Episode 6 - Engineering Change: Diversity, Innovation, and impact with Dr. Ollie Folayan MBE

In this episode 6 of The Industry Wave, My guest today is Dr. Ollie Folayan, MBE, Head of Process Engineering at Costain Group and co-founder of AFBE-UK. With a long and distinguished academic journey—beginning with his Bachelor of Engineering in 1999, a PhD in 2002, and culminating in his role as a Fellow and Vice Chair of the Institution of Chemical Engineers—Dr. Ali brings a wealth of expertise and insight to the conversation.

In this episode, we dive into his inspiring journey as a chemical process engineer whose early passion for fuels and combustion sparked a remarkable career in energy and innovation. We explore the role of mentors and family influences, including the shared impact of his sister, Dr. Nike Folayan, in championing diversity within engineering.

From founding AFBE-UK—an organisation built from the ground up to support ethnic minority engineers—to launching outreach programmes like Making Engineering Hot and NextGen (Scotland), Dr. Ali shares both the challenges and triumphs of building initiatives that open doors for the next generation.