Learn how women can position themselves at the forefront of future mega construction projects in this episode of Diverse!
Catherine Hunt Ryan, president of Bechtel’s Manufacturing and Technology business, discusses the pivotal role women play in infrastructure projects in conversation with FY25 SWE President Karen Roth.
Hear about the evolving global landscape for women engineers, Hunt Ryan’s own career journey and the impact she hopes to leave, and a sneak peek of her upcoming keynote at WE24.
Listen to the episode on SWE’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker: Catherine Hunt Ryan, President, Bechtel Manufacturing & Technology

Catherine Hunt Ryan is the president of Bechtel’s Manufacturing & Technology business. She is responsible for the worldwide markets of design, construction, and project delivery for semiconductors, electric vehicles, synthetic materials, and data centers.
Catherine has two decades of EPC industry experience in energy, infrastructure, and water sectors. At Bechtel, she has held key project development, project management, and executive leadership roles.
Before leading the Manufacturing & Technology business, Catherine was the chief financial officer (CFO) of Bechtel Group, Inc., responsible for leading the finance organization, which includes Bechtel Enterprises and the corporate planning, treasury, tax, and shared service functions.
Catherine joined Bechtel in 2007, initially working in Bechtel Enterprises, the company’s project development, investment, and financing services group.
Catherine transitioned to Bechtel Energy in 2013 and was the Sabine Pass Liquefaction project’s project controls and commercial lead. She became the CFO of the Energy business in 2016 and became the CFO of Bechtel Group in 2018.
Before joining Bechtel, Catherine worked at the World Bank’s Infrastructure Economics and Finance unit with a focus on contract design and economic regulation for private investment in power and water utilities.
Catherine earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School. She is on the board of the Bechtel Group as well as educational institutions, including the Stanford Construction Institute and Beauvoir School.
Host: Karen Roth, FY25 President, Society of Women Engineers

Karen Roth is an experienced Department of Defense leader in cyber, artificial intelligence, and digital engineering. Roth has taken her proven skills in strategic thinking, communication, and partnership development to create a global ecosystem for the Air Force and to be a trusted fiduciary for the nonprofit boards she has served.
Roth is the Deputy Director of AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. She leads the strategy and execution across the $1.3b portfolio through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, and the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which serves to expand the defense industrial base for advanced technologies, empower Airmen and Guardian talent, and drive faster technology transfer to operational capability.
Roth has a zeal for supporting women in STEM. Her commitment has led to her participation on several not-for-profit boards, including the Society of Women Engineers, where she has served as treasurer and director of professional excellence. She also serves as an advocate for women in other organizations such as the Girls Scouts and the regional engineering executive council.
She holds an executive MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Cornell University. She is currently completing an executive certificate in public leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She serves SWE in a personal capacity and does not represent the U.S. Government or the U.S. Air Force in this role.
Diverse: a SWE podcast has been recognized as a top women in STEM podcast and a top engineering podcast!
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