Charting the pioneering women of Cochran
Category: General
Published: 19/06/2026
As International Women In Engineering Day is approaching, we’ve spent some time reflecting on this year’s theme of Engineering Intelligence and talking to our female employees. But it would be remiss of us not to start with the story of Dame Caroline Haslett.
Whilst many may know of her as the first secretary of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), first director of the Electrical Association for Women of which she was a joint-founder and a companion of the IEE (now the IET), but to us – she was a pioneering force within our organisation back in the first world war.
The artist,
The Boy Fitz Hammond, has created an engaging story board of Caroline’s career journey which included joining Cochran in 1914 before working for the company and receiving basic engineering training at our current site in Annan. It was from this point in 1919 that she went on to further develop her interest in engineering.
Following the second world war she was appointed the sole woman and safety expert on a government committee tasked with redesigning Britain's electrical infrastructure. And as such, she put forward and championed putting a fuse inside a plug rather than wiring it directly to the house fuse box – this served to better support multiple domestic appliances in the home and is still a core feature in modern appliances.
We are grateful that her engineering intelligence combined with social reform has fundamentally changed the way we live. There’s much more to read on Dame Caroline Haslett which can be found in the
IET Archives and also a
BBC Bitesize video that can be shared with younger audiences.
Turning to present day, we maintain a strong workplace culture that is free from discrimination and ensures equal treatment of all of our employees. And we’re proud of the ongoing investment we make to ensure accessible employment and training.
Currently we employ a number of females across a range of technical engineering roles to office and managerial positions. We spoke to Vicki Henry, Customer Services Manager, who has progressed through the business over the last 15 years and to a fairly new recruit, Vicky Johnstone, who joined the company four months ago as Quality Compliance Manager, following a 20-year career in pharmacy.
If you could give a piece of advice to women thinking of a career in engineering or manufacturing, what would it be?
“Personally, the biggest thing was realising I didn’t need to have everything figured out before starting. A lot of the things I have learned on the job.
“I’d say just go for it, don’t hold back. Be curious, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to put yourself forward. You may bring a different perspective and that’s a valuable trait to have in this industry.” Vicki Henry
“Grab any opportunity to work in this industry with both hands, you will learn something new every day!
“Coming from a 20-year career in pharmaceuticals, you’ll be surprised about the amount of transferrable skills you gain from other jobs. I think a different perspective can be invaluable and can give alternative approaches to processes and problem solving.” Vicky Johnstone
What do you enjoy most about working in this industry?
“What I enjoy most is the variety. Managing the Spares Department, Customer Training and the Service Desk means no two days are the same.
“I enjoy working with different teams and customers, solving problems, and knowing that what we do keeps things running smoothly for our customers. There’s a real sense of achievement.” Vicki Henry
“Working in manufacturing is about being part of a process and the teamwork getting things done. It’s very rewarding seeing the start to finish of a product – and even seeing Cochran boilers in the wild! We have boilers in very important establishments from hospitals to distilleries and everything in between.” Vicky Johnstone
What do you think Cochran does to promote careers for women in engineering and manufacturing?
“Over my 15 years with the business, I’ve seen firsthand the opportunities available for women to grow and progress. I’ve developed from a part-time office junior into a management position, which reflects the support and trust the company places in its people. There’s a strong culture of development and providing individuals with the chance to step up and succeed. Vicki Henry
“Firstly, I was proud to learn of Cochran’s history in playing a pivotal role to promote the careers of women in engineering with the training it provided to Dame Caroline Haslett.
“Cochran also encourage women in STEM in the local community with apprenticeships and other learning opportunities. We promote in the media as well as open to local groups (the guides, local schools) for tours to explain what we do. I also remember Cochran being involved in Young Enterprise events when I was at school.” Vicky Johnstone