AL Circle x Kirsty Davies-Chinnock: Women entering aluminium sector, develop your network and make yourself visible
In conversation with, Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, a visionary leader, award-winning manufacturer, and trailblazer for gender inclusion in the metals and industrial sectors. After a serendipitous start in metal finishing in 1989, she rose through the ranks to lead a company through economic storms, and now channels her experience into Women With Metal, a movement and annual conference amplifying women’s voices in manufacturing. As host of the Women in Industry podcast and founder of The Confidence Collective, Kirsty empowers professionals through storytelling, mentorship, and community. From boardrooms to workshops, she leverages her expertise and conviction to redefine leadership—one bold step at a time.
AL Circle: Can you tell us about your journey in the metals, manufacturing & engineering sectors, and what inspired you to start, ‘Women With Metal’?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : I joined the metal sector by accident, like so many people do. I came to Professional Polishing Services for 6 weeks in-between college courses and never left. That was in 1989 so it’s been a very long 6 weeks! I was incredibly lucky to find a sector that clicked immediately for me. I love how diverse the use of metal is within our societies and it’s not an exaggeration to say ‘if it’s not made of metal, it’s made with metal!’. I had a fairly traditional career path within PPS and became a Director after about 15 years and took over as Managing Director in 2008 – a few months before the financial crash which was definitely a challenging time for a SME but it taught me a lot.
Starting Women with Metal was accidental as well. I’d launched a podcast called Women in Industry in 2022 to showcase all the fantastic women I know working in industrial sectors because people still said it was unusual for a women to be in manufacturing and I kept reply that I knew a lot, so thought if I could shine a light on them that would help attract the next generation to our sectors. ‘Women with Metal,’ was a natural next step, to bring together women and allies to create a movement to highlight just how fantastic the metal sector is for a career.
AL Circle: What challenges did you personally face in your career as a woman in metal/manufacturing, and how have those experiences shaped your vision for, ‘Women With Metal’?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : This is difficult for me to answer as for the last 10 years or so I have faced very few challenges due to being a woman but as I’ve been in the sector for 36 years now, the longevity of my career (and I hope a good reputation) has meant this isn’t in question now. But in the early days there were a lot of situations that were uncomfortable, particularly as a young woman in the company of older men. That aside, having my opinions dismissed or being talked over was standard back then and being called ‘bolshy’ for pushing back feels like it happened on a daily occurrence. I will say that there was often a true ally in the room who would support me which definitely helped me continue to push back when I needed to. For me, these experiences have helped me shape the vision for Women with Metal which is that working together can ensure increased confidence, knowledge and connections between us in the metals sector.
AL Circle: How has Women With Metal evolved since its inception (2023 → 2025)? What are the lessons learned, and what will you change or improve this year?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : This year is the third conference and we are going to have double the attendees of the first year! Delivering value to the delegates is my main priority and in a challenging marketplace it’s difficult to balance the cost of running the event and keeping the ticket price as low as possible. We should break even again this year but moving forwards I have plans to deliver even more value to the delegates for 2026.
Little things change every year such as the number and type of microphones available for the speakers, having an extra photographer this year to capture more of the event, last year we gifted short video reels to the speakers after the event for their professional use as well which of course makes for extra content for us. Two of the things I’m proud of is purchasing items for the goody bags from small women owned businesses and inviting local apprentices along, courtesy of one of the sponsors, so they can start their networking career with their peers in the sector.
AL Circle: How do you see the metals / manufacturing / engineering sectors changing in terms of gender inclusion over the next 5–10 years? What’s driving those changes, and what still needs to happen?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : This is already happening and is making headway but as a sector we aren’t very good about promoting this. That’s where we need to focus. We have an opportunity to attract the next generation into our sector and I think that’s behind some of the changes but also companies understand that diversity of thought is essential to progress.
AL Circle: What advice would you give to women just entering these sectors, or those considering leadership roles?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : Make connections! Develop your network and make yourself visible. It can of course be scary to put yourself out there, but by doing so you are developing your reputation.
AL Circle: Beyond the conference, what long-term initiatives is, ‘Women With Metal,’ planning (mentoring, community, policy advocacy, etc.) to sustain momentum?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : This is something that I am currently developing. Women with Metal is ‘me’ and my VA and I have a demanding full time role as well, so there are lots of options. We have ran several initiatives – some have worked and others haven’t – and I’m not afraid to try and make mistakes. The Summer Social this year was really successful so we will be bringing that back next year, and of course there are other initiatives for 2026 that will be announced in the New Year.
I’d love to develop a Women with Metal App to host community forums, webinars etc but that will take time and money and is probably a few years away.
AL Circle: From your perspective, what message should aluminium CEOs and industry leaders take back from the Women With Metal 2025 conference about empowering women in their workforce?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : That you don’t need a fancy title to be a leader in an organisation. Women are adept at problem solving and given the opportunity to do this they will work with their team to make the workplace a success.
AL Circle: Finally, if you had to give one call-to-action to young women aspiring to join the aluminium and wider metals sector, what would it be?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : Talk to a woman already in the sector and be open to opportunities.
AL Circle: What is one myth or misconception about working in metals / manufacturing that you wish more people would drop?
That it’s hard physical work and dirty and that women can’t physically do the job!
AL Circle: If you could invite one (living) person to speak at Women With Metal (past, present, or future) who would it be, and why?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock : Karla R Lewis who is the President and CEO of Reliance Steel.
AL Circle: Outside your work, what keeps you motivated / grounded?
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock: My family. My son and daughter-in-law are both 29 and I want to play a tiny part in helping to leave the world a more equitable place for them and their generation and the generations that follow.
