International Women’s Day
CrossBoundary Energy’s Head of Project Development shares lessons on charting a career in power generation engineering
Spotlight Q&A with CrossBoundary Women for International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month
To commemorate International Women’s Day 2023 and Women’s History Month, CrossBoundary caught up with a selection of our female teammates based in our 20+ offices around the world. We wanted to learn more about their career journey, advice for current and aspiring female leaders, and how we can #EmbraceEquity in and out of the workplace.
According to UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022, the glass ceiling remains firmly intact. Close to 1 in every 3 managers/supervisors is a woman, but women hold only 2 in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology jobs globally. By UN Women’s calculation, at the current pace of change parity will not be achieved for another 140 years.
In this Q&A, we feature one of our own trailblazing team members helping expand CrossBoundary Energy’s renewable energy solutions to new markets.
Based in Perth, Loda Dedekind is Head of Project Development for CrossBoundary Energy where she is responsible for developing and delivering renewable and hybrid generation projects.
Loda has almost twenty years of experience in engineering and management in the power generation, energy, and oil and gas industries and has worked on projects across the African continent over her career. Before joining CrossBoundary, she was leading a power generation engineering consulting team specializing in the design and development of new thermal, renewable, and hybrid power projects. She completed her Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
More from Loda:
Name: Loda Dedekind
Title: Head of Project Development, CrossBoundary Energy
Location: Perth, Australia
Q: What excites you most about your current work?
Loda: To be leading CrossBoundary Energy’s expansion into the global market by starting our first office and projects outside of the African continent is a great privilege. We are not only bringing our unique business model to Australia but also our inherent passion to have an impact and support underserved markets. We continue building our legacy in a different market in a very familiar way, by doing what is right.
As a professional woman in your field, what barriers or challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
Especially during high stake meetings, the world of engineering, mining, and technical project development still often lives by the rule that “it’s not said until a man said it”. Very often in these meetings, after a long debate by senior male counterparts, the discussion will circle back to my original idea or suggestion, and then it suddenly seems to be a revolutionary discovery.
Over time, I’ve learned to humbly accept that, carry on, and execute the solution. It doesn’t matter who said it or whose idea it is, if the right decision is made, and it benefits the company/project the most. It could sound like defeat, but the “overcome” lies in the fact that I’ve learned how to still raise my opinion, and then guide the discussion to land on the best outcome.
What is your superpower or biggest strength?
I never quit (sometimes foolishly so, as it is not always the easiest path). I will find a way to solve a problem.
Is there an influential woman in history or public life that has inspired you, either personally or professionally?
Dr. James Barry, born Margaret Anne Bulkley in c.1789. She was an incredibly talented student, who had to disguise herself as a man to be allowed into university to become a surgeon. Throughout her long career, she had to hide her gender, as females were not allowed to practice as surgeons and certainly not serve in the British army. She rose to the rank of Inspector General, the second-highest medical office in the British army. She had a passion for medicine, and not even the unfair discrimination of others would stop her.
Which woman in your life has influenced your career in a positive way?
My mother, a strong-willed woman who taught me from a very young age that quitting is not an option. Through her example, I grew up knowing that women can do whatever they want to and that no society-formed opinion should tell me otherwise. She was a farmer, so she also worked in a very male-dominated world. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of her winning prizes at the annual agricultural show, the only woman competing against generations of male farmers.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
In my mind the answer is super obvious — a well-balanced community or company is led by a well-balanced leadership team. That means different opinions, styles, skills, and problem-solving methods. We can only achieve that by focusing on diversity and actively allowing people that think differently to bring ideas to the table and to develop these ideas with equal weight until the best solution is obtained.
In my mind, it goes further than just getting “more women” in leadership. It should embrace the different ways these female leaders work too. Else, we remain in a dire position where everyone thinks and talks the same way, although they are from different genders.
What advice would you give to a woman looking to start a career in your field?
The best advice I received came from Charlotte Whitton, the first female mayor of a major city in Canada: “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.”
More seriously, I would say that the world of engineering is a much friendlier environment for young females than when I started my career. The only reason this changed over the past two decades was because of the phenomenal leaders, of all genders, before and amongst us, who worked tirelessly to improve the situation. Our task is to continue their good work. It is a combined effort by all worthy leaders to create a thriving environment where we can all serve mankind.
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Inspired by the women working at CrossBoundary? Passionate about creating lasting change in underserved markets? Learn more about our current openings and apply to join our team here.
CrossBoundary Energy is a member of the CrossBoundary Group, a mission-driven investment firm committed to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Our team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. Sound like you? Drop us a line.
