WOMEN IN LIFTING Ӏ INDUSTRY INSIGHT
LEANNE WHITEHURST-MAIDEN, RSS
Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden is national digitalisation manager at UK lifting and rigging product provider Rope and Sling Specialists. Whitehurst- Maiden is leading development of the company’s live365 online inspection software across a national network of depots. As one of the sector’s leaders in
digitalisation Leanne is pioneering the industry’s move towards wider uptake of the live365 system, which has standardisation and training at its epicentre.
What advice do you have for a woman starting out in the lifting industry? Attracting young people into the lifting industry in general is difficult. I think most of us here would admit this is not an industry
we aspired to be part of when we were young, most likely not even considered before. That, for women seems to be amplified, given the underrepresentation that still exists, particularly in more senior roles, along with the perception that it is a male-dominated industry. We as an industry must think
about how we attract talented young individuals, because we know what rewarding career paths are available. The opportunities for diversity of roles within the UK lifting industry are huge and ever changing as we adapt and modernise. I believe the challenges are for those of us within the industry to promote those opportunities more successfully and find better ways of engaging with young people, especially women. For those women who
KATIE KELLEHER, CPA
Katie Kelleher is technical and development director at UK trade association the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). The role was newly created for her in April 2023. Her journey in lifting started in 2014 when she took a lifting technician apprenticeship at
Select Plant Hire, a division of UK construction company Laing O’Rourke. Over the next eight years she gained a wealth of lifting experience, specialising as a crawler crane operator. The cranes she operated included an LTR 1100 (on a barge in central London) and a Liebherr LTR1060.
More recently she worked as Appointed Person on a number of high-profile infrastructure projects. Katie is well-known in the
construction industry for being a champion for women and young people working in construction, and is a passionate and active speaker about apprenticeships and the workforce.
Katie Kelleher, technical and development director at the UK’s CPA
What’s one piece of advice you’d give a woman starting out on her career in the lifting industry? Never be afraid to ask questions - it's how you learn, grow, and gain confidence. No one knows everything and the best in the industry are always learning. Step forward, take up space and remember your voice and skills are just as valuable as anyone else's... You got this!
42 CRANES TODAY
Leanne Whitehurst- Maiden, national digitalisation manager at RSS
are just starting out within the UK lifting industry, I would say take every opportunity of training that is presented to you as these will form the foundations for your future careers, whatever interesting direction they may take.
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