Welcoming our new Chair: Georgia Elliott-Smith

What do you do when you realise your life’s work isn’t solving the problem, but helping to disguise it? 

For Georgia Elliott-Smith, the answer was to speak out. After two decades in the engineering and built environment sector – often in roles that positioned her as part of the solution – she began to question whether the systems she was working within were capable of the change they promised.

“I came into engineering because I wanted to make a positive difference,” she says. “But I quickly realised that the opportunities to do that were extremely limited. There was a lot of talk, but the work that actually challenged the system – that felt meaningful – wasn’t really happening.”

Today, Elliott-Smith brings her experience – and her long-standing commitment to challenging greenwashing and corporate complacency – to her role as Chair of Engineers Without Borders UK.

For years, Elliott-Smith built a successful career in the built environment sector, starting out aged 18 as the first environmental manager in the UK construction sector. But beneath the surface, she was grappling with a growing sense of frustration – a feeling that many in the industry will recognise. “I knew I was delivering projects, hitting targets, all the rest of it – but none of it was changing anything. It felt like PR, not progress.”

Her turning point came in 2019, during the Extinction Rebellion protests in London. “I remember seeing it and thinking, ‘Why aren’t I there?’ It forced me to confront my own arrogance – that assumption that because I was qualified and experienced, I knew best. The people at those protests weren’t naive. They were grieving. They felt helpless. And they were trying to do something about it.”

The experience prompted a shift. Elliott-Smith became more involved in campaigning and began speaking publicly about greenwashing, the limits of corporate sustainability strategies, and the need for deeper systems change. 

Through her platform Fighting Dirty, co-founded with environmental journalist George Monbiot, she took legal action against the UK government over its incineration strategy and has continued to challenge policies and practices that undermine climate justice – gaining recognition for holding polluters and policymakers to account.

But Elliott-Smith is quick to acknowledge that not everyone in the sector is in a position to speak out – and that many people feel trapped between their values and their employers’ expectations.

“I talk to a lot of people who feel they have to keep their heads down,” she says. “They want to do good work, but they can’t find companies that reflect those values – or they’re actively discouraged from raising concerns.” 

“That’s where Engineers Without Borders UK can play a really important role. We can create a space where people feel supported, where they don’t have to leave their values at the door.”

As Chair, Elliott-Smith brings bold leadership and an unflinching commitment to challenging the status quo – especially when it comes to how engineers are equipped to tackle today’s most pressing global challenges.

“There’s still a huge gap in our education system when it comes to systems thinking,” she says. “Most people aren’t taught how climate change links to food systems, to migration, to inequality – let alone how their own profession fits into that. We’ve got a generation of engineers entering the workforce thinking that addressing climate change means buying an electric car.”

She’s critical, too, of the professional development on offer. “CPD isn’t fit for purpose. It doesn’t help people develop climate literacy or understand their impact. And it certainly doesn’t reward the kind of thinking we need – the kind that questions assumptions and sees the bigger picture.”

So what does change look like? For Elliott-Smith, part of the answer lies in rethinking how values are embedded – or not – in professional life. “We need to be honest: most organisations don’t reward the behaviours they claim to value. There’s a disconnect between what companies say they stand for and what they actually incentivise.”

“We need to ask employers: how are you recognising and rewarding people who take climate and justice seriously? If you say you care about sustainability, how is that reflected in how you measure performance, give promotions, allocate budgets? Until we align values with outcomes, nothing will change.”

That’s where she sees Engineers Without Borders UK making a difference – through initiatives like the Systems Change Lab and the Global Responsibility Competency Compass, and by challenging the sector to rethink what professional success looks like.

“Engineers Without Borders UK have started something important – building tools that can shift how people think and work. But we need to go further. We need to take those tools into industry, and ask employers: how are you rewarding these behaviours? And if you’re not – why not?”

Despite her often critical take on the state of the sector, Elliott-Smith is hopeful – especially when it comes to creating space for younger professionals to push for change. “Students are often the most motivated. The risk is that they enter the workplace and immediately get told to toe the line. If we want to retain that energy, we need to create environments where people can hold on to their convictions.”

Her ambition as Chair is simple: to help create a profession where people don’t have to choose between their careers and their conscience.

“Everyone deserves to do meaningful work. And no one should feel alone in trying to make things better.”

Georgia speaking at the 2024 Systems Change Lab.

Engineers Without Borders UK worked with global executive search firm, Granger Reis, which has set its own mission to influence change in supporting leadership act more sustainably.