Ireland
Breaking barriers and building belonging: the network connecting women across Ireland’s HVACR sector
A successful professional network does not necessarily need a formal membership structure, elected officers or its own headquarters. Sometimes it begins by creating a place where people can meet, recognise shared experiences and discover that they are not alone.
That is the story of Women in HVACR Ireland. What began in 2022 has developed into an annual gathering and a year-round online community connecting women across Ireland’s heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration sectors.
The network brings together consulting engineers, contractors, manufacturers, sustainability specialists, apprentices, technical specialists, project managers, sales professionals and support staff. Its purpose extends beyond a single annual event: it creates opportunities to connect, encourages women to remain and thrive within the sector, and helps the next generation recognise the breadth of careers available to them.
An industry-first initiative
The first Women in HVACR event took place on 30 September 2022 at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland’s offices in Ballymount, Dublin 22. Launched by Mitsubishi Electric Ireland with its Diamond Quality Partner, Tech Refrigeration, it created a dedicated opportunity for women from across the industry to meet, learn from one another and build meaningful professional relationships.
The organisers were Margaret Rafter, then Consultant Sales Engineer at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland; Rachel O’Brien, Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland; and Gabriella Pascu, then Sales Administrator at Tech Refrigeration.
The response revealed a need larger than the event itself. Attendees consistently described the value of meeting others who faced similar challenges, shared similar ambitions and understood what it meant to build a career in a predominately male sector.
The initiative therefore responded to a challenge that extends beyond recruitment. Attracting women into HVACR is important, but so is ensuring that they feel welcome, can see routes for progression and have access to people who understand the barriers they may encounter.
A network can help create that sense of belonging. It enables a woman who may be the only female member of a team, department or training course to discover a much larger professional community.
Siobhan Gilroy and Megan Sage have also joined the organisation of Women in HVACR Ireland events over the past couple of years, helping the initiative continue to develop.
An independent, community-led network
Women in HVACR Ireland is best understood as an emerging professional network rather than a formal membership organisation. Mitsubishi Electric Ireland continues to host and support its events, but the LinkedIn group was deliberately created as an independent platform for the wider industry, rather than a company channel or a promotional vehicle for any one organisation.
Its strength lies in collaboration and accessibility. Participants do not have to join another institution or fit within a complicated structure. Women from different companies, occupations and career stages can connect through a shared interest in supporting one another and strengthening Ireland’s HVACR community.
The LinkedIn group provides continuity between formal events. Members can recognise career milestones, share industry news and networking opportunities, discuss emerging technologies, exchange ideas and seek advice from their peers. It turns introductions made at an annual gathering into relationships that can continue throughout the year.
At the time of contributing this feature, the group had 93 members and was growing. Participants ranged from office administrators and sales and marketing professionals to engineering managers, consultants and directors.
Collaboration across the industry
The network has broadened through collaboration. Annual events are typically held at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland’s Dublin offices around International Women’s Day, and recent partnerships have included CIBSE Ireland, CIBSE Northern Ireland and Women in Building Services Engineering.
Contributions from CIBSE and WIBSE committee members include sharing their career journeys, explaining how CIBSE can support careers in the built environment and introducing WIBSE networking opportunities that further encourage a community of women across the industry.
These relationships connect women working in refrigeration and air conditioning with the wider building-services engineering community. They provide access to different types of expertise, professional development and potential role models while reinforcing that HVACR careers rarely sit within a single professional category.
Margaret Rafter, co-founder of Women in HVACR Ireland and President of the Institute of Refrigeration Ireland, brings a further connection with the refrigeration profession. Her involvement has helped shape the initiative and build momentum since its early years.
The community now includes women working as engineers, contractors, manufacturers, technicians, sustainability specialists, project managers, sales professionals, apprentices and support staff. This breadth matters: it shows that there is no single route into HVACR and no single type of role through which a woman can contribute.
Breaking barriers and developing leaders
The 2026 event, held at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland’s Dublin offices, carried the theme “Breaking Barriers: Engineering the Next Generation of Leaders”.
Hosted by Rachel O’Brien, Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Ireland, and Marketing Assistant Megan Sage, the programme combined professional development, personal experience and industry insight.
Speakers included April McHale, Siobhan Gilroy and Margaret Rafter of Mitsubishi Electric Ireland; Niamh O’Halloran, a Mechanical Engineer with Black & White Engineering and a CIBSE Ireland and WIBSE committee member; leadership strategist Margaret Kennedy; career coach Heather Thompson; and former Irish international rugby player Lynne Cantwell.
Together, their contributions explored role models, mentorship, future planning, technical and professional leadership, resilience, confidence and the willingness to challenge established expectations. The programme reflected a consistent feature of the initiative: creating space to hear successful women speak and to discuss the decisions, setbacks and relationships behind their progress.
Attendance has grown from around 25–30 people at the first event to approximately 50–60 at subsequent gatherings. In 2026, attendance was limited to 55 because of the venue’s capacity.
Recognising visible role models
One of the strongest messages to emerge from the events is the importance of visibility. The familiar phrase “you can’t be what you can’t see” has resonated with attendees because visible engineers, consultants, directors, technicians and business leaders make it easier for younger women to imagine themselves following similar paths.
Building on this principle, Women in HVACR Ireland introduced the Breaking Barriers Role Model Award to recognise women helping to shape the industry’s future through leadership, innovation and a commitment to encouraging wider participation.
The inaugural award was presented in 2026 to Susan Cormican, Director of Ethos Engineering. It recognised her contribution to the HVACR industry, her dedication to supporting and mentoring others, and the example she has set for women pursuing careers in the field.
Susan was nominated through a committee comprising Women in HVACR Ireland organisers from Mitsubishi Electric and CIBSE/WIBSE committee members. The Role Model Award will be presented annually, and the organisers are considering opening nominations to the wider industry.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be honoured with this award. There are so many people doing so much to accelerate the drive towards a more effective gender balance.”
Susan Cormican
Director, Ethos Engineering
Inaugural recipient of the Breaking Barriers Role Model Award
Awards can provide more than personal recognition. They make achievement visible, record women’s contributions within the history of the profession and demonstrate that success is possible at every career stage. They can also broaden perceptions of leadership: a role model may be a company director, but she may equally be an experienced technician, educator, mentor, project engineer or someone who consistently helps others progress.
From annual event to year-round connection
The annual event remains a cornerstone of Women in HVACR Ireland, giving participants a day of networking, discussion and shared learning. The LinkedIn community extends that connection beyond Dublin and beyond International Women’s Day.
As the network grows, there may be opportunities to add other forms of activity without losing its welcoming, informal character. These might include online discussions, regional meet-ups, mentoring introductions, workplace visits, technical presentations or joint outreach to schools and colleges.
The most appropriate model should remain shaped by the women involved. Some may value a more structured programme, while others may prefer an accessible community supported by existing organisations. The organisers’ stated ambition is for the network to remain member-driven: centred on women’s experiences, achievements and willingness to support one another.
“Over the next two to three years, we would love to see Women in HVACR Ireland develop into a strong, supportive network that creates real opportunities for women across the industry. That could include mentoring, technical and professional development sessions, more regional activities outside Dublin, and opportunities for women at different stages of their careers to connect and learn from one another. Ultimately, we want this to be a network shaped by its members and by what women working in the Irish HVACR industry tell us they need.”
Rachel O’Brien
Marketing Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Ireland
Co-founder, Women in HVACR Ireland
Whatever develops, its impact will ultimately be measured by what changes for women: whether more enter the sector, remain in it, progress into senior positions, become recognised technical voices and feel able to contribute fully.
Inspiring the next generation
Ireland’s HVACR and building-services sectors need skilled people capable of responding to decarbonisation, changing refrigerants, heat-pump deployment, digitalisation and increasingly complex building-performance requirements.
The community has used discussions about STEM education, apprenticeships, engineering careers and industry outreach to emphasise the need to introduce more young women to HVACR. Its career opportunities span engineering design, sustainability, project delivery, technical sales, operations, maintenance, manufacturing, controls and business leadership, yet many remain largely invisible to students and career changers.
Women and girls cannot consider careers they have never encountered. Sharing credible stories from women already working across the sector can show both the range of opportunities available and the many different routes into them.
A recent Women in HVACR and Engineering event for students from Loreto Crumlin, held with partner Crystal Air, put this approach into practice. It showed students what an engineering career can look like for a woman, introduced different fields of work and explained routes into the industry.
A community built through connection
Since 2022, Women in HVACR Ireland has shown what can happen when organisations deliberately create space for women to connect and be heard. Its development also demonstrates that a network does not have to begin as a formal institution to have value.
Perhaps most encouraging has been the enthusiasm shown by the wider industry. Each event has demonstrated an appetite to create opportunities, remove barriers and support greater participation. The conversations, friendships and professional relationships that have followed show the value of spaces in which people can connect openly and authentically.
The initiative has brought together women from different parts of the industry, established collaborative relationships and begun recognising role models whose careers can inspire others. Its next chapter can build on those foundations by widening participation, sustaining connections between events and ensuring that women from every part of HVACR can help shape its future.
The network’s experience carries a simple message: belonging grows through bringing people together, listening to their experiences and ensuring that they have opportunities to participate, progress and lead.
“Women belong in every part of HVACR, from engineering and innovation to leadership and the skilled trades. Our ambition is to inspire and support women around the world, showing that this is an inclusive, diverse industry where they are welcomed, valued and empowered to build rewarding careers and progress into leadership. By creating greater opportunities for women, we strengthen the future of HVACR for everyone.”
Margaret Rafter
Consultant Specifications Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Ireland
President, Institute of Refrigeration Ireland
Co-founder, Women in HVACR Ireland
Connect with Women in HVACR Ireland
Discover the community, follow its activities and connect with women working across Ireland’s HVACR industry through its LinkedIn group.
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