Sania Baig, a former account manager at Blakeney, where she worked on public affairs campaigns across energy, nuclear, financial services and transport, has joined the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as public affairs manager.
She has replaced Tim Allison, who left IET in December and is now external affairs manager, science and innovation, at The Crown Estate.
Baig started her new role last week and reports to Stephanie Baxter, head of policy at the IET.
She is leading engagement with policymakers and stakeholders across key areas including digital, AI, sustainability and defence. Baig has also been tasked with shaping the IET’s public affairs activity, building relationships across government and industry, and ensuring engineering expertise is represented in the policy debates shaping the UK’s future.
She is “a highly motivated MA Geopolitics and International Affairs graduate with a passion for international and public affairs,” according to her LinkedIn profile.
Prior to joining Blakeney last year she spent a year as an account manager at Sovereign Strategy, where she worked on UK and EU policy campaigns and parliamentary events.
Baig previously worked as a senior parliamentary assistant to Conservative MP Flick Drummond, and a parliamentary assistant to Conservative MP Trudy Harrison, after starting out as an executive assistant to Oliver Dowden when he was chairman of The Conservative Party.
She told In.Comms: “I’m delighted to be joining the IET at such an important time for engineering and technology. Big decisions are being made on net zero, skills and emerging technologies, and it’s vital that those are informed by real engineering expertise. I’m looking forward to working with policymakers and industry to make sure that perspective is part of the conversation from the outset.”