INVITATION ONLY
The Royal Academy of Engineering invites you to a one-off event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Graduate Engineering Engagement Programme (GEEP) and officially launch the GEEP Alumni Network.
Since its inception in 2015, GEEP has been one of the Academy’s flagship diversity and inclusion programmes, focused on levelling the playing field for underrepresented groups in engineering. Over the past decade, GEEP has supported more than 1,800 students from over 70 UK universities over 80% of whom identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic and more than 30% of whom are women and/or the first in their family to attend university. With the support of more than 50 engineering employers and countless mentors, the programme has helped to shape a more inclusive engineering workforce.
This special evening will bring together alumni, industry partners, educational collaborators, and Academy colleagues who have played a vital role in the development, delivery, and success of GEEP. Guests will enjoy a drinks reception with canapés, followed by a series of reflections, discussions and entertainment to mark the programme’s journey and future.
Hosted by former Channel 4's news anchor, Bridgid Nzekwu, the event is designed for GEEP alumni, industry partners, delivery collaborators, mentors, D&I champions, and Academy colleagues past and present. It will also serve as a platform to spotlight the powerful partnerships and people behind GEEP’s success and look ahead to the next chapter of inclusive innovation.
The venue will be fully accessible, located within easy reach of public transport, and equipped with a cloakroom, quiet space, and inclusive hospitality options.
Join us as we honour a decade of meaningful change, celebrate those who made it possible, and lay the foundations for the next 10 years of impact through GEEP.
Programme
| 5.45pm |
Registration Welcome drinks and canapes |
| 6.40pm |
Opening remarks Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President, Royal Academy of Engineering |
| 6.50pm |
Keynote: Why does the engineering profession still need programmes like GEEP in 2025? Professor Rachel Oliver FREng, CSO and Co-Founder, Porotech |
|
7.00pm |
Panel discussion followed by Q&A |
| 7.40pm | Let's create community |
|
7.50pm |
Celebration of GEEP the last decade Drinks reception with bowl food Lightening talks: GEEP Journeys - From Placement to Profession |
| 9.20pm | Closing remarks |
| 9.30pm | End |
Photography notice
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Venue and Accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to building an inclusive economy that works for everyone. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’
Professor Rachel Oliver FREng Keynote
Rachel Oliver is a world-leading materials engineer, renowned for the study and innovative applications of gallium nitride for electronic and optoelectronic devices. She invented novel methods for the fabrication of nitride nanostructures, so successful that she created PoroTech, a spinout company that brings porous GaN to UK and International industries.
She is a world leader in the development of nitrides for quantum technologies and has produced single photon emitters with unprecedented performance. She has several awards, including being named amongst the top 50 Women Engineers. She has championed diversity in engineering at the Houses of Parliament.
Sir John Lazar CBE FREng
Sir John is a software engineer and entrepreneur with experience of building and managing successful global businesses. He is Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which aims to help young people realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. He is also co-founder, General Partner, and a Limited Partner at Enza Capital, which backs founders and teams using technology to solve large and meaningful problems across Africa. He sits on the boards of multiple African technology companies and previously served as the Chair of What3words. He was awarded a CBE for services to engineering in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2016 and was knighted for services to engineering and technology in the His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours List 2025. Sir John was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and chaired the Academy’s Enterprise Committee, which supports startups and scaleups across the UK and globally through the Enterprise Hub. He has also been a member of the Academy’s Education and Skills Committee and played an active role in developing the programme of study for England’s school Computer Science curriculum. Sir John has also been a judge and mentor for the Academy’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, which trains and backs early-stage African engineering companies. He has spent many years working on tech-related non-profit initiatives in Africa, especially building “digital blacksmiths” and maker labs. He has been an active angel investor and technology start-up mentor in the UK and Africa, with more than 40 individual pre-seed/seed investments. He graduated from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar with an MSc in Computation and a DPhil in History, following an undergraduate degree in Computer Science at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Sir John was elected as President of the Royal Academy of Engineering at its 48th AGM in 2024.
Bridgid Nzekwu
Bridgid Nzekwu is the Director of Media Training at PA Media Group, coaching high-profile spokespeople in public speaking, media interview skills and crisis communication. Bridgid chairs panels, roundtables and hosts events for FTSE100 companies, global brands, public sector bodies, industry associations and charities. She is a highly experienced moderator and conference host and was a former Channel 4 News anchor and ITV newsreader. Before moving into journalism, she worked in the tech sector, advising companies on digitisation strategies and new media development. She was named Outstanding Woman in Professional Services at the 2018 Precious Awards.
Saad Mahtar
Saad Mahtar is the Founder & CEO of Xtract, a cleantech startup pioneering the recovery of critical minerals from end-of-life EV batteries. He is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Sheffield, and a proud GEEP alumnus. His career has been recognised through a series of national and international awards, including Winner of the AFBE Live 2024 Next Big Idea, 1st Place at the IEEE Region 8 Entrepreneurship Competition, and 3rd globally in the Siemens Tech for Sustainability Campaign. Saad led winning teams in two British Airways Better World Action4Impact incubator projects and has received accolades including the University of Sheffield’s Digital Innovation in Education Award, BAME Engineering Society Academic Excellence Trophy, and RS Grassroots Super Skills Ambassador.
Sandy Kelly
Sandy is a System Planning Engineer at UK Power Networks, working to reform the electricity connections process. He has previously held roles at Ofgem and EDF (UK) where his main focuses were on the electricity networks, nuclear power, battery storage, and energy trading. He graduated in 2019 with an MEng, BEng in Chemical and Energy Engineering (Industrial) from the University of Leeds, after securing internships with Unilever and Rolls-Royce plc. He has both benefitted from and volunteers for GEEP: he completed GEEP4 in 2018 and has been a GEEP mentor since 2024.
Mairéad Reid
Mairéad is a Graduate Electrical Project Engineer at Freedom, contributing to large-scale engineering projects. She graduated with a First Class Honours in MEng Electronics with Music from the University of Glasgow and participated in the GEEP programme in 2020. She served as President of Engineers Without Borders Glasgow and a Board of Directors Trustee for Young Scot, influencing strategic direction. Her dedication has been recognised with multiple accolades, including being a Highly Commended Finalist for the Top 50 Women in Engineering (WES) and a Finalist for Engineering Student of the Year.
Gagandeep Kapoor
Gagandeep is a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Warwick. They joined the GEEP programme in 2023, and since finishing the programme in 2024, became a GEEP ambassador, helping with outreach events that open doors for others. Gagandeep recently completed a placement at Siemens Energy, working on gas turbine maintenance manuals, including interactive 3D guides, and aero gas turbines. Prior to that, they worked with Severn Trent Water and Warwick Manufacturing Group, contributing to sustainable pump systems and helped design and build parts for a Formula Student race car.
Kalifat Akande Danquah
Kali is a proud alumni of the first-ever GEEP cohort, which, 10 years ago, shaped the foundation of her journey into industry as a woman from an underrepresented background.
Since then, she has built her experience across both research and industry, spanning multiple sectors. With a passion for people and the environment, she has focused her expertise on product formulation, ingredient analysis, and the intersection of science, health, and consumer care. This year, Kali is starting a PhD in fragrance encapsulation, where she will explore advanced methods for improving substance delivery through chemical engineering and materials science.
Jansel Anselm Dela Cuesta
Jansel is a 3rd-year General Engineering student at King’s College London, currently on a 6-month placement at Amazon as a Reliability and Maintenance Engineer. He joined GEEP in 2023 and became an GEEP ambassador in 2024, supporting the delivery of workshops and masterclasses for the Academy. His journey into engineering started with his work experience at McLaren Applied, shadowing the Electro-Mechanical Design Engineering team. This year, he was awarded the King’s College London Engineering Association Bursary for his contributions to advancing STEM.
Souza Abdi
Souza is a Graduate Sustainability Consultant at AECOM. She joined GEEP in 2022 while at university and upon completing the programme, was inspired to become a role model for others. She officially became a GEEP ambassador in 2024 to help promote the programme and support current participants. GEEP has served as a stepping stone for Souza, enhancing her networking and interpersonal skills, and helping to guide her career. Since graduating, she has contributed to renewable energy projects that help communities reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their sustainability goals.
Muhammad Wobi
Muhammad Wobi is a SCD Project Manager for Kraft Heinz, leading medium to high complexity projects including CAPEX investments, new product launches, cost-saving measures, and supply chain redesigns across multiple European markets. He graduated in 2020 with a First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering from Aston University. He then joined Kraft Heinz within the Kitt Green factory as first a process improvement engineer, then moving to a Continuous Improvement Manager role.
Mohammad Askari
Mohammad is a recent MEng Aerospace Engineering with Private Pilot Instruction graduate from the University of Sheffield, specialising in Avionics and Systems Engineering. He is currently working as a Graduate Systems Engineer for Mott MacDonald within their Systems Engineering and Assurance Team. He was awarded the 2024 Highly Commended Engineering Student of the Year by Equal Engineers, and is an ambassador for the This Is Engineering Campaign and the Windsor Fellowship, regularly speaking at workshops to support students into STEM careers. He was a crew member for Space Health Research, organisers of the UK’s first analogue astronaut mission, and completed their MEILI-II analogue astronaut mission in April 2025.