Remembering Erzsébet Kibble: The first Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Mrs Erzsébet Kibble
We remember the life of Mrs Erzsébet Kibble nee Gulyas, who made history as the first woman to win the “Girl Technician of the Year” award in 1978 (now known as “Young Woman Engineer of the Year”) at the IET (formerly IEE). Erzsébet passed away in early November 2025, leaving behind an inspiring example for generations of engineers.
Born in 1939 in Mezőberény, Hungary, Erzsébet’s fascination into physics and maths started at the age of 14 years old when she moved to Budapest to pursue studies at the Puskás Tivadar Távközlési Technikum (the Telecommunications Technical College), where she trained as a Telecommunications Technician and Engineer.
During her time at the college, she joined the gliding club of the Hungarian Post and Telecommunications Organisation, where she obtained her licence to fly gliders.
At 18 years old, Erzsébet moved to the UK determined to complete her studies. However, she soon discovered that her previous Hungarian qualifications were not recognised in the UK, she had to restart her career from scratch.
From then on, she achieved ONC and HNC qualifications in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with distinction and went on to study for a BSc in Applied Computing at the Polytechnic of Central London.
Her career flourished as an Assistant Test Manager for L.M. Ericsson where she was responsible for the commissioning of the first ever computerised telephone exchange in the UK. She was responsible for the maintenance of the hardware for three on-line computers which were used in the A.R.M. Tel. Exchange for accounting and performance monitoring, as well as managing the on-line testing.
This groundbreaking work earned her the “Girl Technician of the Year” award. Soon after, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Open University, specialising in telecommunications and computer-based information systems.
Erzsébet continued to work with computers while balancing her time to raise a family with her husband. She worked with Aardvark Technical Services, which designed and produced a wide range of printed circuit boards.
In 2001, Erzsébet took early retirement and embraced a life filled with adventure and learnings. She spent many years sailing across the Channel with her husband, exploring new cultures, and studying languages such as French and Japanese. Above all, she devoted much of her time to her family, creating cherished memories together.
Erzsébet is greatly missed by her family. She was a remarkable woman whose resilience and achievements have left an enduring legacy for future generations of women entering STEM.