Articles
Beginnings
I have always had a fascination with how things work and how things are made – so a career in engineering was pretty much on the cards for me from very early on. I grew up in South Africa after my parents emigrated from England in the early 1980s, but my English roots were always calling me back. After completing my schooling, I spent a few years working in a hardware store selling irrigation equipment. Opportunities were limited and it wasn’t until later in my early twenties that I started my engineering career. In late 2004, I was offered a job on the Isle of Man. It wasn’t quite what I had envisioned, but I decided it was too good an opportunity to miss. So I left South Africa. That move turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
2005-07: Family business, Isle of Man
In February 2005, I joined my uncle’s start-up company, based on the Isle of Man, as a general production assistant doing basic engineering-related work, such as technical drawings, and assisting with the design of a hand-held golfball finder. It was a decent start, but funding eventually ran out before we could get production up and running. The company closed its doors in 2007.
2007-09: HNC in mechanical engineering
The closure of the company forced me into a sort of gap year and after meeting with one of the lecturers at the Isle of Man College I decided to enrol for an HNC in mechanical engineering to obtain a formal qualification. It was tough trying to juggle part-time education and hold down a job, but I made it work and passed through most subjects with distinction. I even won two academic awards, including Most Outstanding Overall Student, one of my proudest achievements.
2007-12: Swagelok
Shortly after the start of the academic year I applied for and earned a temporary contract with Swagelok, as a general production assistant in their Isle of Man factory. A permanent position in the quality engineering group was offered to me a few months later. There was a lot to learn in a short time. One big challenge was promoting the continuous improvement culture to sustain systemic process improvements. Results were critical when any process changes were implemented. The customer-facing aspect of this role drove an urgency to get things done.
2009-12: BEng degree in aerospace manufacturing
Swagelok was very supportive of further education. The company funded the remainder of my HNC studies and supported my studies towards earning my BEng degree in aerospace manufacturing at Liverpool John Moores University, which I earned in 2012 with honours.
2013-17: Senior product engineer
In 2013, I was promoted to senior engineer in Swagelok’s product engineering department, sharing responsibility for the overall design of a new series of pressure regulators that we had inherited from a recent company acquisition. This role involved plenty of hands-on engineering during the validation and implementation phases of the project. Working with a focused, diverse team was very rewarding.
2017-Present: Principal supplier development engineer
In 2017, I was offered the chance to take on the role of supplier development engineer at Swagelok, which was a great opportunity to gain broader exposure to other cultures, industries, companies and processes. I now have the responsibility of all quality and technical-related issues for our inbound European supply chain. The variety of industries that I get involved in can be daunting at times, but I enjoy the challenge. Not being a specific industry expert in any one field can be an advantage when trying to problem solve – it provides a fresher perspective. While the Isle of Man was not my initial intended destination, it has certainly been very easy for our family to call this our home. The quality of life, job opportunities, and career progression here are fantastic.
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