Elizabeth Donnelly
After an early career in IT, Elizabeth graduated from the Open University, specialising in systems
thinking. She was awarded Membership of the Royal Aeronautical Society as a result of her work
with Rolls-Royce and went on to lead skills policy in the aerospace industry. Elizabeth was also
responsible for the regional diversity strategy of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency
during her time as a Board Member. She chaired the RAeS Education and Skills Committee and was
Deputy Chair and founder member of its Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee.
Elizabeth also founded the RAeS Amy Johnson Named Lecture. Later, Elizabeth established her own consulting
company, working with charities and universities on change management, and graduated with an
MSc in Systems Thinking in 2017. In 2018 Elizabeth was appointed CEO of the Women’s Engineering
Society. In 2019 she became a Member of the International Council of Systems Engineers UK and in
2020 Elizabeth was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and
Commerce.