Thorne & Derrick marks International Women’s Day
Published 04 Mar 2026
Women leading the way in heavy industry
In recognition of International Women’s Day, Thorne & Derrick International is highlighting the growing contribution of women across its business and reaffirming its commitment to developing talent within traditionally male-dominated sectors.
Their roles extend beyond product supply contributing to technical decision-making, strengthening customer relationships and delivering dependable outcomes on critical infrastructure projects.
The organisation continues to invest in people through hands-on development opportunities, mentorship, and structured support across all career stages from apprentices building technical knowledge, to experienced professionals strengthening credibility in customer-facing roles, to individuals returning after career breaks.
Chloe Johnston – Apprentice Sales Engineer
Chloe Johnston, the company’s first female Apprentice Sales Engineer, is CompEx F trained, bringing safety-critical competence into customer-facing technical decisions.
Having progressed into a Sales Engineer role, Chloe celebrates three years with the business in July and now mentors apprentice Elisa Thompson — supporting the next generation entering the industry.
Laura McCabe – Sales Engineer
Laura transitioned from an administrative role into engineering sales, completing her CompEx F training to become the organisation’s first female Sales Engineer and reaching ten years of service this year.
Her experience reflects industry progress alongside ongoing challenges including PPE historically not designed with women in mind and assumptions sometimes encountered on site — reinforcing the importance of continued awareness and inclusion.
Sarah Henderson – Sales Engineer
Sarah joined the organisation seven years ago following a decade-long career break raising children. Through technical development and structured support, she built expertise and confidence in her role.
She believes diverse perspectives strengthen both problem-solving and customer engagement.
Together, these professionals represent a growing presence of women in heavy industrial sectors underpinning critical infrastructure. Their work supports projects where reliable heating, lighting, and power are non-negotiable — particularly in hazardous and high-voltage environments.
This International Women’s Day, Thorne & Derrick International demonstrates this year’s “Give To Gain” theme in practice:
By giving people training and exposure, the organisation strengthens capability — delivering more resilient outcomes for customers.
