International Womens Day 2021: Meet our Senior Responsible Officer Hannah Ross
To celebrate International Womens Day we’re learning more about the woman in charge of Trams to Newhaven.
A key member of the management team at City of Edinburgh Council, Hannah Ross is the Senior Responsible Officer for project. We find out more about Hannah’s background pre trams, how important it is for women to enter the public transport industry and why she believes a more diverse work force is a better informed work force.
How did you get started in public transport?
Really by accident – I was the lead solicitor for City of Edinburgh Council on the project when the role of Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) came up. I found the project really interesting and had been very involved in a number of key decisions up to that point, so when the job came up, I suggested to the Director that he should consider me for it. He encouraged me to apply and shortly after that I took on the SRO role.
What you enjoy most about working in public transport and specifically on Trams to Newhaven project?
On the public transport side what I like is the contribution it makes to the future of the city. The way that we travel is going to change over the next few years and helping to shape that is really exciting. On the project the aspect I like the best is the team. I love the interdisciplinary nature of it – everyone bringing their own expertise into the mix to solve problems and move forward. There often isn’t one right way to do something, but the different perspectives that input into decision making means that the decisions we do make are well informed.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Every time I move job I find things that I have never done before challenging. At the beginning of my career I found that difficult. My legal traineeship was fairly typical in that for the first two years I changed job every six months. Starting again each time brought its own challenges – but in fact it has turned into a pattern for my career as there have been a few changes! So difficult, but a good skill to have.
Why in your opinion do we need to promote more girls getting into the industry?
I’m proud of the number of women that we have on the project but there is always more we could be doing. Encouraging more women to get involved in this industry allows you to work with a greater range of people with different perspectives, backgrounds and skills – you are widening the talent pool and that allows you to attract the best candidates. This in turn results in more robust decision making.
Join the International Womens Day conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #IWD2021.