Profile Interview:  Emma King, Key Account Manager

Here, another of our rising stars, Emma King gives us the lowdown on life as a Key Account Manager at BGEN.

Soon to have her first baby, Emma is one of the first eligible employees to enjoy the brilliant benefits of BGEN’s new and enhanced maternity package. We caught up with her just before she embarked upon this exciting new adventure to find out about her role, the advice she’d give her younger self and what she enjoys most about working for one of the UK’s largest engineering firms driving the energy transition.

Tell us about your career with BGEN

I joined the company in January 2022 as a Project Manager and was appointed as Key Account Manager in May. I came from a systems integration company, so I brought with me five years of strong commercial and sectoral experience.

I’m now working a dual role and, as the projects that I’m managing come to an end, my Account Manager position is becoming more established and will become my focus. In the meantime, I’m taking a little time away from the company to have my first baby.

What is your current role?

I’m currently half Key Account Manager, half Project Manager, but I’ll mainly be a KAM when I return from maternity leave. I hope to retain a PM role for one or two of the big schemes I’m currently working on as they’re so interesting, but we’ll have to see what happens.

Are you office-based or are you out and about on site?

I’m based in BGEN’s Derby office, but I get to travel around quite a bit – to other offices, out and about for meetings and to project sites. I’m not technical, nor am I an engineer, so I find site visits valuable for visualisation.  

What does your average day look like?

I’m delighted to say that I really don’t have an ‘average day’. Each is different, which I really love.

What skills make you so good at your job?

I’m a good communicator and I manage my time well. Both are important skills for a Key Account Manager, and a Project Manager, to have.

How has BGEN supported your career progression?

The support that I’ve received from BGEN has been brilliant – long before and during my pregnancy.  I’ve always had the opportunity to be very open about what I’d like to achieve here, and I’ve been given so much advice and support to bring my career goals to life.

My pregnancy hasn’t been the easiest – I’ve been in and out of hospital – and I’ve received such lovely support from colleagues.

What’s your favourite part about your job?

I love the variety of my role and that every day is different. I also love working with the people I do – everyone is so welcoming and helpful.

What is the most important message you want to send to young women thinking about their careers?

I’d recommend not stressing about it too much. I kind of fell into project management. It piqued my interest, so I asked questions and I became increasingly involved. I didn’t go to university or do an apprenticeship. Instead, I had a real thirst to learn all about project and commercial management and the confidence to speak up, volunteer and ask questions.

What’s the best thing about working at BGEN?

There are so many brilliant things about working at BGEN. From the people to the variety and, importantly for me now, the maternity policy is amazing.

It’s just been enhanced – as an outcome of BGEN’s women’s forum – and now all eligible employees receive 29 weeks on full pay, followed by ten weeks on statutory pay. It also includes optional paid ‘keep in touch’ meetings and a phased introduction back to work. These are all very welcome and do wonders to relieve financial anxieties during what should be a very special and important time of your life.

What BGEN has to say about Emma?

“Emma has seamlessly integrated into the BGEN business, and her diverse approach to problem solving is illustrative of her can-do attitude, which has earned her praise from both me and our clients.

Over the past year, it has been a pleasure to work with Emma, and I hope that she will inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers in engineering. I truly believe that the presence of women like Emma, within the business, will encourage more women to consider a career in the engineering and construction industry”

Tom Wollacott, Strategic Account Manager