NFP CEO On Most Influential List

The CEO of humanitarian Not for Profit, Engineers Without Borders, Lizzie Brown has been named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Engineers.

Brown is just one of 11 women named in the list.

The list, compiled by Engineers Australia annually, looks at the ability of those nominated to participate in and lead business, innovation and change.

Brown was recognised as an influential engineer in the Community category, alongside Elizabeth Taylor (RedR), Bill Lawson (Beacon Foundation), John Grill (John Grill Centre for Project Leadership), Michael Myers (Re-Engineering Australia) and Bill Phippen (TAD Disability Services). The Community category was launched for the first time this year.

Since 2010 Brown has been CEO of EWB, a Not for Profit organisation with 10 years experience creating systemic change through humanitarian engineering.

“In the last 12 months alone EWB has contributed towards building the technical and engineering capacity of over 40 community organisations across seven countries in areas such as water supply and sanitation, renewable energy and engineering education,” Brown said.

Brown says the organisation now leads a movement of 15,000 people and engineering companies working together to improve the quality of life in developing communities through humanitarian engineering.

“It is an honour it is to be recognised on the list and have the work EWB is doing nationally and internationally acknowledge by Engineers Australia. It is great to see that Engineers Australia has included Community as a category for the first time this year,”she said.

Brown joined EWB as a volunteer in Brisbane in 2004, assisting with the foundation of the South East Queensland Chapter. She took on the role of Director of Education in 2006 before becoming the Operations Director in 2009. She relocated to Melbourne to take on the role of CEO in May 2010.

Prior to joining EWB, Brown worked as a Design Engineer for more than five years in the water sector in Australia and overseas for companies including OMV Porterra and WRM Water and Environment.

In 2009 Brown was awarded a Chief Executive Women Leadership Scholarship and a Churchill Fellowship centred on education, training and research programs for sustainable development in the UK and USA.

Brown says leadership inspiration comes from many different places: “I am frequently inspired and motivated by our members who are passionate about creating change through humanitarian engineering and give so much to our work.”