Published: Fri 12 Dec 2025
Engineer honoured for 40 years of mentorship with the Gender Diversity Ambassador Award 2025
Vince Pizzoni has been awarded the Gender Diversity Ambassador Award at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards, held at IET London: Savoy Place last night.
With over 40 years of experience, Vince has mentored and sponsored thousands of engineers, championing diversity and inclusion throughout his career. He serves as a Trustee, Non-Executive Board Member and Ambassador for organisations including Male Allies UK, the Women in Engineering Society, POWERful Women, and several initiatives supporting women in STEM and students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
His commitment to allyship and mentorship has earned him numerous accolades, including the TechWomen100 Award for Gender Balance and the Men as Allies Award from the Women’s Engineering Society.
This lifetime achievement award has been created in recognition of an individual’s hard work in achieving gender equality within the engineering industry. The award aims to showcase innovation and good practice to compliment the YWE Awards, by recognising the support and encouragement of women in STEM careers.
Through his work, Vince is breaking barriers and creating opportunities for women to thrive in STEM.
On winning, he said: “For me, this platform isn’t about me alone; it’s about the people I work with and the change we can create together. Visibility matters. When senior leaders and advocates step forward, it sends a powerful message that inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. I want to use this recognition to keep pushing for sponsorship and opportunities for women and underrepresented groups, so they not only enter the profession but stay and thrive.”
“Building on that, the biggest challenge we face is retention. We’re doing better at bringing women into engineering, but too many leave between five and twenty years into their careers. To change that, we need more visible opportunities and advocacy for progression. That’s where I try to make a difference. The more visible champions we have, the faster we’ll see real change - and that includes engaging men as allies too.”
Other winners include Jennifer Barry, Senior Systems Engineer at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), who was named Young Woman Engineer of the Year, Amy Dillon, a Principal Engineer at Design ID who won the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize, and Rachel Donaghey, a Service Introduction Manager at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) who won the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices. Rachel Hayden and Nikkala Pokojski were both highly commended.
The IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards aim to showcase the breadth of opportunities for young women in engineering and technology. By highlighting these role models, the IET hopes to address the UK’s engineering skills shortage and encourage more girls and women into the profession.
Dr Laura Norton, Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the IET, said: “Engineering and technology are at the heart of solving global challenges and shaping a better future for all. Yet, despite the exciting opportunities this sector offers, women remain significantly underrepresented, making up just 16.9% of the engineering and technology workforce. This is often due to misconceptions about what engineering involves, persistent gender stereotypes and a lack of visible role models for young people.
Our awards shine a spotlight on incredible individuals who are breaking down these barriers. They are not only leaders in their fields but also powerful ambassadors for the profession. I’d like to congratulate all this year’s winners and finalists – they are inspiring examples of what’s possible and will help encourage more girls to consider engineering as a career.
Engineering is creative, diverse, and impactful – it’s a profession that changes lives and shapes the world. We must continue to champion these opportunities to the next generation.”
This year’s YWE Awards were sponsored by GCHQ, Leonardo, London Stanstead Airport, MBDA, Northrop Grumman, Royal Air Force, and BAE Systems.
Entries for the 2026 Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards open on 8 March 2026. To find out more information, please visit www.theiet.org/ywe.
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Notes to editors:
Please note that photos from the awards ceremony are available upon request.
About the IET
- We inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.
- We are a diverse home for engineering and technology intelligence throughout the world. This breadth and depth means we are uniquely placed to help the sector progress society.
- We want to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the number of engineering apprentices.
- Interview opportunities are available with our spokespeople from a range of engineering and technology disciplines including cyber-security, energy, engineering skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology, transport and diversity in engineering.
- For more information, visit www.theiet.org.
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Media enquiries to:
Megan Stearn
Senior Communications Executive
E: meganstearn@theiet.org