In Your Shoes - Caryn Gibson

Monday – Catch Up & Create

Monday was a working-from-home day and it felt good to have a productive day – the goal was to get through the to-do list I hadn’t quite finished the week before.

I started by reviewing and approving videos from our marketing agency - always exciting seeing ideas come together, but also important to make sure the message really reflects who we are and what we are trying to articulate. I then moved on to creating content for our email campaigns for the week ahead and jumped on a Supplier Development Programme Webinar which was focused around bid writing.

In the afternoon, I pulled together a presentation for a Women in Engineering talk I was delivering later in the week – it was a lot of fun to reflect on the work I’ve done in the sector over the years  and why encouraging more women into engineering still matters so much.  I finished my day with a catch up meeting with our Managing Director, Charlie, to chat about all things Business Development and Sales.

Tuesday – Early Alarm and great conversations!

Tuesday started very early -  5:20am out the door to head to Dunfermline for a breakfast meeting. It was dark, rainy and not the most enjoyable drive, but sometimes those early starts are worth it.

The meeting was full of productive conversation, delicious pastries and positive energy, which definitely made up for the weather. After heading back up the road, I fuelled up on coffee and then I met with our marketing agency to review our strategy for the year ahead.

We had some really good discussions about content themes, priorities and what we want to focus on in the months ahead. We also started planning our Spring Business Breakfast, which is always something I look forward to. It’s exciting when plans start to take shape.

Wednesday – Women in Engineering

Wednesday was a real highlight. I delivered a talk at the Engineering Partnership Innovation Centre on Women in Engineering.

It was great to share the stage with three fantastic women who all work in the sector and  reflect on some of the initiatives and support I’ve been involved in over the years and to share that journey with others. There’s been progress in the sector, but there’s still work to do to encourage and retain more women.

I always think these conversations matter -  If sharing experiences or being visible in the space helps even one person consider a different path, it’s worthwhile. Engineering needs diverse voices, perspectives and talent and I have always been passionate about playing my part in that.

I then had a catch up call with the team at Developing the Young Workforce and a customer call to talk about how we can support them with their 2026 annual training plan.

Thursday – Team Time at Rizon HQ

Thursday was spent at Rizon HQ in Kintore, and I always enjoy days like that. The centre was buzzing -  courses running in every classroom and a group of school pupils in for an interactive learning day on Working at Height and Confined Spaces.

We spent time as a team planning for our upcoming Open Day, which is shaping up to be a great event -  There’s something really energising about getting everyone in a room and mapping things out together.

I also wrote up two proposals for potential new clients - fingers crossed on those and then the day finished at Ardoe House for a business dinner, which was a lovely way to round off a busy day and continue conversations in a more relaxed setting with nice food.

Friday – Leadership & Connections

Friday was a full day of meetings in Aberdeen. I started at the Thistle Hotel with leadership discussions - really interesting conversations about how leadership has evolved and what organisations need from their leaders now.

It was also a great opportunity to talk more about our RIZE leadership offer and how it supports people at every stage of their journey.

I then popped into Foodstory (great coffee) - to jump on a teams call with a new customer to talk about developing a new course for them and then later, I met a contact at The Albyn for lunch. He specialises in growing businesses across the Grampian area, so it was brilliant to get him fully up to speed on our offering so he can confidently direct people our way for their training requirements.

After a full day of conversations it was time for the drive back home to Carnousite to kickstart the weekend.  Weeks like this are busy but they remind me how much I enjoy the mix of strategy, people, partnerships and purpose.

All in all- a fab week at Rizon!