We celebrate International Women’s Day with the inspiring women working in the LPG industry

At one time there were industries which didn’t attract as many females but now there is a more of a mix of genders slowly emerging across roles in individual sectors.

International Women’s Day seeks to redress the balance, promote the number of women working in industry and the opportunities which are available within roles they maybe haven’t considered in the past.

While the LPG industry has high number of male employees there are a growing number of women working within senior roles as well as talented graduates and apprentices who are making a real impact in the industry.

As part of International Women’s Day we spoke to some of the female leaders, managers and graduates working in the LPG industry. We wanted to discover more about their roles, their career path and training, and what attracted them to the industry.

Diversity is important and the LPG industry is proud to employ a varied base of skilled employees who are working at all levels within business.

Jess Speed, who is Business Development Manager at Continental, and has been working in the LPG industry for four and a half years. Jess was winner of the first Young Person in LPG Award and feels passionately about the role women and young people can play in the industry.

“My job role is more than just driving business growth within Continental. It is about developing close working relationships with our clients so we can bring out the full potential in both of us. I spend a lot of my time researching new markets, products and product standards, so I can have various meetings with my clients and ensure we are working to their needs and offering the best support possible.”

Read more about Jess Speed here

Mary Coughlin is Regional Sales Manager for Calor Gas Northern Ireland and has worked for the business for the past 18 years beginning as a student on a university placement. Her thirst for knowledge and passion for the industry has remained strong over the years and her continued educational development, combined with a successful and demanding career, is testament to what can be achieved through hard work and determination.

“My entire professional career has been in the LPG industry in a range of roles in engineering, business development and sales. In recent years I have led new innovative product introductions utilising my technical and commercial experience.”

Read more about Mary Coughlin here

Dariya Nurtazayeva is COMAH Safety Manager at Flogas and graduated with a Chemical Engineering Degree in 2017. Dariya is working in a very technical role and feels strongly about the distinct opportunities which are available for women and young people entering the LPG industry.

“The LPG industry specifically attracted me, due to the unique role it plays today as a ‘bridging fuel’ and the evolution of bio-LPG to support the long-term transition to a sustainable global energy system. LPG has a vital role in improving lives in rural and remote areas throughout the World and has distinctive safety challenges that I was curious to explore in more depth.”

Find out more about Dariya Nurtazayeva and her role here

Sophia Haywood is Director of Public Affairs for Liquid Gas UK and has been working for the association for the past four years. Sophia initially worked in Government, where she was able to gain a unique insight into the challenges of policy making and has a passion for lobbying work.

“As Director of Public Affairs, I lead in developing and delivering our public affairs and external communications strategies, alongside my team and colleagues. On a day-to-day basis, this can range with meeting with politicians to curating consultation responses, looking to build relationships to commenting to the media. It’s very varied but my number one priority is to represent member’s interests and secure the role for the LPG and bioLPG industry in the future energy mix.”

Read more about Sophia Haywood and her role at Liquid Gas UK here

Melissa Chisell is Junior Technical Engineer at Avanti Gas and was winner of Apprentice of the Year at the 2022 Young Person in LPG Awards. Melissa is currently doing a Five Year Apprenticeship with Avanti and has been working with the business since 2017, providing technical support and guidance to internal and external customers.

Melissa was keen point out that while heavy engineering roles were traditionally male dominated it isn’t always the case especially within wider engineering and mechanical roles, and more women should consider engineering if it interests them.

“The industry has a strong focus on collaboration, the continuous development of standards and the exploration of new technologies and diversification as we work towards net zero.”

Find out more about Melissa Chisell here

Noelene Maguire is Membership Development Manager at Liquid Gas UK and works closely with new and established members. Noelene is responsible for all member communications, member meetings and the Annual Conference. After working in the automotive industry for 25 years Noelene joined the association in 2020 and was attracted to the challenge of learning about a new industry and bringing her skills and expertise to the role.

“I have responsibility for all internal and external member communications and as Membership Development Manager my role is to maintain contact with our members via all media routes to ensure we’re in touch with their needs and keep them informed of what is happening in the wider industry.

Member visits, video conference calls, webinars, roundtables, monthly e-newsletters, a bi-annual magazine and our Annual Conference are all part of my daily role to keep members up to date with the latest news and Association activities.”

Find out more about Noelene and her role at Liquid Gas UK here