IET Volunteer & Council Member, Samuel Elegbede MEng CEng MIET is widely recognised as a positive role model for younger engineers across the profession. His passion for involvement, development and connection shines through in everything he does, making him a valued presence within the IET volunteer community.
Samuel’s volunteering story begins with an invitation that arrived at just the right moment. Fresh from graduating in 2019 and keen to find meaningful ways to get involved with the Young Engineers community, he reached out to the Young Professionals Committee. Before long, he was on his way to Leicester to attend the IET’s Present Around the World final.
“I was invited to sit with the London Young Professional Network, and that introduction changed everything,” he says. He expressed an interest in getting more involved, joined the committee soon after, and from there his volunteering journey steadily grew.
He went on to support the Horizon Bursary Panel, helping assess grant applications, and in 2022 stood in his first IET election, securing a place on the Community Resourcing Committee. By 2025, he’d run again and earned a seat on the IET Council. What began as one event in Leicester gradually became a genuine commitment to supporting fellow engineers and contributing to the wider community.
A Curiosity That Started Early
Samuel’s interest in engineering began long before he ever set foot in an IET meeting room. As a child, he was fascinated by the way everyday electronics worked.
“It amazed me that something as simple as a few wires and a flow of electricity could bring a device to life,” he says. He would experiment at home, trying to fix broken game consoles, DVD players and old TVs, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but always learning.
Those early tinkering sessions revealed not just a curiosity but a love of problem solving. By the time he finished school, the path towards electrical and electronic engineering felt like a natural next step.
Collaboration with other Professional Engineering Institutions
Among his many volunteering experiences, one that stands out is helping to deliver the IMechE Young Professionals Chain event, a collaboration between the IET, IMechE, ICE, IStructE and CIBSE. The event attracted students and young professionals from across the country and brought together people from a huge range of engineering disciplines.
During his time on the London Young Professionals Network, Samuel also acted as a liaison between several engineering institutions and contributed to the Multi institutional STEM Chain Conference in 2019. The event brought together over 100 young engineers from around the world.
“It was a truly collaborative and inspiring space,” he says — the sort of environment that strengthens professional connections and creates opportunities to share ideas across disciplines.
From WSP to Microsoft
Samuel’s career began more than ten years ago at WSP, where he worked as a Telecoms Engineer in the transport and infrastructure sector. It was a role that gave him early exposure to major, complex projects such as the Bogotá Metro Line in Colombia, HS2 and Crossrail. He led technical design packages, coordinated with multidisciplinary teams and worked closely with clients, experiences that shaped his approach to leadership and accountability.
Today, he’s a Regional Lead for Microsoft’s Telecoms Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO+I) team, overseeing telecoms design across infrastructure projects in the Nordics. He guides projects from early scoping right through to construction ready solutions aligned with Microsoft’s global standards.
How Volunteering Has Made a Difference
One of the most rewarding parts of volunteering for Samuel has been the people he’s connected with along the way.
He’s met young professionals from around the world, many of whom now lead teams in their own organisations. Growing together within the engineering industry has given him opportunities to learn from different perspectives and build a strong, international network.
Samuel’s advice for aspiring engineers would be “Luck requires participation. Put yourself forward, show up, take risks.” Short, memorable and very much the way Samuel approaches his own career.
Outside of Volunteering: A Matchday Regular
When he’s not supporting the engineering community, there’s a good chance you’ll find him at Stamford Bridge. As he proudly puts it, he’ll be “watching the best football team in the world — Chelsea FC.”
Today, Sam continues to play an important role in shaping the future of IET volunteering. As a member of the IET Council and the Volunteering Engagement Board, he brings first-hand insight, thoughtful feedback and a genuine willingness to support change, particularly around the idea of volunteering as a structured development journey. His readiness to lean in, support new initiatives and champion continuous improvement is greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Samuel, for your contribution and the commitment you show to strengthening and sustaining the IET’s volunteer community.
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