Women in STEM Podcast: Julia Ward on Private Wire, Mentorship and Careers
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Julia Ward has a rare mix of credibility and clarity.
She leads renewable energy projects at Xela Energy, has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 50 Women in Engineering, and continues to create pathways for others entering the sector.
That is exactly why this episode matters.
In this Women in STEM podcast episode, Julia joins Mel Noble, Senior Recruitment Partner at Astute, for a straight-talking conversation about delivering clean power at pace and building a career in engineering without second guessing yourself.
From problem solving to clean power delivery
“I was always drawn to problem solving, especially through subjects like chemistry and physics.
“But quite early on, I realised the traditional route my degree pointed towards didn’t match where I wanted to make an impact.
“That’s where the pivot came in — stepping slightly off that expected path to move into something that aligned more with the energy transition.”
Why private wire is gaining momentum
“The UK market is at an interesting point because you can feel the pressure on the grid, even if you’re not in it day to day.
“Private wire and self-generation are becoming more common because organisations need certainty, speed, and control over their energy.
“We can’t keep assuming the system will catch up on its own timeline.
“Address the policy first.”
Mentorship without barriers
“I founded FLISS because I kept seeing how often really valuable mentoring sits behind a paywall.
“There are people making big career decisions without access to the kind of guidance that could genuinely help them.
“Management isn’t mentorship.
“You need to layer mentors — people internally who understand your environment, and people externally who give you a different perspective.”
Confidence as a learned skill
“A lot of people, especially women in engineering, undervalue their own skill sets.
“It’s not because they lack ability, it’s because they’ve been conditioned to question whether they should step forward.
“The shift for me was asking, why shouldn’t I be in that room and why shouldn’t I be at that table?
“Once you start thinking like that, you approach opportunities very differently.”
What you’ll take from this episode
“If you work in energy, you’ll recognise how quickly things are changing, particularly with models like private wire becoming more relevant.
“If you’re earlier in your career, it’s about understanding how to build the right support around your decisions.
“And ultimately, it’s about not talking yourself out of opportunities you’re already capable of stepping into.”
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