Designing with purpose, leading with confidence: Lekhana’s journey at AtkinsRéalis

For Lekhana, engineering has always been about creating something that serves a purpose. From complex infrastructure projects to leading multidisciplinary teams, her journey at AtkinsRéalis has evolved from technical delivery to design leadership.

As a Design Manager, she brings together engineering expertise, collaboration, and people leadership to solve complex challenges and deliver practical, reliable solutions. Along the way, she has discovered that growth is not only about taking on greater responsibility, it is also about helping others grow and finding confidence in your own capabilities.

From technical expertise to design leadership

Lekhana began her journey with a focus on developing her technical skills and understanding how projects come together. Over time, opportunities to work on increasingly complex assignments helped her broaden her perspective.
Today, her role goes beyond design. She leads teams, coordinates across disciplines, works with clients and stakeholders, and helps navigate challenging design requirements. Looking back, I would say the biggest change is that I no longer see myself only as an engineer delivering designs.
I see myself as a leader who can influence projects, develop people, and contribute to the bigger picture. One project that played an important role in this evolution involved developing an electrical solution while working within technical, authority, and site constraints. Bringing together different stakeholders and disciplines required more than technical knowledge, it required communication, decision‑making, and a shared focus on finding the right solution. The experience gave Lekhana greater confidence to take on bigger challenges and reinforced the value of collaboration in engineering.

Engineering that creates lasting impact

For Lekhana, engineering is about much more than drawings and calculations. It is about creating infrastructure that people and communities rely on every day. Throughout her career, she has contributed to projects ranging from power plants to large‑scale infrastructure developments. Seeing ideas evolve from concepts into real‑world solutions gives her a strong sense of purpose. Making a difference to me is a combination of delivering quality engineering, solving problems collaboratively, and helping people become better engineers. That impact also extends to the people around her. Having learned from experienced engineers throughout her career, Lekhana now has the opportunity to share that knowledge with younger professionals and support them as they build their own confidence and capabilities.

Growing through trust and opportunity

Lekhana's progression to Design Manager was not something she had originally planned. Her career evolved as she took on new responsibilities, discovered new strengths, and stepped outside her technical comfort zone. Each opportunity prepared her for the next, from technical delivery and coordination to decision‑making, team leadership, and mentoring. The confidence came from the support and trust
I received from the people around me. For Lekhana, this combination of trust, encouragement, and the freedom to learn has been central to her growth. Every challenge she successfully navigated became a stepping stone towards greater responsibility.

A community built on collaboration

Working with colleagues across disciplines, cultures, and locations has shaped Lekhana's experience at AtkinsRéalis.

She values an environment where people can ask questions, share ideas, and challenge perspectives respectfully. For her, collaboration works best when teams focus on the overall outcome rather than individual discipline boundaries. You don't have to be the most senior person in the room to have a voice. If you have a good idea, people are willing to listen. This openness has also influenced how she leads. Having benefited from mentors and experienced colleagues throughout her career, she now strives to create the same opportunities for the people she works with.

Supporting people to grow

As a Design Manager, Lekhana sees developing people as an important part of her role. For her, making a difference can be as simple as helping a colleague solve a technical problem, sharing experience, or giving someone the confidence to take ownership of a challenge. She believes that when people are supported to learn and take responsibility, both individuals and teams become stronger. Success is not something you achieve alone.

Thriving as a professional and a person

For Lekhana, career growth has also been shaped by the ability to balance professional ambitions with life outside work. As a working mother, she values the understanding and flexibility that have helped her manage family responsibilities while continuing to progress professionally. Thriving together means creating a workplace where people don't have to choose between growing their career and living a fulfilling life outside work. That support has given her the confidence to take on challenging assignments and leadership responsibilities while remaining present for her family.

A career with room to evolve

Looking back, Lekhana sees her career as a series of opportunities, each challenge opening the door to another. From developing her technical foundation to leading design teams and mentoring the next generation of engineers, her journey demonstrates what can happen when people are trusted to take ownership and supported as they grow. For those considering a career at AtkinsRéalis, her message is simple: the opportunities are there, but you have to take the first step. If you are willing to learn, take responsibility, and challenge yourself, there is room to grow.
For Lekhana, the journey continues, with new challenges to solve, people to support, and opportunities to create meaningful impact through engineering.

Ready to shape your own career journey? Explore opportunities at AtkinsRéalis and discover where your potential can take you.