Alexandra Mather from Canadian engineering company WSP; Chidinma Okolo from the Diamond Light Source science facility in Oxford; Frida Nzaba and Nipuni Karunaratne from Rolls Royce and Sylvia Lu from u-blox AG, a Swiss company that makes wireless semiconductors and modules, are among 100 new Rising Stars created for 2021 by WeAreTheCity.

The five are proud winners in the Science and Engineering category and will be presented with their awards by3M’s Diversity and Inclusion leader for North Europe, Tina Monk, at a special online celebration event in July.

Said Communications and Visual Identity manager for the North Europe Region, Julie Owen: “Our warm congratulations go to the five winners who are all progressing in challenging science and engineering roles across a range of industries. We are looking forward to working with them over the coming year to support our aim of inspiring the younger generation, particularly females, to study the STEM subjects.”

The Rising Star awards are sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada and were introduced to showcase female talent below management level and create 100 new role models across different industries and professions every year.

This year more than 1,000 individuals were nominated and judged by a panel of 51 independent judges. More than 40,000 public votes of support were received for the 200 shortlisted nominees.

In addition, the awards celebrate the Company of the Year; Rising Star Champions, who actively support the progression of women in the workplace; and Men for Gender Balance, who are recognised for championing women and gender balance either inside or outside their organisation.

A new category for 2021 is the Global Award, celebrating the achievements of women around the world.

Managing director of WeAreTheCity, Vanessa Vallely, said: “I am so proud that, for the seventh year running, WeAreTheCity has been able to shine a light on the achievements of so many remarkable women across the UK.

“Our 2021 winners join a phenomenal alumnus of 650 previous winners who continue to soar, both professionally and personally. I am ecstatic to welcome our 2021 winners to the WeAreTheCity family and to watch them progress into the senior positions they so rightly deserve.”

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