Inspirational Woman: Rachel Bridge | Communications Coordinator, Ansible Motion

Founded in 2015, WeAreTechWomen helps women working in technology via its work with over 40 multi-sector corporate organisations, helping them to attract, retain and develop female tech talent.  They also provide women with opportunities to up-skill through multiple events and conferences, as well as highlighting the achievements of future tech leaders through their TechWomen100 awards. WeAreTechWomen currently has a membership of 15,000 diverse female members women working across a multitude of industries and tech disciplines.

Recently, WeAreTechWomen interviewed Rachel Bridge, Ansible Motion's Communications Coordinator.  Rachel's role includes research and copy writing, coordinating and managing digital assets, filming and photography oversight, and liaising with press, media, and public relations.

Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role

I was probably the only seven year-old at school who could rewire a plug and change a fuse, and almost certainly the only 10 year-old who could solder and rebuild a computer (all skills I’m now woefully unpractised in), but these were the perks of being raised by an engineer! I didn’t continue down that path though and my degree is in youth and community work, which couldn’t be less tech related if I tried. I soon switched to marketing and fundraising, during which time I set up my own business offering marketing, design and research support to charities and companies both in the UK and USA, however, after 10 years, I was keen to move into the technology and engineering sector.

That’s how I started at Ansible Motion, a company which specialises in automotive simulation technology and driving simulators. Having always been fascinated by cars and motorsport, it was a dream opportunity. My job title is Communications Coordinator, which draws heavily on my previous marketing experience, but my role is varied as Ansible Motion is a small company achieving big things. For example, the latest Driver-in-the-Loop simulator product, called the Theta C, involved everyone in the company, and I was involved in the product development from day one to shipping the first unit off to Asia.

My current focus is on the company’s 10-year anniversary. In order keep up with our customers’ needs around the world, our simulators have changed and improved in radical ways since 2009, and the company has grown significantly.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

I probably should have done, but no. I actually ended up in this sector after an offhand comment from my dad about why I didn’t work in tech?

Have you faced any career challenges along the way and how did you overcome these?

Plenty. I lived in London for 10 years, and when I moved back to Norwich it was hard to find any jobs, let alone any that were engineering, and tech based. I asked for introductions from friends and friends of friends to get meetings with tech companies based in Norfolk, but Ansible Motion was always the company I wanted to work for. After a number of false starts elsewhere, I managed to get a meeting with the Technical Director at Ansible Motion. I went in initially asking for part-time work experience, but after a few months I was offered a full-time job.

Read the full article on the WeAreTechWomen website.