all of it, watching as the operation grew from a few devices being assembled on a table to about 70,000 units emerging from factories around the world every week.
It was also the kind of work that prepared her for her adventure at Bühler, a global company that plays a part in the production of everything from food to electric vehicles to bank notes. Rossiter likes to tell people that a quarter of the world’s population eats food that has passed through Bühler machines, including the sorting machines she works on.
She moved to London to join Bühler three years ago, starting as a manufacturing engineering manager and now working as the head of life cycle management within the R&D department.
Her latest move taught her another valuable lesson – trust the people you work with. “The engineers in my team specialise in all kinds of different areas and I can’t possibly be an expert in everything,” Nia explains. “It’s a little bit scary, but great leaders do not know everything – it's not about being the smartest person in the room. Leadership is about building a team with the best people you can find – all the best at different things.”
Her trip to Vietnam was just the latest adventure
Wise investments
The supporting role Rossiter plays goes further than just her team. Bühler’s outreach programmes involve hosting children from London schools, some as young as seven, to show them the world of engineering. Rossiter leads factory tours and gets the kids to draw and design their own machines. In two years, about 300 school children have been to visit. This work aligns neatly with some of IMechE’s initiatives around STEM and career guidance.
When she is not at work or travelling, Rossiter spends time at the gym or at music festivals. She’s trying out Yoga too. Her message to engineers who are starting their careers echoes her ‘seize the moment’ philosophy.
“Give it a go. If you don’t like it, you can always change your mind,” she says. “Our energy is the most precious currency. Spend it well. Invest it wisely.”
To nominate an IMechE member making a difference, email profeng@thinkpublishing.co.uk.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.