For Samantha Tripp, engineering was never about following a perfectly mapped career plan. It was about curiosity, problem-solving and saying yes to opportunities that challenged her assumptions about where a career in engineering could lead.
Now Group Engineering Manager at Fletcher Insulation, Samantha leads a multidisciplinary engineering team supporting glasswool manufacturing operations and contributing to performance, safety and quality across the national supply chain. Her journey into leadership reflects the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain – the idea that progress is built through contribution, collaboration and lifting others along the way.
Finding engineering – and its possibilities
Samantha’s path into engineering began with an aptitude for maths and science, rather than a clear vision of a future role. Initially considering a career in law as a patent attorney, she attended a university open day and discovered chemical engineering – a discipline she hadn’t previously considered.
What drew her in was its breadth. Chemical engineering offered exposure to multiple industries, complex problem-solving and real-world impact. Within a few years, her interest had deepened enough to pursue a master’s degree and commit to a career in industry.
That decision laid the foundation for a career spanning engineering design, construction, manufacturing operations, project delivery and leadership – across countries, sectors and business models.
A global career built on challenge and variety
Chemical engineering opened doors far beyond a single industry. Samantha worked internationally on major pharmaceutical projects, including facilities producing tablets, topical creams and sterile vaccines. Her work took her across the UK, with travel to the United States, Canada and Europe, exposing her to different regulatory frameworks, cultures and ways of working.
At just 24, she established her own limited company and began working as an independent consultant. The move gave her autonomy and the ability to choose projects aligned with her interests – and accelerated her professional growth.
Later, a bout of imposter syndrome became a catalyst rather than a constraint. Samantha moved to New Zealand to test her skills in an entirely new environment where no one knew her background or reputation. What she expected to be a one-year experience turned into six years – shaped by career progression, the realities of COVID-19, buying a home and building a life.
After more than eight years in the pharmaceutical sector, Samantha deliberately broadened her experience again, joining a small consultancy focused on industrial decarbonisation. There, she worked across food and beverage, healthcare, wineries and meat processing, gaining her first exposure to people leadership through managing a geographically dispersed team.
By the end of 2024, she was ready for her next challenge – one that combined technical leadership with direct responsibility for people and performance.
Stepping into leadership at Fletcher Insulation
Samantha relocated to Melbourne and joined Fletcher Insulation in January 2025 as a Senior Process Engineer. Within two months, she stepped into the role of Group Engineering Manager.
Today, she leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers at the glasswool manufacturing site and provides engineering leadership across multiple sites in the national supply chain. The role brings together everything her career has built — technical depth, project experience, people leadership and a strong focus on safety, quality and operational excellence.
Leading in male-dominated environments
Like many women in engineering and manufacturing, Samantha’s career has included moments of isolation – particularly early on, when she was often the only woman on site.
Working in construction environments in London, she experienced behaviours that ranged from subtle to overt. “I still remember being asked whether I wanted pink safety boots. It may seem small, but moments like that reveal the stereotypes women can encounter in these environments.”
Those experiences now shape her leadership approach. She is deliberate about the behaviours, language and culture she sets as a leader, focusing on creating environments where people are respected for their contribution and feel supported to bring their whole selves to work.
Building inclusive, high-performing teams
For Samantha, inclusive leadership isn’t abstract – it’s practical and visible. She believes high performance is built on trust, clarity and psychological safety.
Her approach centres on:
- Creating environments where people feel safe to speak up, particularly on safety and quality
- Encouraging diverse perspectives and constructive challenge
- Supporting flexible ways of working, recognising that people perform best when their broader lives are supported
At Fletcher Insulation – and across Fletcher Building – inclusion is reinforced through tangible actions, including parental support, flexible working arrangements and a genuine commitment to wellbeing.
Addressing the barriers to participation and progression
Samantha sees many of the barriers facing women in engineering and manufacturing as structural rather than individual. Limited exposure to engineering as a career choice, unconscious bias in recruitment and promotion, and outdated work models all play a role.
The absence of visible role models can also make it harder for women to picture long-term careers or leadership pathways. Through her mentoring work with RMIT and involvement in STEM outreach, Samantha has seen first hand how representation shapes aspiration.
Real progress, she believes, comes from action:
- Flexible work without stigma
- Transparent career pathways
- Mentoring and sponsorship
- Leaders being held accountable for inclusive behaviours
Advice for the next generation
Samantha’s advice to women considering engineering or manufacturing is refreshingly simple: your career doesn’t need to be perfectly planned.
Her own path was shaped by curiosity, courage and a willingness to lean into opportunities that weren’t part of an original plan. Confidence, she says, often comes after taking the step – not before it.
Ask questions. Seek mentors. Back yourself.
Looking ahead
Samantha is optimistic about the future of manufacturing and engineering. Greater visibility of women in leadership, more flexible work models and a growing focus on inclusive culture are all signs of progress.
For the next generation of engineers and manufacturing leaders, she believes the opportunity is clear: industries that value collaboration, diverse thinking and shared responsibility will be stronger, safer and better equipped for the challenges ahead.
This International Women’s Day, Give to Gain is more than a theme — it’s a reminder that leadership, at its best, is about creating space for others to thrive.
