Chatting with Changemakers is our interview series where we speak with influential sustainability advocates, uncovering the motivations, insights, and strategies driving positive change in their respective fields. In this installment we speak with Leanne Halliday, who shares her journey from a council estate in North England to building a thriving international career as a Chemical Engineer in the hydrogen sector.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainability, Halliday stands out as a true changemaker—an engineer, leader, and advocate who has helped shape the global hydrogen market through vision, grit, and a deep sense of purpose. How did she get to where she is today—and what can the wider industry learn from her journey?
From Modest Beginnings to Global Expertise
Born in northeast England, Halliday’s early life was marked by financial hardship and limited exposure to professional careers. “I didn’t know what an engineer was,” she recalled. “I thought an engineer was someone who fixed the car or the washing machine”. It was a chemistry teacher who first opened her eyes to the possibilities of engineering, helping her secure work experience and sparking a lifelong passion. ’’I was hooked. I thought: This is my route out of here and how I can make a difference in the world.’’
Her drive kicked in, and Halliday was ready to break her family’s generational cycle of living hand to mouth. With her dad’s encouragement, she pursued chemical engineering at Loughborough University, drawn by its breadth of career paths. “I was never the smartest, but worked hard and came out of University top of my class with first-class honors and a university prize.’’ Fast forward to today, Halliday is now a chartered Chemical engineer with 23+ years’ experience spanning international roles, currently serving as Global Head of Energy and Renewables and Hydrogen Subject Matter Expert at LRQA.
Inspired by Impact
Halliday began her career in oil and gas, working at ConocoPhillips and AMEC (now Wood), where she gained hands-on experience across the full engineering supply chain, from concept design to commissioning. “I loved that physical aspect of seeing the design all the way through to completion,” she says.
In 2005, Halliday won the Chemical Industries Young Ambassador of the Year award. “I was given a full 12 months to promote the importance and impact of the chemical industry,” she says. Her role involved school outreach, government engagement, and media appearances across China, the Americas, and Europe. This experience revealed her passion for effecting change. “What I really enjoyed was the people impact—being able to articulate how engineering can make a difference to people’s lives,” she reflects.
Making Waves: Halliday’s Transition to Hydrogen
After returning from maternity leave, Halliday noticed a shift in the energy landscape. “Hydrogen was getting talked about a lot… and that’s where I started to get more interested,” she says. “It was a real, tangible solution… a difference that we can make today.”
Since then, Halliday has worked on Hydrogen projects spanning Europe, Australasia, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, using her technical background and market knowledge to understand, communicate and advocate solutions for sector risks and challenges.
Her motivation is deeply personal. “What my children need now is for us to protect the planet,” she says. “As engineers, we have the opportunity to make a difference. To be able to say, ‘I helped slow down the melting of the ice caps’, that’s what drives me.”
Driving Hydrogen Market Adoption
Halliday sees hydrogen as a vital part of the energy transition—not a silver bullet, but a powerful tool that’s ready to be deployed. Her perspective on the future of hydrogen is grounded in both optimism and realism: “Hydrogen is not the only solution—it’s part of the solution,” she says. “But the technology is here, and it’s a difference that we can make now”.
Known affectionately as “Miss Hydrogen,” Halliday has played a pivotal role in hydrogen energy adoption. She has led internal and external training courses to build competency and confidence. Halliday also works to influence policy and regulation. “We don’t want policy out there that doesn’t make sense,” she says. “It’s about bridging the gap between policy and industry – incorporating the industry’s perspective into policymaking and ensuring that regulations are clearly communicated and fully understood by the industry.”
Key Challenges in the Hydrogen Sector
Scaling Hydrogen effectively is no easy feat, and Halliday identifies several critical challenges that must be addressed:
- Regulatory Understanding: “Regulations and standards are maturing globally, but people’s ability to put them into practice is still lacking,” she says. “There’s a competency gap in understanding how to install, operate, and manufacture hydrogen equipment”.
- Collaboration: “Collaboration is great to talk about, but how do you actually make it work? You need strong KPIs, a defined intent from leadership from the top down, and a formed team working full-time—not part-time or split between jobs”.
- Carbon Pricing: “Until we get a real global price on carbon and a single way to certify it, these projects will be slow and piecemeal,” she warns.
The Energy Transition: Everyone’s Challenge, Everyone’s Opportunity
Halliday believes that shared responsibility is key. “Innovation in technology and engineering is one part. But a lot of it is mindset and collaboration,” she says. “Energy transition is not one nation’s, one company’s, or one entity’s problem—it’s everybody’s”.
As Halliday’s personal path makes clear: ambition and a strong vision goes a long way. ”I remember my Physics teacher, Mr Waller saying: ‘don’t waste your life, you can do this—but only you can make it happen.’” That sentiment is true for industry at large: regardless of an organization’s history or experience, transitioning to renewables is possible with the right plan and strategy—the opportunity is there for the taking.
Unclear how to start or scale-up your energy transition? Speak to our team to learn more.