To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2021 (INWED) we are recognising our own ‘Engineering Heroes’ here at Pryme Group.

Latest figures show that just under 13 per cent of the engineering workforce is female and INWED gives women engineers around the world a profile, at a time when they are still hugely under-represented in their professions.

To support this initiative and to help encourage more girls and young women to take up engineering careers, we are sharing the stories of some of our inspirational women at Pryme Group.

Today it is the turn of Kerrie Murray, CEO. Kerrie loves engaging with Pryme Group employees and believes that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome and worked through. Here she shares a bit more about her role, responsibilities and experience.

Tell us a bit about you and your job. What are the key skills required to do your job?

As a Chartered Accountant, I was originally the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of Pryme Group before being promoted to CEO.

As CEO of Pryme Group, I set the organisation’s vision and strategy, set and live by our values and manage the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). I also ensure that the business has the resources required to perform. It is essential that I make the right decisions, supported by the Board and SLT, to ensure that the Group performs to the standard required and expected.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The thing I love the most is engaging with Pryme Group employees and seeing the output from our combined efforts as a team.

What does it entail day-to-day?

I spend a lot of time in meetings with our stakeholders, for example: management; shareholders; lenders; customers; and suppliers. Data analysis and market reviews are also a key part of the role to understand how to position the business for growth and success.

What has been your career path to this job? What qualifications and/or training are required?

I graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in Accountancy, I trained with Deloitte to achieve my Chartered Accountancy qualification via the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (ICAS) before moving into industry. I spent nine fantastic years at Forum Energy Technologies, originally a Private Equity backed  company and latterly a Public company. I then joined Pryme Group as CFO, a post I held for almost two years before transitioning into the CEO role.

Have you experienced any challenges in your job? How did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge has to be the Covid-19 pandemic! I find the best way to overcome a problem is to remember that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome and worked through.

Who is your engineering hero or inspiration and why?

I watched the film Hidden Figures which tells the story of three African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the space race in the 1960s. It is a fascinating story, which I found very inspiring.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career such as yours?

Never turn down an opportunity, you typically regret the things you don’t do more than the things do. Life is about experiences and learning from those.

Which projects have you most enjoyed working on or are you most proud of?

None of our five manufacturing sites closed for a single day during the global pandemic – which means that we kept our employees safe. I am also extremely proud of the Pryme Group team for their resilience, hard work and commitment during what has been an extremely difficult year.