A woman in a man's world

As the engineering industry’s battle to recruit more women into this skills starved sector hots up, Jackie Ridge, 53-year-old managing director of the West Midlands-based Preston – part of the Johnson Controls empire of 140,000 staff worldwide – believes that the female business mind is ideally suited to this male-oriented sector.

“As the MD, I shoulder all responsibility for the financial and reporting side of the business and leave my management team free to concentrate on improving the product and fulfilling their own specialist jobs.

“Keeping people’s roles and the business in general as simple and uncluttered as you can is a crucial element in maintaining a healthy firm and I have always found that while men can sometimes tie themselves in knots over details, a woman’s approach is often far less ambiguous.”

Although Ridge had no early interest in engineering per se and says that all her A-level and degree-level qualifications in health and safety and customer service were gained after leaving school, she climbed the career ladder via various roles in finance and production. Her 18 years at Preston have convinced her that asking questions and being determinedly hands-on can pay dividends.

“A man doesn’t want to expose any ignorance and won’t ask questions, but a woman is far less inhibited about exposing a lack of knowledge. When I present a new product to an audience –and it’s always a male one – I need to know my product inside out.”

“The only way I can do that is by checking and re-checking anything I’m not clear about even if it does expose some weakness.”

While she agrees that women are not natural self-publicists, Ridge believes that a positive approach to networking is essential if a woman is to be visible in a man’s world. “It’s one thing to stand out as the only woman, but if you don’t get involved in your industry and make the right contacts, you may be known for nothing more than your gender and that’s not necessarily going to help you.”

“I have always made an effort to be very involved in my community and my industry and have never stopped learning or going on training courses. Joining the Institute of Directors for example has not only taught me an awful lot about business as a whole, but has allowed me to make somevery useful contacts inside and outside my own industry.”

Engineering isn’t necessarily a glamorous world, she adds, but as managing director to more than 70 staff, Ridge has made it her business to network with the all-male shop floor as much as she does with senior figures.

“The guys know that I expect the workshop to look neat and tidy and they also know that I will spend time every day talking to my staff and making sure that things are running smoothly. Just as I find that a tidy workshop concentrates the mind and improves performance, I also believe that getting to know my staff and a bit about their lives helps me stay in touch with my engine room.”

Ridge says she has often encountered sexism – particularly among senior male managers – but says she is able to ignore any comments designed to put her down because of her gender.

“In this business, you’ve got to hold your head up high and know inside that you are just as good, if not better, than many of the men. As women in business, we need to learn more about how men operate. But when it comes to your own reputation as a senior woman in a male-dominated business, that rests very much in your own hands.”