Yewande Akinola’s work cuts across education, engineering, technology, and innovation for a sustainable built environment. Over the years, her engineering experience and responsibilities have included design and construction, sustainability, strategy, innovation and manufacturing of products and systems. She has worked on projects in the U.K., Africa, the Middle East and in East Asia.
Akinola has worked on some brilliant projects all over the world, with project values of up to £500 million. Using engineering as a tool for creativity, she has developed strategies towards the effective operation of business functions and set clear visions for the development of people within organisations. Her engineering journey continues to be one centred around creativity and creating a better world. The creativity, the daring to dream, the art of storytelling of conceptual ideas, achieving an exact expression of sequence, relation and logic is what Yewande says creates the built environment and technologies that shape and influence our daily experiences.
Yewande holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Design and Appropriate Technology from the University of Warwick and a Masters in Innovation and Design for Sustainability from Cranfield University. She has been awarded an MBE for services to engineering innovation and diversity in STEM, and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Akinola is committed to inspiring the next generation of engineers and technologists and spends a significant amount of time in schools and colleges speaking to young people. To scale the impact of the engagement and support the incredible work of lots of organisations tasked with securing a pipeline of Engineers to meet the 200,000+ shortfall, she continues to work with teachers, students, employers and organisations to give young people the knowledge and inspiration they need. Yewande is a visiting Professor at the University of Westminster, and she sits on the governing body at the University of Warwick. She supports INNOVATE UK initiatives such as ‘No Limits’ designed to provide young people with the skills they require.
Akinola sits on the Board of Trustees at the Institution of Engineering and Technology and is serving as Vice-President of the institution. She chairs the Knowledge Services and Solutions Board at the institution. She has served as the UK’s Innovation agency- Innovate UK‘s Ambassador for Clean Growth and Infrastructure. She is non-executive director of Midlands Mindforge- a £250million patient capital investment company for university spinouts and other early stage IP rich businesses in the Midlands. Yewande has been appointed to the Board of an outstanding Pan African innovation enabler, Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB).
