Celebrating Nipuni – breaking the stereotype

Thursday, 25 November 2021

Last month, Nipuni Karunaratne was shortlisted as a top 6 finalist for the IET Young Women Engineer award, she talks about her passion for innovation and technology

Nipuni says, "I have always been interested and curious about aviation and my parents always motivated me to learn and go after what I wanted in my career.

"I moved to England when I was 16 to study my MEng, and was the youngest student in the cohort. In my second year I secured a role at a research centre in Cambridge as a Technical Research Assistant - this is where I really fell in love with technology and innovation."

Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Dubai, Nipuni started her degree in MEng in Aerospace Engineering in the UK at the age of only 16, Nipuni was always going to break the mould as a woman in STEM.

Nipuni joined Rolls-Royce in 2015 as a Graduate Manufacturing Engineer, realising a life-long dream. She has completed various roles across the business and has already accomplished many things; including closing out a major project which saves £1.2million per annum. She has been the Technical Lead for our maintenance, repair & overhaul facility in North America and worked in the Supplier Management Team, technically leading the Rolls-Royce German Vendor facilities such as Lufthansa Technik & N3. Nipuni is currently working as the Digital Technology Model Factory Team Manager to help us achieve our Intelligent Engine vision.

Outside of work, Nipuni has her own start-up (Ivy Tech Ltd) focused on R&D for Industry 4.0 working with the UK, European commission, and single client projects.

"I want inspire young female students so they are aware of the opportunities available to them," she says. "And I want to inspire anyone that's motivated for a career in aviation,

"I am incredibly excited to be a finalist of this year's IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards. This opportunity will support me in doing what I love most, which is encouraging and inspiring the younger generation. STEM is for everyone and has no barriers and with this platform, I can share my story, be a role model and break the stereotype."

Nipuni is also the current Vice Chair for the UK Gender Diversity Network at Rolls-Royce which supports the company in creating a diverse and inclusive working environment.

The awards ceremony will take place on 2nd December and we will be rooting for Nipuni all the way.

The Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards were launched in 1978 and look for the best young female engineers who represent the greatest in their profession. They are an inspiration to their colleagues and, just as importantly have the charisma and personality to inspire others in her footsteps.

You can read more about the awards on the official website here: IET Awards.
For more information about our STEM programme, see STEM - Rolls-Royce
For more information about our Early Career opportunities, see Students & Graduates - Rolls-Royce