Today is International Women in Engineering Day and to celebrate we’re spotlighting some of the women bringing their brilliance, ingenuity and hard work to Keller teams across the world.
“I’m always learning so much.”
Aneta Wyłupek, Design and Estimating Engineer, Keller APAC
Originally from Poland, Aneta completed her civil engineering studies and achieved Chartered Engineer status before deciding to pursue opportunities overseas. She moved to Australia on a student visa, taking a business management course while laying the foundations for a new life.
Aneta joined Keller in 2016, initially as a part-time contract draftsperson. But her talent and dedication caught the eye of management, and she quickly moved into a full-time role.
Proactive about her career development, Aneta expressed her ambitions to manager Michal Krzeminski, who helped her on her journey to become a design and estimating engineer.
“Michal was very supportive,” she says. “He knew what I wanted to grow into and provided me with the learning steps I needed to get there. My current role involves designing piling works and pricing both piling and ground improvement for a range of different projects. My plan is to now expand into designing ground improvement solutions.”
“I like to share my knowledge”
Her most recent design project was for the high-profile, A$2 billion development at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Other major projects she’s been involved in include the redevelopment of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, and a distribution centre for retailer Woolworths.
“I enjoy being on site and mentoring others,” she adds. “I like to share my knowledge and experiences with graduates and younger engineers.”
Throughout her time with Keller, Aneta has expanded her technical and tendering capabilities, and has progressively advanced her geotechnical and structural design skills. “Every day is different and I’m always learning so much,” she says.
Aneta has two children, Amelia born in 2018 and Bianca in 2023. She’s found Keller Australia to be a supportive environment for working mothers and was able to take a full year’s maternity leave. for both her children. She currently works three days a week and plans to move to four later this year.
“Keller’s done an outstanding job of making women feel comfortable and supported.”
Tori Howard, Design Engineer, Keller NA
Tori says she felt like ‘a puppy shot to Mars’, when she first joined Keller as a field engineer fresh out of university. “It was a very steep learning curve, but honestly there’s no better way to learn what we do than being out in the field and getting hands on.”
After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in civil and environmental engineering, Tori first came into contact with Keller at an engineering careers fair. She quickly impressed recruiters, secured an interview and joined the Maryland office.
“The next two and a half years were the best experience of my life,” she adds. “I was involved in quality assurance / quality control, and helping to facilitate production and safety, as well as liaising with clients. But what you’re really there to do is learn.
“Initially I was based out of Maryland, but I got the chance to work in places like Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, and that gave me such a good grounding in what Keller does.”
“The best team I could possibly ask for”
Tori later moved to the Greensboro, North Carolina branch and became a design engineer. The role involves designing preliminary piling schemes at the bidding stage and then, if Keller wins the contract, creating a more detailed solution. “At that stage, I can really dig into the project and look at ways we can value engineer it to create a more efficient solution.
“I’m still early in my career but there are so many experienced people I can turn to for support. I work with the best team I could possibly ask for. My boss is fantastic, always there to problem-solve with me, and I’ve learned a lot from project managers. One of the great things about Keller is that we’re pushing the boundaries of the industry – and that’s really cool.
“I think the company’s done an outstanding job of making women feel comfortable and supported – even in the few years I’ve been working there are now so many more women studying the subject and coming into the industry. And now it’s my turn to go to careers fairs and inspire young women to join us.”
“It’s a pleasure to join with other Keller women – women who are formidable, creative and innovative.”
Alya Hashim, Site Engineer, Keller EME
Born and raised in Oman, Alya graduated from the country’s National University of Science and Technology in 2021 with a degree in civil engineering. She joined Keller in 2023, attracted by the chance to advance her career and learn a broad range of geotechnical techniques.
“As a site engineer, my job is to manage the projects from start to finish,” she says. “My responsibilities include planning the project, coordinating with different teams to ensure smooth workflow, and making sure that all work meets the required quality standards. I monitor the project schedule to keep everything on track.
“When challenges arise, I work to find effective solutions and keep clear communication with clients, contractors and other stakeholders. I also prepare detailed progress reports to keep management informed throughout the project. I’m also involved with the sales team in preparing tenders for upcoming projects.”
Alya’s been involved in several major projects in Oman, notably two luxury residential developmentsin Al Mouj, Muscat and a liquefied natural gas bunkering project at the port of Sohar, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East.
“I hope to become a role model”
“I’m very proud to be a part of the organisation and work with such a good team,” Alya says. “Every day there are opportunities to learn. I’m also very grateful to be involved with the Keller Women in Construction [KWIC] community. KWIC embodies the values I believe in – giving and cooperation – and is helping to enhance my personal and professional abilities.
“Companies need initiatives like KWIC to create communities that support their employees. I’m the only woman in my office, so it’s a pleasure to join with other Keller women – women who are formidable, creative and innovative. I’ve heard their stories and I’m so eager to learn from them and exchange my knowledge.
“I know I’m still at the beginning of my journey, but I hope to make a meaningful contribution to Keller and the KWIC community, build relationships with other women and one day become a role model myself.”
“We’re seeing more and more women in technical roles at Keller.”
Malini Waldenberger, Project Manager, Keller EME
Going into engineering felt like a natural step for Malini. As well as growing up with family in the industry, she’d always been drawn to subjects like physics and maths.
Born in India and raised in Germany, she learned about civil engineering through an uncle and cousin and was encouraged by a greater gender balance than in other technical fields such as mechanical engineering or IT.
After graduating from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, she spent six years as a consultant writing geotechnical reports, with the occasional opportunity to work on site.
“I realised that to truly understand geotechnical methods and techniques, I needed to move to the execution side of the industry,” she says. “I’d already worked with Keller on some projects and always had very positive experiences, so that made the decision to join them easier. Coming to such a big, well-known geotechnical company was a little intimidating at first, but it was absolutely the right step for my professional growth.”
“I’m proud to be part of the change”
Malini started her Keller career in 2019 as a site engineer before progressing to project manager. “One thing I really value here is the strong focus on technical solutions,” she explains. “While the result on site is ultimately what matters, what makes the work so rewarding is the culture of fairness and solution-oriented collaboration, both with site colleagues and the engineering teams in the office.
“Another aspect I really appreciate is seeing more and more women in technical roles at Keller. When I first joined, there were still relatively few women working as site managers or project managers. But that’s changed significantly over the years. I’ve got to know many of my female colleagues in Germany, and there’s a strong sense of mutual support among us.
“I believe visibility is key: the more women who are seen leading projects, solving complex problems and making decisions on site, the more natural it becomes for the next generation to see themselves in these roles. I’m proud to be part of the change.”
“I’m excited to be here – there are a lot of opportunities.”
Zoe Melo, Business Development Director, GKM Consultants
It’s only been six months since Zoe joined GKM Consultants – a specialist geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring company that’s part of Keller Canada – but she’s already feeling at home.
“I’d been with my previous company for seven years and that was the only one I’d worked for, so moving jobs was pretty nerve-racking,” she says. “But straight away I felt very welcome and supported. It’s super-friendly at GKM and everyone’s willing to help at any time – it really feels like we’re all working together.”
Not only was the move to GKM a change in company for Zoe, but also a change in direction.
She was inspired to study engineering after the campaigning group Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) spoke at her high school. She went on to study at Ontario’s Queen’s University before moving back to her native Toronto to join a geotechnical company specialising in excavation shoring design and monitoring.
“I had a very good female mentor”
“Early on I was involved in field work, site inspections and monitoring, before progressing into design,” she explains. “At this company I was able to do a bit of everything and got a well-rounded experience. I also had a very good female mentor, who was the owner of the business.
“I became increasingly interested in the business side of things and wanted to be more client facing. It was time for a new challenge and to step out of my comfort zone, so GKM was the perfect fit. I’m excited to be here – there are a lot of opportunities.”
Based in Toronto, Zoe puts together quotes and large proposals, and promotes GKM’s turnkey solutions among prospective clients through networking and conferences. Toronto has a rich seam of infrastructure projects, so her aim is to help expand the business there.
Zoe says that over the years she’s noticed a big increase in the number of women in the industry, particularly in higher management and senior leadership roles. She credits outreach programmes like those run by WISE for helping to inspire more women to follow engineering career paths.
“I’ve been to a lot of industry networking events over the years and it’s gone from barely any women to seeing so many more women in the room and appearing on panels. We’re definitely getting there.”