Georgie is dedicated to slowing climate change’s impact. From the beginning, it was her commitment and desire to make a hands-on difference that set her on the career path of engineering – and working at First Mode.
Despite the challenges that can arise in a male-dominated field, engineering provides Georgie the unique opportunity to contribute to solutions that address many of the world’s most pressing issues. For Georgie, engineering is a lever for good.
Valuing Diverse Perspectives, Creating Better Solutions
Before joining First Mode, when Georgie was fresh from school and her all-girls education, it took time to adjust to being one of only a few women at work. (At one point the ratio of men named “Tom” to women was 6 to 1.) But Georgie grew up in a household of strong women and was certain that her perspectives were valuable because engineering is end-user focused and not all end-users are the same.
Now at First Mode, Georgie is inspired to work alongside colleagues equally dedicated to addressing climate change. She also loves the community she has built with other women engineers. “I’m proud that my female colleagues have been instrumental in the success of First Mode’s disruptive technologies to decarbonise heavy industry,” Georgie said.
But don’t just take Georgie’s word for it. Research has shown that companies with greater workforce diversity (including leadership) are 39 percent more profitable than their industry peers. In sum, diversity and inclusion are not only the right thing to do but, in a workplace setting, they also positively impact the bottom line.
To help her assess and address a range of haul truck operator requirements, Georgie sought a deeper understanding of “the why”, especially when it comes to new or disruptive technologies. To support her learning and work in data insights, she also utilized First Mode’s Human-Centered Design (HCD) team to better understand how to design display dashboard data for all users, including women, a significantly underrepresented, yet growing demographic in mining.
“Our team strives for inclusive design, which requires us to look at data and consider human-centered design principles, and be in the field to truly understand the process and experience of all miners, from Chile to South Africa to Canada.”
For example, our teams must design product features that are effective, useful, and usable for a female driving a truck through a blizzard in the Andes Mountains or a male driving a truck through the scorching-hot Pilbara. Understanding and empathizing with all perspectives is best accomplished with better representation across teams at First Mode.
Focusing on What’s Important for Success
Every project involving the size and scale of mine haulage takes incredible focus and determination – especially when moving an idea through proof-of-concept in under six months. In her work to help develop First Mode’s Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) retrofit platform at velocity, Georgie diligently prioritizes the essential data insight components to ensure her engineering team regularly hits their critical milestones.
According to her manager, Georgie not only thrives on bringing innovations to life but also “intrinsically understands what work is most vital, which keeps her focused on how to deliver high-quality pieces that are essential to First Mode’s rapid product development process.”
To Georgie, it’s a simpler calculation. “When I set my sights on a specific goal, I accept it will require time, effort, and focus. This mindset helps me balance my expectations so I can realistically succeed.”
Growing Through Discomfort to Achieve Big Goals
Outside of work, Georgie recently set a personal goal: run for charity in the London Marathon, the largest annual fundraising event on the planet. But she didn’t stop there. She wanted to “make a bigger splash”.
In 2023, she was inspired by a man running in a pterodactyl costume for a Guinness Book of World Records. “What a fantastic way to raise awareness and money for charity!” So, Georgie considered her costume options and contacted the Guinness Book to see what it would take for her to be the first woman to run the marathon in a 7-foot inflatable shark costume.
As a lifelong athlete, Georgie is no stranger to the associated physical and mental challenges of running. But this time, her training required her to run outside in a costume – and there is no way for a giant shark to run inconspicuously through the streets of London. Fortunately, the initial embarrassment was tempered by her gracious friends who assisted her as “guide runners” and the delightful reactions of passersby filled her with encouragement and gratitude.
Georgie publicized her fundraising and ruthlessly prioritized her life to accommodate her training schedule, all in hopes of reaching her goal. “I enjoy being pushed out of my comfort zone but also getting comfortable with the possibility of failure.”
On race day, her support system stretched far and wide – from fellow runners and supporters on the sidelines to friends across the globe. Among them were many of Georgie’s First Mode colleagues, even if she could barely make out who was who through her fogged-up shark suit!
Georgie proudly finished the London Marathon with her shark costume still intact, and now holds the record for fastest marathon in a full-body inflatable costume (female) at a time of 5:10:31 – beating the benchmark of 5:30:00 set by Guiness World Records. She also raised £6,881 for Shelter and GiveDirectly.
“The support from my team – during my world record run and my push to achieve equally challenging professional goals as an engineer – validates why I choose to work at First Mode,” said Georgie. “It’s important to have fun while working hard to decarbonize a vital sector like mining.”
First Mode extends our heartfelt congratulations to Georgie Box for her successful Guiness World Record as well as the important contributions she brings to our mission. You’re really “making waves” with your fin-tastic work!
