EngineeringUK welcomes new trustees

Laura Hughes (left) and Dame Tamara Finkelstein are the latest trustees at EngineeringUK

EngineeringUK is pleased to announce the appointment of two new trustees. Laura Hughes joined the board in May 2026 and Dame Tamara Finkelstein DCB joined in February 2026.

Laura Hughes is a chartered chemical engineer with over 25 years’ experience across engineering, infrastructure and the energy transition. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Energy Institute. She brings strong board-level governance expertise, having served as a non-executive director at The Welding Institute. She has also been a statutory director for multiple UK entities at Fugro, alongside trustee responsibilities for pension schemes.

Laura has held senior executive roles including Energy Sector director at Costain and UK Country director at Fugro, leading major engineering businesses and programmes in highly regulated environments. She has extensive experience working with government, regulators and industry to support complex, evidence-based investment and delivery decisions. She is a passionate advocate for the role of engineers in developing sustainable energy solutions and infrastructure and prioritises inclusive leadership as a means of building future capability.

She said: “I’m really delighted to be joining EngineeringUK as a trustee. This role brings together my passion for engineering and for connecting industry, education and policy to create real impact. I’m excited to work with such a strong executive team and an inspiring group of trustees to support the development of a diverse and future-ready engineering workforce.”

Dame Tamara Finkelstein DCB was appointed to the role of chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering in February 2026 and joins EngineeringUK’s Board as an ex-officio trustee. She is a trained engineer and economist and has supported the work of the Academy in government. This includes as a champion of the Policy Fellowships programme and participant in the pilot Senior Policy Fellowships programme.

She has also fulfilled a number of charity leadership and advisory roles, including as vice-chair of Norwood, a charity for vulnerable children and people with learning disabilities. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB) in the 2025 New Year Honours for public service.

Prior to her current role, Dame Finkelstein had a long and successful career as a senior leader in the civil service. Her most recent role being Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In this role, she led the department through Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she oversaw the government’s response to food supply issues. As Leader of the Policy Profession in government she also worked closely with the science and engineering profession to raise science and engineering capability in policy professionals. This resulted in raising the percentage of STEM graduates in the policy fast stream from 9% to 31% over the 5 years to 2025.

Dame Finkelstein said: “EngineeringUK plays a vital role in supporting a diverse and sustainable pipeline of engineering talent, working with partners across the sector to inspire and support the next generation. Through my role as CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, I’m pleased to support its work as a trustee as part of our shared commitment to building engineering capability fit for the future.”

The new appointments follow the departure of Jacqui Ferguson, who has been a trustee of EngineeringUK since 2018, serving the maximum two full terms totalling eight years. She has held key roles within the organisation, including deputy chair and chair of the Nominations & Remuneration Committee. She is currently a non‑executive director at the National Grid and Croda plc, and serves as Senior Independent Director at both Croda plc and Softcat plc.

EngineeringUK Chair, Iain Conn added: “I am delighted to welcome Laura and Tamara to our board of trustees. Their experience and perspectives will be of huge value as we emphasise the central role of engineering and technology in the future of the UK and inspire more young people to choose engineering and technology careers. I would also like to thank Jacqui for her commitment and significant contribution to our board and executive team, and to EngineeringUK’s agenda, capabilities and impact over the last 8 years”.