Sutton-born engineer Charlotte Briers has won a national award for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives within the rail industry and beyond.

Charlotte, rolling stock performance lead and chair of the Voices of Women employee resource group at train manufacturer Alstom, received the Verena Winifred Holmes Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

She has led programmes such as the Women@Alstom Spotlight series — when more than 400 employees participated in interviews with senior female leaders from across the company – and the Be the U in inclUsive roadshow, which visited most of the business’ 37 sites across the UK and Ireland.

More recently, Charlotte (pictured below), now of Derby, was instrumental in shaping Alstom’s new maternity and adoption policy for staff in the UK, which offers eligible employees full pay for up to 12 months.

“I am honoured to receive the Verena award,” she said. “This recognition is not just for me, but for everyone at Alstom who believes in the power of inclusivity to drive innovation and growth.

“Together, we are creating a workplace where every voice is valued and heard. I’m proud to be part of this journey and look forward to continuing our efforts to make a lasting impact.”

Matthew Byrne, services product line president and global lead for equality, diversity and inclusion at Alstom, added: “Charlotte has been an inspirational catalyst for workplace equity and diversity, not only within the UK but globally. Her drive and focus have helped transform our organisation, embedding inclusivity into the heart of what we do.”