What path has your career taken since graduation? 

After I graduated, I started a PhD on management of complex engineering projects. At the same time, I started a company with some of my friends from university. As the company developed, I decided to drop out of the PhD programme and joined the company full time. I went through a few different roles, from helping to develop the initial version of the product, through to setting up a customer success team which hired traditional engineers to support the software deployment. 

What is your current role?

I'm one of co-founders and in charge of product (i.e. Chief Product Officer) at Continuum Industries. We build and maintain a product called Optioneer which is a cloud-based, AI-powered, software solution used in the utilities and energy markets. 

What experiences do you feel helped you get to your current position?

Our company can be directly traced to some of the student societies that were popular at the time - Formula Student, HYPED Hyperloop or the Student workshop (InnSpace). 

How have you used the skills and/or knowledge developed during your degree in your career?

Electrical, mechanical and basics of software are still present in what I do. I'm nowhere near the level of detail I was while at university, but general technical knowledge is very useful. Problem solving, communication and technical writing are all useful too. 

What advice would you give to students who are interested in your area of work?

Nobody knows what they are doing. People go through life and career making stuff up. Be better than that, try to have the actual core knowledge and skills to get the job one. Make sure you get recognised for that. 

This profile was published in May 2024