Kate receives the 2020 award after excelling in her role as a transport planner, striding forward with her professional development, helping to establish a new CIHT emerging professionals group in Bristol and participating in wider social outreach work.

“It has been a really exciting year for me,” says Kate. “I feel like I have worked hard to achieve a lot and I am massively proud to be Young Professional of the Year. It is great to be recognised and see that my work is valued.”

Kate began her career in the sector with an internship at Devon County Council after completing a mathematics degree at the University of Exeter. Her year at the council saw her contribute to developing the North Devon Link Road project, which is shortly due to start construction.

She went on to join AECOM and moved to Bristol before switching to Arup last autumn, where her role ranges from business case development to transport modelling and economic assessment. “I enjoy the varied nature of transport planning and it is very rewarding to work in a sector where what you are doing makes a big difference to people’s lives,” she says.

Kate also chairs CIHT South West’s emerging professionals group for the Bristol area, which provides learning and networking opportunities for young members locally. “Being able to attend events, meet people and gain a broader understanding of the industry can be a massively valuable resource and has helped me in my career so far.”

She also completed the Transport Planning Society’s professional development scheme last year, and her attention has now turned towards working for the Chartered Transport Planning Professional qualification.

Developing leadership and management skills is a further priority for Kate, who also considers curiosity and asking questions to be important qualities. “It is important tome to feel that I am constantly moving forward, and I enjoy learning and developing my skills,” she says.

“On projects I think there is a lot of value to add in people collaborating and questioning the way things are done,” she adds, noting that young professionals can bring fresh perspectives to challenge ‘business as usual’ ways of working.

She also says positivity and showing enthusiasm – alongside building technical skills – can help young professionals to make an impression and progress their careers. “I think attention to detail is important as well and a commitment to the quality of your work,” she adds.

Beyond her work in the sector, Kate has been engaging with students from disadvantaged backgrounds as a Social Mobility Foundation mentor. This involves mentoring an A-Level student on applying for university and developing a career.

(This article first appeared in the October 2020 edition of Transportation Professional)

CIHT received dozens of applications for the 2020 awards, which came from some of the brightest talent and future leaders of the sector. In addition to the winner Kate Lodge, CIHT wished to highlight three highly commended entrants.

The highly commended entrants are;

Nicola Laird – Transport Officer, Nestrans
Stephanie Barton - Intelligent Transport Consultant, WSP
Heather Kirk – Senior Engineer, Jacobs