The SAFE Leader: Engineering Inclusive Cultures

The engineering industry underpins everything that we encounter daily and spans across a wide range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, shipping, healthcare, renewable energy, and more. Yet despite its importance in our lives, fewer people than ever are studying in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The engineering profession not only suffers from a shortage of skilled and qualified workers but an ongoing mental health crisis, high rates of suicide, and stereotypical masculine norms that serve to create an unsafe, non-inclusive workplace. In short: in a world that is becoming more globalised every day, engineering is operating in an outdated mode and urgently needs an upgrade to meet the challenges of tomorrow and today.

In this insightful and sensitive book, safety engineer Mark McBride-Wright explores how the principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can close the engineering skills gap we face while creating a physically and psychologically safe workplace that fosters innovation and inclusive design. While acknowledging the challenges of achieving equity in the male-dominated fields of engineering and technology, why this matters for health and safety, and what it really takes to lead a cultural change, Mark provides a framework for implementing a holistic and robust DEI strategy that ultimately empowers and benefits everyone in your organisation.

Becoming a SAFE Leader will transform the way you lead in all areas of your life.

As an extension of Mark's work as the founder of EqualEngineers, a firm committed to engineering inclusive cultures that attract, develop, and retain top talent, this book demonstrates that success in embedding DEI depends on strong leadership and comprehensive training, and that this approach leads to improved team dynamics, increased financial returns, higher productivity, and, crucially, safe teams.

Dr. Mark McBride-Wright, MBE, CEng, MIChemE, is an eminent leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the engineering sector, and has earned what he calls his "rainbow stripes" for diversity in engineering after setting up InterEngineering, the UK's largest network for LGBTQ+ engineers in 2013. He won the coveted "Corporate Rising Star" Award at the 2016 British LGBT Awards and was ranked number 2 in the Financial Times Future LGBT Lead Leaders list. He received an MBE in King Charles III's Birthday Honours for his services and dedication to the field of engineering. After uncovering the high rates of suicide affecting engineers in 2018, Mark established research into Masculinity in Engineering to driving cultural transformation within organisations and founded EqualEngineers to bridge the gap between diverse talent and inclusive employers. EqualEngineers has since made great strides in educating thousands of engineers and leaders in fostering inclusive, safe workplace cultures for clients such as Airbus, ExxonMobil, EDF Energy, and McLaren F1. Mark also travels internationally to provide consulting and training across Europe and the USA for clients in locations such as New Mexico, Colorado, Alabama, and California.