Get to know our talented women

Urban Foresight is a company with a diverse portfolio of expertise, covering everything from sustainable planning to infrastructure and economics. We have an incredibly talented team of individuals who share our core values but come from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds.  

One of the things that sets Urban Foresight apart is our dedication to fostering an inclusive, empowering, and progressive workplace culture. We believe that our diverse workforce and the passion of each of our team members are what make us truly special.  

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to showcase the breadth of expertise and skills within our fast-growing team. We spoke with several of our female staff members to learn more about what motivates them and why they love working at Urban Foresight. Here are some of their inspiring responses.  

 

Keep checking back here during the month of March as we’ll be adding new Q&As from our female team members every couple of days.  

If you would like to join a team of talented individuals, working together to turn big ideas into real projects with transformative impacts, then please check out our careers page.  

 

Lorraine Hammond

→ Marketing Manager

 

What are your biggest motivations behind the work you do at Urban Foresight?

I like the variety of work I am involved with. Knowing that it makes a positive impact is even better. I really have to believe in what I am marketing and the longer I am with the company the more I am amazed at the work that is being done to reduce carbon emissions and enable technology for the benefit of society. 

  

What has been your career journey up to this point?

I worked at The University of Nottingham for over 15 years in different marketing roles, and most recently at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Hydrogen. This research centre was at the cutting edge of innovation in developing hydrogen as a viable sustainable alternative fuel. While there, I learned a huge amount and enjoyed being involved in that area so I did not hesitate when I relocated to Scotland and saw a role at Urban Foresight, where I could continue to work on sustainable projects. 

  

What work are you most proud of in your time with Urban Foresight?

I worked on a project to test a sustainable travel app. It was really satisfying to see a sharp increase in the use of this tool as a direct result of my work. 

  

Do you feel that society needs to keep evolving for us to collectively achieve equality for women? If so, what changes would you like to see, big or small?

I think the approach should be equality for all. Everyone should have a seat at the table. So any work to achieve this goal is a positive in my book. 

 

Claire Colquhoun

→ Project Specialist

 

What are your biggest motivations behind the work you do at Urban Foresight?

Throughout university, I was very passionate about sustainability and how this could be brought into everyday life but also what it means for certain practices going forward.

 

 What has been your career journey up to this point?

I studied International Tourism Management at university and felt I was ready to put what I had learned through this degree into practice. I was specifically passionate about sustainability during my studies. I had worked in hospitality for many years at that point, up to being Front Office Manager. I knew I wanted a career change out of hospitality, but also wanted to keep the same elements of problem-solving and engagement.

After learning of the position within Urban Foresight, I felt it was a perfect fit and somewhere that put sustainability at the heart of their operations.

I joined the Electric Mobility team as a Graduate Project Specialist and got stuck into learning about all things zero-emission. After 12 months, I was promoted to Project Specialist and I’m able to bring my Tourism background to various projects.

 

What work are you most proud of in your time with Urban Foresight?

I am proud of all the work I have done whilst working at Urban Foresight. I enjoy getting to dig deep into new topics and to be challenged in many different ways.

 

Do you feel that society needs to keep evolving for us to collectively achieve equality for women? If so, what changes would you like to see, big or small?

A small change I would personally like to see is the removal of negative stereotyping when women exercise either their femininity or their intelligence. I feel the descriptors used for men and women in the same scenarios can often be quite different.