Lucy Pullin
Assistant engineer, WSP
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The aim of the Jean Venables Medal is to promote awareness of the role and achievements of newly qualified Engineering Technicians.
The medal was first awarded in 2011 and is named after Jean Venables, ICE President from 2008 to 2009, who contributed significantly to raising the profile of Technician Members.
The medal recognises and celebrates the best performance by a newly qualified Technician Member at a Technician Professional Review (TPR) and is open to all candidates who have passed their TPR in the year preceding that in which the award is made.
Winners receive the Jean Venables Medal and a £1,000 cash prize.
Who is Jean Venables?
Dr Jean Venables CBE is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist with a long-standing involvement in water and wastewater engineering, water pollution control, water resources issues and flood risk management.
In 2008, she became the 144th president of ICE, making her the first woman to hold the office in the history of the institution.
What is the nomination process?
Reviewers nominate candidates who have shown a passion and enthusiasm for civil engineering, demonstrated active involvement in ICE activities, and displayed excellence across all attributes.
The candidate must not hold a qualification eligible for IEng or CEng status.
- Three finalists are selected by the awards panel from those nominated in January of each year.
- The finalists are invited to present their professional review report to a judging panel following by a question and answer session which takes place in February.
- The winner is announced on the day and receives the Jean Venables Medal and £1,000.
- The winner is invited to receive their medal at the ICE Annual Awards Ceremony.
Our 2026 winner
2026 winner: Lucy Pullin
The Jean Venables Medal panel is delighted to announce that Lucy Pullin was chosen as this year's winner.
Lucy is an assistant engineer at WSP.
On winning the medal she said:
"I am honoured to be selected as the 2026 Jean Venables Medal Award winner!
"My interest lies in civil engineering projects at both a national and international scale. Over the past three and a half years, I have worked across highways, active travel, and utilities projects.
"This award represents a significant milestone in my career, with achieving EngTech marking an important step in my professional development.
"I am extremely grateful for the support and mentorship from those who have helped me throughout my career so far."
Comments from the judges:
"It's been another year with an exceptionally high calibre of nominees for the Jean Venables Medal.
"Our winner this year, Lucy Pullin, has been awarded the ICE Jean Venables Medal in recognition of her outstanding work and development as a project manager, demonstrating exceptional leadership, technical understanding, and commitment to the development of her herself and colleagues and the wider profession.
"Lucy has delivered complex projects with clarity, calmness, and a strong focus on collaboration. She brings together multidisciplinary teams, creating an environment where everyone can contribute effectively and feel supported having managed teams working together in three countries around the world.
"Her ability to balance stakeholder expectations while maintaining high standards of safety, sustainability, and programme delivery has earned her the respect of colleagues and clients alike.
"Lucy is particularly recognised for championing early-career engineers, providing mentorship and opportunities that help them grow in confidence and capability. Her proactive approach to communication and problem solving ensures that challenges are addressed swiftly and constructively, keeping projects on track and reinforcing trust across teams."
Hear from our previous winners
Find out what it means to win the Jean Venables Medal
Katie Rotherham
Jacobs
2025 winner
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Katie Rotherham
The Jean Venables Medal panel was delighted to announce that Katie Rotherham was chosen as the 2025 winner.
Katie is a designer at Jacobs. She won the award against two other finalists following a presentation to the award judges and answering their questions.
On winning the medal she said:
“I am delighted to be this years Jean Venables Medal Award Winner!
I am extremely passionate about civil engineering, especially VRS design and couldn’t be prouder of this amazing achievement.
Having worked in the industry for 6 years, completing my EngTech has been a huge stepping stone in my career, helping me to progress my ability as an engineer and prepare for my IEng.
"I would like to thank my team for all of the support and mentorship they continue to give me, I'm extremely lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.”
Chair's view
The candidates were again truly exceptional and any one of them could have been a worthy winner.
Katie demonstrated outstanding technical and managerial skills within a range of highway areas working as an apprentice for Jacobs.
This along with being actively involved in research which will be influencing design standards in the coming years made her stand out. Her passion for the industry was inspiring.
Katie is a worthy winner of the Jean Venables Award and a great ambassador the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Davey Wallace
Bam Nuttall
2024 winner
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Davey Wallace
Davey Wallace works as a trainee civil engineer for BAM Nuttall. He started his career on BAM’s Apprenticeship Scheme in 2021 and has since completed his Level 4 Apprenticeship with a HNC in September 2023, and began his BSC (Hons) in civil engineering: site management.
On winning the medal he said:
"I feel honoured to have been awarded with the Jean Venables Medal, I feel it is a testament to the merit of work-based learning in parallel with academic supplementation.
"I thank the ICE for propelling my professional development and recognising my passion for this fantastic profession. I also must thank my colleagues and mentors who have helped me develop from someone with no site experience to the Engineer I am today.
"However, this is only the beginning of my journey, I look forward to continuing my progression in my career and through the ICE."
Judges' view
The Jean Venables Award judges were very impressed as always by the quality of candidates nominated for the award this year.
However following shortlisting and interviewing, Davey demonstrated himself to be an outstanding candidate in all technical aspects of his role working onsite, delivering elements of HS2.
He also showed an immense enthusiasm and drive for civil and construction engineering now and into the future.
Davey's presentation demonstrated excellent communication skills. Davey is a great example to inspire the next generation of young civil engineers and is a worthy winner of the Jean Venables Award and a great ambassador the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Emma Jane Downey EngTech MICE
Doran Consulting
2023 winner
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Emma Jane Downey
The Jean Venables Medal panel announced Emma Jane Downey as the 2023 winner.
On winning the medal she said:
"I am honoured to win the Jean Venables Medal."
Since joining the industry on the apprenticeship scheme, I have continued to learn while progressing my qualifications to become a qualified engineer.
"I would like to thank the ICE for the opportunity, and it goes without saying that I could not have achieved this award without the ongoing support from colleagues and mentors."
Judges' view
The judges were impressed by Emma's all-round ability at technician level and her very high interpersonal and communication skills.
She discussed her work in detail and in a very comeptent and confident manner and is clearly a very good civil engineering technician who will go far in the profession.
Emma is a committed member of ICE and will provide a great example to the next generation of young civil engineers. She is a worthy winner of the Jean Venables Medal and a great ambassador for the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Kayla Brown EngTech MICE
Bam Nuttall
2022 winner
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Kayla Brown
The Jean Venables Medal panel announced Kayla Brown as the 2022 winner.
On being selected by the judges as the winner, he said:
"I am honoured to be this year's recipient of the Jean Venables Award.
"Since joining the industry, I have continued to learn and develop paving the way for me to become a qualified engineer. It has also enabled me to pass on my experience and knowledge to others I mentor.
"In this industry, you are continually learning, and it provides an environment to excel; pushing yourself to the be the best you can be!
"This is very much the start of my journey as a civil engineer, and I am delighted to have been recognised for my hard work, dedication and passion for the industry.
"It goes without saying that I could not have achieved this goal if I did not have the continued support from others who have invested their time both personally and professionally.
"So, thank you to everyone who has helped me over the years, my EngTech Reviewers and judging panel."
Judges' view
Join Riding, chair of the Jean Venables Medla panel said: "Kayla is an articulate and engaging engineer who clearly has passion for civil engineering.
She speaks with confidence on technical issues, has a firm career plan, and actively engages with the ICE, illustrated by her membership of the London G&S committee.
"Kayla is a deserved winner in what proved to be a quality group of Jean Venables Award finalists."
Lee Rossiter EngTech MICE
Morgan Sindall
2021 winner
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Lee Rossiter EngTech MiCE
The Jean Venables Medal panel announced Lee Rossiter as the 2021 winner.
Lee's enrolement in a Level 4 construction site engineering technician apprenticeship enabled him to qualify for EngTech MICE professional membership with ICE.
In 2021, he received the Jean Venables Medal for a presentation he delievered as part of his EngTech professional review - he describes thsi as a "fond moment".
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