From behind a computer screen in Sweden, Beatrice uses her engineering background to keep electricity networks running reliably in different parts of the world. Today, she tells us about her work with power-system technology that allows utilities to monitor and control networks in real time.
Welcome, Beatrice, to this episode of Words That Count. We are honored to have you join us today
Thank you for having me.
Briefly introduce yourself to our audience: who is Eng. Beatrice?
My name is Eng. Beatrice Muthoni Maina. I am a Kenyan Registered Professional Electrical Engineer and currently live and work in Västerås, Sweden.
Although my career has taken me beyond Kenya, I remain deeply connected to my home country. I am passionate about contributing back through mentorship, representation, and sharing the lessons I have gained from working in different environments.
I currently work as a Global SCADA Service Engineer at Hitachi Energy in Sweden. Here, I support power-system control technology used by customers across different parts of the world. My work is at the intersection of electrical engineering, power systems, and technology.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) allows utilities to monitor and control electricity networks in real time.
My role involves supporting customers using these systems, troubleshooting technical issues, and investigating and resolving software-related problems. I work with colleagues across different countries and disciplines, ensuring that critical power-system infrastructure operates reliably.
What I particularly enjoy about my field is knowing that engineering work that may happen quietly behind a computer screen ultimately contributes to something fundamental to society: keeping electricity networks reliable and operational.
Walk us through your journey from childhood to building an engineering career
My journey did not begin with a perfectly mapped-out plan to become the engineer I am today. It began with curiosity.
Growing up in Kenya, I was fascinated by space and the science behind exploring it. I remember being intrigued by satellites, spaceships, astronauts and the idea that human beings could build technology capable of traveling beyond Earth. I wanted to understand how these things worked.
Looking back, that fascination was one of my earliest introductions to the possibilities of science and technology. As I grew older, that curiosity naturally developed into an interest in mathematics and the sciences and, eventually, engineering.
I began to understand that behind the satellites, spacecraft and other technologies that had fascinated me as a child were engineers solving complex problems and turning ideas that once seemed impossible into reality. That realization helped shape my decision to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Nairobi.
That childhood fascination has never completely left me. Even today, developments in space exploration still capture my attention. They remind me of the curiosity that first drew me toward STEM. I still have the desire to understand how things work, what is possible, and how engineering can push the boundaries of what we think can be achieved.
I started my career in Kenya and gradually built experience in electrical power systems, particularly SCADA and Energy Management Systems. Over the years, I worked on and supported numerous power-system projects, including substations, control systems, renewable-energy projects and national electricity network systems.
One significant part of my work in Kenya involved SCADA commissioning and supporting systems that allow engineers and operators to monitor and control electrical networks. I also gained experience working with Energy Management Systems and modeling transmission networks for power-system studies.
As my career progressed, I made a deliberate decision to look beyond what was familiar to me and pursue global opportunities. That decision became a major turning point. Eventually, an international opportunity brought me from Kenya to Sweden, where I now work in a global environment supporting customers and collaborating with colleagues across countries and cultures.
Relocating also reminded me that becoming experienced does not mean you stop being a student. I had to learn new systems, processes, workplace cultures and ways of communicating and collaborating.
Today, after almost 15 years in engineering, I see my journey as one of continuous learning. I am still an engineer, but I have also become passionate about mentorship and creating visibility for other women and young people considering STEM careers.
What have been some of the challenging moments along your journey in engineering?
There have been many!
Engineering remains a male-dominated profession, and as a woman, there have been times when I have had to work harder to establish my technical credibility or navigate environments where very few people looked like me.
Another significant challenge, especially in the earlier years of my career, was not having mentors to help me navigate the path ahead. There were many career decisions, professional processes, and transitions that I had to figure out largely on my own. I often did not have someone a few steps ahead of me whom I could ask, “How did you navigate this?” or “What should I be thinking about next?”
That experience taught me independence and resourcefulness. It also showed me how much easier it can be to navigate a career when you have access to guidance and someone willing to share what they have learned. That gap is where much of my passion for mentorship is rooted today. I want younger engineers and professionals, particularly young women, to have access to some of the guidance, encouragement, and perspective that I would have valued earlier in my own journey.
Another challenge was learning not to allow imposter syndrome to make decisions on my behalf. Some opportunities initially felt bigger than me, particularly when I began considering an international career. At some point, I had to decide that I was capable of competing for opportunities beyond the environment I already knew.
Relocating from Kenya to Sweden brought a completely different set of challenges. I was adapting not only professionally but also culturally, learning different workplace norms, communication styles, systems, and expectations while building a new life away from the support structures I had known.
How were you able to navigate these challenging moments and stay motivated?
My greatest motivation has evolved throughout my career. Earlier, much of my focus was on becoming a competent engineer and building a meaningful career. Today, I am increasingly motivated by impact and representation.
There is power in seeing someone whose journey makes you think, “Perhaps I can do that too.” That is one reason mentorship has become important to me. I currently mentor young professionals, including young women navigating engineering and early career decisions.
Sharing my story doesn’t only mean the successes but also the uncertainty, mistakes, learning, and resilience behind them. I want girls to grow up seeing women not as exceptions in technical spaces, but simply as people who belong there. I have come to believe that our achievements become even more meaningful when they create possibilities for someone coming behind us.
Let’s talk about some of the most prestigious moments you have encountered while building your engineering career
One of my proudest achievements is becoming a Registered Professional Engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya and a Member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya. Professional registration represented years of education, practical experience, learning and professional growth.
Technically, I am proud to have contributed to deploying SCADA systems in more than 50 substations. I also contributed to SCADA commissioning for renewable-energy projects in Kenya and to a more reliable and stable Kenyan national transmission grid through maintaining SCADA systems that run the grid. I have also worked with the country’s power-system Energy Management System, including modeling and tuning the transmission network to support power-system studies.
Another defining milestone was taking my engineering career internationally and relocating to Sweden. Working in a global organisation and supporting electricity-network customers across different regions has expanded both my technical perspective and my understanding of what an engineering career can look like.
I was also honoured to be nominated for the Professional Technical Award at the 2025 Africa Queen of Energy Awards. Recognition is meaningful, but what matters even more to me is knowing that a career that started in Kenya can now encourage another African girl or young engineer to imagine possibilities beyond what she currently sees.
Increasingly, I also count my mentorship work among my most meaningful achievements. Seeing a young professional become more confident, pursue an opportunity or rethink what is possible for their career is a different kind of professional reward.
Who is Beatrice outside of the walls of engineering?
Outside engineering, I am a mother, mentor, reader and lifelong learner. I enjoy reading, nature, cooking, music and traveling. I am also fascinated by history and documentaries about past civilizations.
Something close to my work, I enjoy sharing reflections about engineering, career development, relocation, leadership and life abroad. Storytelling has become an unexpected but important part of who I am. I have realised that experiences we sometimes consider ordinary can be exactly what someone else needs to hear. I value meaningful relationships, continuous personal growth and creating opportunities to encourage others.
What is your favorite quote?
“You cannot be what you cannot see” ~ Marian Wright Edelman. This quote resonates deeply with me because representation has become central to how I think about STEM.
When a young girl sees a woman who looks like her designing electrical systems, working in technology, leading projects or building an international engineering career, something changes. A career that once seemed abstract suddenly becomes imaginable.
Representation does not tell a girl that the journey will be easy. It simply shows her that the journey is possible.
What are your words of encouragement for a young girl interested in an engineering career?
Do not disqualify yourself before the world has even had the opportunity to see what you can do.
You do not have to know everything before choosing engineering. You do not have to be the smartest person in every mathematics or physics class. And you certainly do not have to fit the traditional image of what an engineer is supposed to look like. Be curious. Ask questions. Learn continuously. Find mentors. Build your confidence through competence, and do not be afraid to pursue opportunities that feel bigger than you.
Engineering will challenge you. There will be moments when you question yourself, particularly when you enter rooms where very few people look like you. But please remember: being different doesn’t mean you do not belong. When I began my own journey in Kenya, I could not have imagined that engineering would one day take me across borders.
Or even allow me to work with people and electricity networks around the world.
Your first opportunity does not define the limits of your career. Start where you are. Learn everything you can. Remain open to possibilities. And when you eventually find yourself in rooms you once only dreamed about entering, leave the door a little wider for the girl coming behind you.
Beatrice, you have walked such an inspirational journey! Thank you for allowing us to share it with the world through our work. We wish you the very best in all you do and look forward to celebrating you more in the future.
