Five minutes with…Sara Anild.

My career path has never been particularly clear‑cut, but that’s something I’ve grown to appreciate. I’ve mostly followed my gut and ended up where I am through a mix of curiosity, opportunity and a bit of chance. Back at school in Sweden, maths was always my favourite subject, as naturally I’m quite technical, but I also loved being outdoors and getting hands‑on, building things and seeing how they worked.

My interest in engineering developed during college, influenced to some degree by a tutor who introduced us to both the academic and practical aspects of the profession. I was pretty curious and wanted to know more about engineering’s impact on real life. So, after university, I moved to the UK and began my career as a test engineer for a cable manufacturer. The more I got involved, the more I wanted to find out about creating power cable solutions – which ultimately led me to BakerHicks. 

I'm a power cable engineer, responsible for designing high voltage cable systems across the UK electricity network. As a Principal Engineer, I’m currently working on two major projects – creating a new electricity highway between England and Scotland. These are multi-billion-pound infrastructure projects that are critical in the drive to net zero, unlocking Scotland’s renewable energy reserves through two-gigawatt HVDC transmission links.

My main focus is leading and overseeing the design work, making sure that everything’s technically sound, meets with client requirements, and is buildable. I spend a lot of time bringing different perspectives together, sitting between the customer, the manufacturer and the subcontractor to make sure everyone is aligned. 

Climate change is, of course, one of the main challenges facing not only the industry, but the entire planet. I’m proud to say that as a business, we’re playing our part in tackling this as we’re involved in several pioneering HVDC interconnector projects. We’re also committed to developing talent across the sector and driving innovations that help shape the future of engineering and design.

Several of our HV team are active members of CIGRE, a global not-for-profit organisation focused on high voltage electricity, bringing together experts from across the world to shape national and international standards. Being an active part of a working group at CIGRE has been an ambition of mine for a long time, so I was really pleased to first get involved in 2023.

I now lead one of their working groups as Convener, focused on updating their Technical Brochure on cable system electrical characteristics and addressing gaps that affect the offshore wind sector. We have well-established calculation methods for single-core land cables, but there’s currently less clarity around armoured subsea cables. So, our aim is to provide clearer, more robust and standardised guidance that better reflects the realities of offshore projects.

As Convener, I lead the group’s progress – organising meetings, shaping the technical direction and, most importantly, bringing together a team of around 25 experts to deliver meaningful answers, on time.

The role is voluntary, so I discussed the time commitment with BakerHicks before taking it on, and they’ve been incredibly supportive. It’s very much a two-way benefit – we gain global insight, strong industry connections and early visibility of emerging standards.

On a personal level, it’s been a huge growth opportunity. The role has not only stretched me, it’s also made me a better engineer. Working with people from different countries, backgrounds and specialisms has been insightful, and it’s rewarding to know the work we’re doing will help bring more consistency and clarity across the globe.

We know that the availability of skilled labour is becoming a growing challenge. Simply put, there aren’t enough engineers in the industry – and depending on where you end up, pathways for new talent aren’t always clear.

At BakerHicks, we’re actively bringing in new graduates and giving them the opportunity to work alongside genuine industry experts, developing designs for real projects alongside their studies. Our in-house HV Training Academy is led by some of our most experienced engineers. While getting involved in the academy pushed me outside of my comfort zone at first, I’ve genuinely enjoyed it. The students are enthusiastic, engaged, and aren’t afraid to challenge industry norms, which makes it incredibly rewarding. It really sums up what I enjoy about my role in power cable engineering – I'm constantly learning, being tested and doing something that will make a difference, helping to address critical industry challenges.