A mentor with more than two decades of engineering experience has been recognised for his dedication to helping others.
Paul Pankhurst of civil engineering firm Tony Gee and Partners was presented with the Phil Tindall Memorial Medal for mentoring by the Rochester Bridge Trust, at an awards evening hosted by the Worshipful Company of Engineers.
The judging panel ultimately determined that Mr Pankhurst best embodied the values associated with the Phil Tindall Memorial Medal. His natural enthusiasm, person-centred mentoring, and impact across all levels of his organisation and beyond were seen as aligning most closely with the aims of the award.
Russell Race, Assistant Warden at the Trust, explained: “Paul’s mentoring philosophy centres around trust, communication, shared accountability, and continuous feedback. The judges were impressed by the way he balances formal mentoring with small everyday interactions that create long-term impact.”
Paul is a Group Director and St Albans Office Lead for Tony Gee. He takes responsibility for the running of the office, while also being hands-on with project delivery, including current work on a new station as part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade programme, and works to Liverpool Street Station in London. Earlier this year he joined the Tony Gee UK leadership team.
His career began in 2001, when he studied towards an MEng in civil engineering at the University of Surrey as a sponsored student for Tony Gee. Since then he has worked on projects such as the Victoria Station upgrade in London, the Doha Link in Kuwait, and Hong Kong Airport’s third runway.
Paul started mentoring when he was a graduate engineer, offering support to students, and has since gone on to mentor around 30 individuals. He says he takes a people-first approach to the role, helping people to find the “sweet spot” in being happy, busy, challenged and supported in their work.
Paul said: “Winning this award is very humbling, particularly as my nomination came from those I have mentored and without my knowledge until the day before the submission. Recognition for this should also go to all my mentees – I’m particularly proud of watching them grow, and in some cases now becoming mentors themselves to the next generation.”
The award, which comes with a £1,000 prize, was established by the Rochester Bridge Trust in memory of Phil Tindall, a civil engineer who inspired many young engineers during his 40-year career.
The Rochester Bridge Trust is a medieval charity responsible for providing crossings of the River Medway in Kent. In addition, it facilitates and provides engineering education for people of all ages, to support the bridge builders of the future. All of its works are carried out at no cost to the public.
See www.rbt.org.uk/philtindallmedal for more information.
