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The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to modern society. With an immense variety of products, from vital medicines and foods, the construction of buildings, to transport and leisure, the industry truly does have an impact on virtually every aspect of our daily lives.
Read moreThe Chemical Industries Association is delighted to announce Elish Chambers of GSK as the winner of the Future Leader Award 2025, sponsored by the Salters’ Company.
This award recognises an outstanding young person demonstrating communication skills and leadership associated with the chemical industry and contributing to its success. Elish was recognised for her outstanding early-career impact in the chemical industry. A passionate communicator and people leader, she has driven safety, innovation, and team development at GSK. Her commitment to industry resilience, skills growth, and sustainability marks her as a true future leader in the UK chemicals sector.
Elish is a recent Chemical Engineering graduate and part of GSK’s Chemical Engineering Future Leader Programme. Based at Barnard Castle, she works as an Engineering First Line Leader, leading a team of engineering technicians to ensure safety, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement across liquid inhalations manufacturing, filling and packaging. In this role, she has driven improvements in line reliability, led root cause analyses to resolve complex equipment issues, and implemented corrective actions to enhance operational performance. Her leadership has focused on developing her team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning while maintaining high standards of compliance and safety.
During previous rotational roles, Elish supported the qualification of new equipment, taking ownership of engineering workstreams and validation protocols to ensure smooth integration into manufacturing. She led the engineering redesign of a cleaning process to improve safety and efficiency and worked across functions to reduce risks and improve operational reliability. Her proactive and results-oriented approach has delivered measurable improvements and driven change.
Elish is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. At university, she founded a Women in Engineering society, creating a supportive network for female students and providing opportunities for networking, study support, and career development. She also mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds applying to STEM courses. At GSK, she led the site’s first-ever Women in Engineering Insight Day, designed to inspire young women to consider careers in engineering through hands-on activities, Q&A panels, and demonstrations. She has also contributed to broader inclusion efforts, including advocating for gender-neutral signage in procedures.
Currently working towards IChemE chartership, Elish is preparing to lead ChemTalent, where she hopes to continue advocating for inclusivity, driving sustainability initiatives, and inspiring the next generation of STEM talent. She is committed to helping position the chemical industry as a global leader in addressing societal challenges such as clean energy and environmental stewardship, while ensuring the sector remains competitive, innovative, and welcoming to all.
Elish consistently embraces change as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Her creative approach enables her to find unique solutions to challenges, particularly in implementing safety improvements and coaching colleagues to build a strong safety culture. In leading a diverse team, she demonstrates the importance of clear communication and fostering an inclusive team environment. Her ability to inspire and manage her team ensures high performance and continuous improvement, while her commitment to learning and collaboration continues to drive her professional growth.
The CIA’s ChemTalent Annual Survey, which gathers insights from early-career professionals across the chemical industry, has highlighted the importance of providing young people with fi rst-hand experience as early as possible and the crucial role this can play in bridging the skills gap.
