Career spotlight: Carolyn Browning on working in defence, nuclear, rail and tech

Carolyn Browning has pursued a successful zigzag career, climbing the project delivery ladder across industries that are usually male-dominated. Here, she passes on her wisdom and advice to other women looking to get ahead in organisations where you can often be the only woman in the room.

Q. How did you end up in a career in project management?

Carolyn Browning (CB): Completely by accident! I studied corporate management at university but had no clear idea of what I wanted to do. Like many graduates, I applied for every kind of scheme I thought I might vaguely qualify for. One offer I did receive was from BAE Systems, so I packed up and moved from Newcastle to Portsmouth to start a graduate role in project management. I didn’t really know what project management was – or defence, for that matter – but 20 years later, I’m still in project and programme delivery and I’m still loving it.

Q. Why did you choose the companies/sectors you did?

CB: After my rather scattergun approach to graduate schemes, I became much more intentional. I’ve had great mentors who encouraged me to try different stages of the project life cycle and to never work on the same type of project twice – advice I took to heart. I started in defence, moved through end-to-end delivery and later tackled bids and organisational change in consultancy. I was once told it was near impossible to switch sectors, which only motivated me to prove otherwise. By focusing on transferable skills and spotting the common threads across industries, I’ve intentionally built a career that spans defence, nuclear, rail, infrastructure, consultancy and now technology and iGaming.

Q. These remain male-dominated sectors. How did you find being a woman working in these sectors?

CB: I got used to being the only woman in the room – and often the youngest person. That’s a combination that’ll test anyone’s confidence. I had to build up my self-belief and coping strategies, especially in rooms full of people with more experience than me. I learned to understand and own my strengths, and that helped me show up as my authentic self. Knowing what I bring to the table, and being confident in my subject matter, made a big difference. I’ve also built a strong network of advocates and supporters – men and women – through work, volunteering and community engagement.

Q. What needs to change to attract more women to these types of sectors?

CB: Awareness is key. I still don’t think we do enough to show young people, especially girls, the full range of careers available to them. I’d never heard of project management as a profession when I was younger, and I certainly never imagined working in the sectors I’ve ended up in. While better STEM engagement in schools is important, I also think organisations have a role to play through their social value commitments. We need to connect with future talent early – through schools, careers advice and community outreach to highlight the wide range of pathways available and the transferable skills that make project delivery accessible to all. This isn’t just a gender issue, but if we want to attract more women into these sectors, we have to start by opening the door earlier.

Q. What has been the common thread to your career path?

CB: Professional curiosity. I love solving problems and learning about new things – whether that’s a new project, a new sector or the people I work with. I started in project controls and was drawn to the data and the detail, using information to drive conversations and decisions. That curiosity to ‘have a go’ evolved into expertise in planning and controls, and now I’m focused more on transformational change – how we land complex, messy programmes through culture, data and connection.

Q. What do you do in your current role?

CB: In June 2024, I made another pivot. Having worked in traditional industries and both large corporates and boutique consultancies, I wanted a new kind of challenge. So, I switched sectors again – this time into technology and iGaming – and joined Flutter Entertainment as a Transformation Programme Manager. I’m leading a complex global procurement transformation, delivering change across people, process and platform. It’s been a brilliant move: a new industry, new ways of working and a fresh set of challenges, but still rooted in the same foundations of excellent delivery.

Q. What do you enjoy about your work?

CB: I can’t stand monotony, and I think that’s why I’ve stayed in project delivery. I’ve built a deliberately diverse career, and I love that every challenge is different. I get a buzz from problem-solving. A colleague once described me as the person who’ll grab hold of something even if it’s on fire and the wheels are falling off and still find a way to deliver it. I also love working with people. I lead with a servant leadership mindset – focused on getting the best out of others, protecting the team and making things happen together.

Q. Is there any career advice you’d pass on?

A. Everyone is making it up as they go along. That took me a while to believe, but it’s true. When I was younger, imposter syndrome crept in a lot, but over time I realised that everyone’s just doing their best with the information they have. Different perspectives are a strength, not a weakness. So, my advice to early-career professionals is: be bold, ask the questions and keep showing up as yourself.

To my peers, now that I’m the ‘experienced one’ in the room, my advice is: create cultures where people can speak up. Democratise decision-making. Be the leader, mentor or colleague you wish you’d had when you were starting out.

Carolyn appeared on a recent episode of APM Podcast, entitled ‘Project controls: data, leadership and communication’. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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