Brittany MacKinnon first learned about Hatch in high school while participating on the FIRST Robotics Canada team, which the company sponsored and mentored.
Her career journey with Hatch began with an internship as a Queen’s student and has steadily evolved in new and exciting directions.
“I embrace new challenges with a positive attitude,” says MacKinnon. As a chemical process engineer with Hatch, “I am helping to optimize existing metallurgical plants, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting the development of new processes.”
Since graduating in 2019 (Chemical Engineering), her work has taken her across the globe to Brisbane, Australia, for nearly two years, beginning in 2023, and recently, she has been assigned to North Carolina, USA to serve as a process engineer on site.
While in Australia, she prioritized connecting with her beloved alma mater, where, in collaboration with Hatch, she hosted a milestone alumni event in honour of Dr. Bert Wasmund (Sc’61, MASc’63, LLD’08) and in support of the Wasmund Family Indigenous Engineering Scholars. “Queen’s University holds a special place in my heart because of the sense of belonging and school spirit. It created a very tight-knit community and built relationships that will last a lifetime,” says MacKinnon.
“To celebrate my five-year homecoming weekend, I spent time with fellow Queen’s alumni dining along the Brisbane River by the Story Bridge plus playing footy on the beach at North Stradbroke Island.” MacKinnon continues to give back to Queen’s in countless ways as an ambassador and mentor.
This past January, she was the keynote speaker at the annual Iron Pin ceremony at Smith Engineering, a breakthrough event for first-year students that signifies the engineering students’ commitment to uphold the engineering profession's utmost integrity and core values. Following this landmark commemoration, she was officially invited to take on a seminal leadership role with the Queen's Young Engineering Alumni (QYEA), and she enthusiastically accepted.
“QYEA inspires greatness amongst recent graduates and young alumni,” says MacKinnon. “We achieve this by delivering exceptional opportunities for alumni to grow and evolve their capacity for innovation, initiative, and leadership and by showing a generation of Queen’s engineering alumni the importance and benefits of investing in the future of the Smith Engineering program and students.” She eagerly encourages students keen to get involved to contact her personally.
To MacKinnon, who is both a mentor and mentee, mentorship is vital. “It enables you to reach your full potential and help others reach their full potential,” she says. “As a professional, I'm continuously learning from brilliant, world-renowned subject matter experts, and I'm excited to be developing my technical expertise. I look forward to tackling new challenges and will continuously strive to create a positive impact on the metallurgical industry.”
Almost six years into her chemical engineering career, MacKinnon is already shaping the landscape in exciting and transformative ways. As a contributing author to a 2024 book titled “Designing Sustainable Prosperity: Natural Resource Management for Resilient Regions” and as a trusted active Chair to many organizations in her field (including the Metallurgy Society of Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology), her determination is boundless.
“I love collaborating with others to find innovative solutions to challenges, especially creating a more sustainable mining and metals processing industry,” says MacKinnon. “I care about creating positive change in our world.”