Amy Richardson

Name and current roles:

My name is Amy Richardson. I am a Sales Engineer at Adcock Refrigeration & Air Conditioning 

Could you share a bit about your background?

After my GCSEs I studied at Grimsby Institute and achieved my level 3 BTEC in Engineering, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning. I have almost 20 years’ experience working within the Refrigeration and HVAC industry, I started on the tools as a Marine Refrigeration Engineer with Richardson Marine Refrigeration working onboard vessels for customers such as P&O Containers, Stena & P&O Ferries, British Antarctic Survey maintaining the refrigeration plant.

After a few years I moved into Project Engineer roles within MITIE AC London and Balfour Kilpatrick Marine Division: Kelvin Ross, and then on to Sales/ Application roles with Advanced Air and Halton (both air distribution equipment manufacturers) before returning back to Marine Refrigeration this time in a Senior Sales Engineer role.

My current role is Sales Engineer with Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.

What attracted you to the industry?

From a young age, I was always curious about how things worked, often taking things apart to learn more. I was fortunate that my dad was a Refrigeration Engineer, and he would let me assist him when overhauling small compressors and other equipment. This hands-on experience sparked my interest in the industry, and I decided early on that I wanted to become a Refrigeration Engineer.

What organisation do you work for and what is your role? How long have you been with the company?

I work for Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; I joined the team at the Norwich branch in Jan 2022.
My job title is Sales Engineer, and my role is the design and sales of new air conditioning and refrigeration installations to a variety of key accounts, customers within the M&E construction industry as well as end users from schools, hospitals and offices through to residential properties.

What are the key responsibilities you handle on a day-to-day basis?

• Site surveys for new and existing projects.
• Preparing and submitting M&E tender responses. Ensuring we are compliant with the specification, all plant/equipment is correctly selected and correctly priced.
• Design and selection of air conditioning systems including single splits, multi splits, VRF and HVRF.
• Design and selection of refrigeration equipment for cold-room / freezer-room applications.
• Ensuring our design adhere to EN378 standards

What do you enjoy most about your job, and what are the biggest challenges you face?

I love the diversity of the projects, my days are never the same. 1 day I can be looking at the plant on the roof of a London skyscraper, the next I’m at a RAF Base and then on to a residential survey. 
My work often involves problem solving, which can be very satisfying. Whether it’s diagnosing a system malfunction or designing an energy-efficient solution, there's a lot of room for creativity and critical thinking.

What do you like about this industry?

This industry plays a crucial role in our everyday comfort and well-being. From keeping food fresh to maintaining comfortable indoor environments, refrigeration and air conditioning touch nearly every aspect of modern life. Knowing that the work done in this field directly impacts people's lives is incredibly rewarding.

What is your career highlight or proudest achievement? 

Career highlight would be looking after the scientific cold-rooms on board the British Antarctic Survey vessel RRS James Clark Ross, these were critical systems used to transport ice samples from the south pole back to the UK for scientist to study.
One of my proudest achievements is undertaking the STEMazing training programme with the support of the IOR. The training involves working with a local school to present face-to-face lessons to engage with young children, especially girls, to spark an interest in STEM from an early age.

What advice would you give to women who are looking to enter or advance in the refrigeration and heating industry?

It is a fantastic industry to be in, and is always evolving with new technologies, regulations, and best practices.
In my time in the industry I’ve found hard work, reliability, and a willingness to learn will earn respect and credibility.
And lastly find your support system, whilst women may still be in the minority, joining a group like WiRACHP can help offer support, encouragement and a sense of community as you progress in the industry.