Early in her engineering career, Ir Mandy Leung empowered herself for success which earned her the HKIE Young Engineer of the Year Award 2010. She views being The President’s Award 2026 recipient as both an honour and an ongoing responsibility, affirming the importance of serving the profession and society with purpose and integrity.

Woman in STEAM - where technology meets high-voltage ambition

Ir Leung has made distinguished contributions to the engineering profession, leadership in the energy sector, and longstanding commitment to public service and professional development.

Currently Head of Asset Strategy at CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, Ir Leung leads the strategic stewardship of electricity assets critical to Hong Kong’s infrastructure. Her work spans reliability, digital transformation and decarbonisation— ensuring that the power system remains safe, resilient and future-ready.

A Foundation built on curiosity

Reflecting on her engineering journey, Ir Leung describes a path shaped by early curiosity and natural inclination towards problem-solving. “From a very young age, I was drawn to mathematics and science,” she reminisces. “I genuinely enjoyed understanding how things worked, and even as a child I loved fixing electrical appliances. Engineering felt less like a career choice and more like a natural extension of my curiosity and problem-solving instincts.”

Entering a traditionally male-dominated field, she recalls a defining early experience. “The reality only fully struck me when I attended my first university lecture and realised the gender ratio was close to 1:10,” she notes. “Rather than being discouraged, it strengthened my resolve. I saw engineering as my territory of study—a place where logic, rigor and persistence matter more than background.”

Broadening engineering through multidisciplinary leadership

Perceiving the evolving demands of the engineering profession, Ir Leung pursued postgraduate studies in business administration and law. This decision, she explains, was driven by a clear understanding of how engineering leadership is effectively developed.

“I recognised that modern engineering leadership requires more than technical excellence,” she says. “The MBA sharpened my communication skills and helped me understand how stakeholders from different sectors think, make decisions and define value. This allows me to frame engineering proposals in ways that genuinely address customer and societal needs, rather than purely technical considerations.”

Receiving the Young Engineer of the Year Award at the HKIE Annual Dinner in 2010

Legal training further strengthened her ability to navigate complexities such as pursuing win-win outcomes. Today, this multidisciplinary foundation underpins her approach to asset strategy. In today’s energy sector, she believes leadership must go beyond technical competence. She explains, “I am competent to bring together engineering discipline, business judgement and legal clarity, taking a long-term, systems perspective—particularly important as the energy sector navigates the dual challenges of transformation and reliability in the journey towards decarbonisation.”

At CLP Power, Ir Leung’s role sits at the centre of Hong Kong’s energy transition. She emphasises that reliability remains the foundation of all engineering decisions. “Reliability remains non-negotiable—electricity is foundational to daily life and economic activity,” she elaborates. “Asset decisions in the power sector are inherently long-term and shape societal outcomes for decades, which makes thoughtful forwardlooking strategy essential.”

Concurrently, digitalisation is transforming how infrastructure is managed. “Digitalisation is an enabler,” she explains. “It allows us to move from traditional operation and maintenance to predictive, data-driven asset management—a smarter way of improving performance, safety and efficiency.”

On decarbonisation, she underscores the importance of integration. “Decarbonisation is not a separate objective but an integrated consideration within asset planning, investment prioritisation and lifecycle management,” she observes. “By balancing these dimensions carefully, we can build long-term energy resilience.”

Commitment to the Profession and Advancing Diversity in Engineering

With nearly two decades of dedicated service with HKIE, Ir Leung has contributed extensively across committees and leadership roles, supporting professional standards and development. As a former HKIE School Ambassador and through her ongoing work with the Curriculum Development Council, she has focused on bridging the gap between industry and education.

Ir Leung’s commitment to public service extends strongly into education. She believes that early exposure to STEAM education is essential. She elaborates, “Science-inclined talent should be identified and nurtured early, with equal encouragement given to both girls and boys.”

Promoting young talent development in power industry

One of the first batch of engineers conferred with professor grade senior engineer qualification by Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province

“My involvement with HKIE has always been driven by a belief that professional excellence depends upon strong standards, continuous development and collective stewardship,” she says.

Ir Leung also highlights the importance of challenging outdated perceptions. “One common misconception is that engineering is solely about technical execution and is incompatible with communication, creativity or social impact,” she comments. “In reality, modern engineers must engage with communities, policymakers and global partners while addressing complex, interconnected challenges.” Being on the World Federation of Engineering Organizations’ Committee on Women in Engineering, she appreciates how global collaboration accelerates progress by sharing policies, role models and education pathways.

To young engineers, particularly women, she advises, “Do not mould yourself to preconceived stereotypes. Recognise the value of your perspectives, develop confidence in your abilities and understand that the profession increasingly requires diversity of thought.”

Continuing the journey to empower society and the profession

Ir Leung contemplates on how her perspective has evolved since receiving the Young Engineer of the Year Award. “My sense of responsibility has expanded from personal achievement to shaping pathways for the next generation and strengthening the profession’s contribution to society,” she explains. “This reflects my belief that inclusion, diversity and collaboration are essential for a resilient engineering profession.”

Ir Mandy Leung Man Yee (R) being conferred President's Award 2026 by the President