Are We Nearly There Yet?

The sky really is the limit! Amr Saleh, Strategic Advisor, NNL

Amr grew up in Yemen in his early years. At the start of the civil war he moved with his family to Cardiff, a decision his dad does not regret.
Amr thrived in a learning environment, encouraged by his dad to have a good education, with a particular focus on sciences. He went on to study Chemical Engineering at Sheffield University before working for Spirax Sarco working on steam applications in the oil and petrochemicals sectors.
In 2017, Amr joined the National Nuclear Laboratory. He has enjoyed a secondment to the government department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).  Whilst at BEIS, he helped develop policies around the energy mix, including nuclear. Amr is very focussed on his career development and understands the importance of belonging and being connected. He really believes the sky is the limit!
To find out more visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amr-saleh-b2b802103

I find the hours of dedication and discipline are the same no matter what path I take! Kieron Hersnip, Early Careers Advisor, NNL

Kieron grew up and lives in Wigan, a town renowned for rugby league.
Kieron enjoyed school, especially the sports side of it. A keen football fan, a golf and cricket enthusiast and of course a talented rugby league player it was only natural that when he left school he was successful in getting the opportunity to play professional rugby league for Salford City Reds at the young age of 15. Dedicated to the sport, he developed a discipline to work, work, work to stay on the path to success, which paid off when he represented Great Britain in Australia and New Zealand.
A serious injury resulted in Kieron having to retire from the sport, however he didn’t let this deter his enthusiasm and started work at a young offenders institution working with youngsters ready to be released back in to the ‘real world’ where he realised it was his calling to help the younger generation. Taking his experience and skills, Kieron changed his career path to work as an early career’s advisor for the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory offering one to one support for those starting out on their career journey.
To find out more visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kieron-hersnip-1894a61a1

One of the most powerful things in life is not to ask the question can we do it...but how do we do it! Lorna Fitzsimons, CEO and co-founder of The Pipeline Ltd

Lorna Fitzsimons lives in Rochdale and is a board member at Greater Manchester local enterprise partnership, and CEO and co-founder of The Pipeline Ltd, an organisation that works to develop leaders and female talent to add value to business. 
At school, Lorna had a love for art and pursued that passion when she went to Loughborough College of Art and Design to study art. Whilst here, she became President of the National Union of Students (NUS). 
After her time with NUS, Lorna went on to be the Associate Director of Sarchi subsidiary dealing with high value clients like UKAEA and Proctor & Gamble. Lorna was awarded the IPPR Young Communicator Award in 1995.  
In 1997, she became a Member of Parliament for Rochdale and chaired the Women’s Committee.   
After her time as an MP, she became an advisor and visiting fellow for the Defence Academy before taking over the role of Chief Executive for the British-Israel Communications and Research Centre prior to founding the Alliance Textile Growth Programme.  
To further her career and apply all the skills she’d learnt to mentor others, Lorna co-founded The Pipeline, specialists in leading Diversity and Inclusion programmes with organisations, teams and individuals to deliver better results. 
To find out more about Lorna visit: www.execpipeline.com and https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lorna-fitzsimons-ab284817 

You've only got one life, so do something fun! Kate Wallace, Operations and Technical Support, NNL

Kate grew up in Cumbria and went to St Benedict’s High School where she had a love for all subjects apart from physical education!
Kate went on to Leeds University to study an integrated master’s in physics. She found living in Leeds a huge change from living in a small village in Cumbria, but loved it! She made the most of city life. Her moto is “you only live once, so do something fun!”
After finishing university, Kate spent many hours job searching. Having grown up in Cumbria, an area renowned for its nuclear heritage, her focus was on companies operating in this sector. She came across the National Nuclear Laboratory, and found she really connected with the company’s values; particularly connecting academia with industry. With a determination to work for them, she secured an interview and was delighted to be successful.
Kate works in the Radiochemistry team at the National Nuclear Laboratory. In her spare time, Kate enjoys writing, reading and drawing.

Working in nuclear has helped me discover my passion for a low-carbon energy mix! Jack Raven, Finance & Project Development Analyst, Sizewell C

Jack grew up in Norwich. At school, he really enjoyed the science subjects and went on to study chemistry, biology, and maths at A-level before specialising in chemistry at Sheffield University. He found his transition to university tough but also a part of his life where he grew up and learned to stand on his own two feet. University life made him realise he thrives under pressure to get a job done.
Following university, Jack spent a successful 18 months working in crop genetics at the John Innes Centre in Norwich as a laboratory researcher. From here, he moved to Dupont to work in their disinfectants and cleaners business before making another move to EDF Energy as a commercial graduate on a two-year programme. After successful completion of this, Jack transferred to their Sizewell C project working as part of a team looking at how the project will be financed and seek approval. It’s working here that Jack has discovered his passion for a low-carbon energy mix.
To find out more visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jack-raven-a5430676

If you stop learning, you stop living! Vicky Taylor-Plane, Corporate Campaigns Manager, The University of Manchester

Vicky grew up in Greater Manchester and went to Hulme Grammar School for Girls where she really enjoyed learning and made the most of the opportunities the school gave her. Vicky now lives in Stockport with her husband Anthony.  
Vicky really enjoyed and excelled in sociology through school and college and went on to study sociology and social psychology at the University of Bradford. After graduating from university, Vicky went on to become an account executive at WWAV Rapp Collins North for two years, and then transferred to their London branch where she worked for the next eight years. Vicky then decided to move back up North and worked briefly at Connectpoint, Pravda Advertising and WRG.  
After dabbling in freelance work, an opportunity as a marketing manager came up at the University of Manchester. Working at a university had always been a personal aspiration of Vicky’s as she had always loved the university environment and learning as a whole. Vicky is now the corporate campaigns manager at the University of Manchester and loves the variety of her work.  
To find out more visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/vickyplane 

It's all about the people! Caroline Longman, Account Director at the National Nuclear Laboratory

Caroline Longman is Account Director for Government at the National Nuclear Laboratory and lives in Oxfordshire with her husband Guy and their three children.
Caroline grew up in Northampton before moving to study physics at Swansea University, being one of only a few girls on the course.
After graduation, Caroline moved to London to join the Medical Research Council doing some work on dizziness. From here, she went to work for her father for a couple of years in insurance. Not satisfied that she was achieving her career goal, Caroline then went on to study a Masters in Radiation and Environmental Protection at Surrey before getting a job with Nuvia as a Radiation Protection Advisor. Caroline then made a move into a Business Development, a role more suited to her personality.
Caroline then took the bold decision to join Government, working in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support the development of nuclear policy; a role she found extremely interesting with lots of twists and turns! Caroline then applied her experience to work with NNL as an Account Director for Government.
To find out more visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/caroline-longman-06031228

It's how you deal with the bump in the road that matters! David Thomas, Airline Pilot TUI & former Red Arrows display pilot

David Thomas always wanted to be a pilot. He grew up in Newcastle Upon Tyne and after a successful career with the RAF and the Red Arrows, he now flies 737 with TUI.  He lives with his partner Nikki, their two children Elliott and William. These and Nikki’s other two grown up children Jack and Tom are all a very important part of David’s life. 
From an early age, David was interested in airplanes and had always wanted to fly them. He remembers a holiday in Corfu watching the airplanes land at the airport as a pivotal moment in understanding what he wanted to do. From there, he crafted his education and career around getting to flying airplanes. His focus through school was gearing himself up to join the Royal Air Force after deciding he did not want to go to university.  
After school, David went to RAF Locking as a junior technician for electrical communications for two years. In 1996, he then spent four years training to be a pilot where he got his wings for the Royal Air Force. He learnt to fly Harriers and took great pride in being a NATO asset. As well as his time with the RAF, he also flew with the Red Arrows as a display pilot during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. David decided in 2006 that it was time for more domestic stability, so used his airline license which he’d gained through self-study to get a job with TUI, where is now, as an airline captain.   
In his spare time, David likes to cycle and is a keen photographer. 
For more information visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-thomas-832a52125 

Often a smile and a hello works wonders! Claire Hindle, Head of Legal, NNL

Claire Hindle is Head of Legal at NNL. She lives in Hale with her husband Pete and two teenage sons along with their Labrador Collie cross, Brook. 
In Claire’s early years, her studies took her to Sheffield University to study music and French something she had a passion for from being young. Early on, Claire recognised this wasn’t the career path she wanted to go down and took the plunge to change to law. A decision she doesn’t regret. Even partaking as chair for the Edward Bramley Law Society. 
Claire’s first job was at Slater Heelis Solicitors as a trainee solicitor before moving to Addleshaw Goddard. From here, she was offered a job with an Entrepreneur and lived life in the fast lane through constant challenge and changes. Claire thrived on the tasks required and learnt how to innovate to stay ahead!  Claire then took the decision to start a family, which led her to working for NNL as it fitted with family life, initially working two days a week. 
Claire has a successful career at NNL and uses the innovative skills she developed to enhance working practices for everyone. 
To find out more visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-hindle-9591327 

Take the good with the bad! Gary Cookson, Director, Epic HR

Gary Cookson is Director at Epic HR Ltd. He grew up in Winsford, Cheshire and went to Verdin High School. He still lives in Winsford with his wife and four children and has been recognised in HR magazine’s HR Most Influential: Movers and Shakers 2019.
After finishing high school, Gary went to the University of Huddersfield to study history which was a subject that had always been of great interest to him. Gary then went on to do a PGCE in secondary history at the University College of St Martins in Lancaster which is now part of the University of Cumbria.
After completing his PGCE, Gary went on to have a variety of different roles including Process Improvement Manager, Training and Development and Head of HR before getting his ‘lightbulb moment’ in 2017. It was at a CIPD conference that Gary got his lightbulb moment and realised the importance of getting the work-life balance right after a couple of family setbacks and how he himself in HR needed to lead by example. Gary’s got a down to earth, personal story of growth which we can all learn from.
You can find out more information here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/garycookson   https://epichr.co.uk

Careers aren't necessarily set in stone, Monica Mwanje, Managing Director of MM Creative Solutions and Co-Founder of Diversity and Inclusion in Nuclear

Monica Mwanje is Managing Director of MM Creative Solutions and Co-Founder of Diversity and Inclusion in Nuclear.
Monica grew up in Merseyside and now resides in Liverpool. During lockdown, she had the pleasure of her brothers living with her!
After leaving higher education, Monica went to Birmingham University to study chemical engineering whilst combining it with a language. From here, Monica was successful in securing a job at Sellafield Ltd as a Graduate Chemical Engineer where she found herself being one of only a couple of black employees. Monica talks about how that felt and sparked an inner desire to do something about it, which came later in her career.
After Sellafield, Monica moved to Jacobs to work as a process engineer moving to Atkins a year later in a similar role. The valuable experience she gained allowed her to move to a more senior role at DBD involved in Defence Sector work. After three years, Monica took the courageous decision to set-up her own consultancy providing services to help businesses grow in nuclear and other regulated sectors through expert guidance on the political landscape and supply chain opportunities whilst offering support and training on diversity and inclusion .
Through Monica’s consultancy work, she realised that diversity and inclusion in the workplace was beginning to be recognised and co-founded Diversity and Inclusion in Nuclear offering practical support to organisations and people managing teams and to share best practice and how to work together to achieve diversity and inclusion.
For more information visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/monicamwanje and https://dinuclear.com/

I always judge myself before others! Kirsty Gogan, Managing Director of LucidCatalyst and Co-Founder of Energy for Humanity

Kirsty Gogan is the Managing Director of LucidCatalyst and Co-Founder of Energy for Humanity a non-profit organisation focused on solving climate change. She grew up in Dublin and Lemington Spa, and now lives in southeast London with husband Anthony and two children. 
After finishing high school, Kirsty wanted a bit of freedom and to earn some money. She worked as the as the manager of an opticians, but soon realised this wasn’t for her.  She read Politics at the University of West of England and loved the debate and discussion but recognised a UK-centric perspective of world events.  Kirsty wanted to travel and to understand the perspective of others in a very different and sustainable culture; this led her to live in Romania to do grass roots environmental work. 
Returning to the UK, Kirsty started work in the press office for the Department for Environment where she was promoted to senior press officer for the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.  She studied for an MSc in business strategy politics and environment at Birkbeck before working as Head of PR at Futerra.  Kirsty then moved on to the Department for Energy and Climate Change in the nuclear directorate, much to the surprise of her friends. 
Kirsty highly recommends reading Professor Sir David MacKay’s book “Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air” (www.withouthotair.com) which opened her eyes to the scale of the energy challenge and not being able to address it with renewables alone. 
For more information about Kirsty visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-gogan-alexander-8153095 

Sometimes you have to take a risk! Dr Mark Edmiston, Head of Independent Assurance, NNL

Dr Mark Edmiston is Head of Independent Assurance for the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory. He lives in Cumbria with his wife Lindsay and their two children. Mark talks to us about his love of history and how that took him to study Chemistry at the University of Glasgow to PhD level!
After leaving University, Mark successfully got a job at BNFL as a technologist working on advanced reprocessing, gaining Chartered Chemist status. Following spells in project management and people management Mark became a key member of a small team which implemented a behavioural safety programme within Research and Technology. From here, Mark took on the roles of EHS&Q Manager and Capability Manager, before taking up a role leading behavioural safety.
Mark is now Head of Independent Assurance leading a team of highly experienced internal regulators and senior assurance specialists.  For further information:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mark-edmiston-cfiosh-11851334 

Never give up! Christie Spurling, Founder and CEO, N-Gage

Christie Spurling talks about the challenges he faced in his early years.  One of only three black children growing up in Lymm in the 1970's he struggled with racism and learning difficulties.  The challenges were so severe that he was permanently excluded from school and placed in a full-time residential unit. 
 Christie shares his story openly and honestly.  He finally found his passion for social work which inspired him to set-up N-Gage, a charity that works with young people at risk of exclusion.  Working closely with Greater Manchester Police and local schools, N-Gage continues to have tremendous impact.  Christie was awarded an MBE in 2019 for his work with young people in Manchester.  Christie is the Founder and CEO of N-Gage a Manchester based charity that gives young people at risk of educational or social exclusion opportunities and skills to achieve their full potential. He's an avid drummer and likes to play golf. For more information se e: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christie-spurling-mbe-frsa-27419223/ 

Don't be afraid of asking the wrong question! Jay Bhart, Programme Office Director for the UK's Nuclear Sector Deal

Jay Bhart tells us about challenges at school and discovering that he had dyslexia. His inspirational journey explains how he learnt to manage this and go on to have a successful career; from being an apprentice at Rolls-Royce to Programme Office Director for the UK’s Nuclear Sector Deal.
Jay explains the importance of listening to the reason why people respond to a situation in a certain way by understanding their point of view and how it unlocks a different sort of conversation. He also has some great advice on cultural differences and how to learn about these differences before setting up a business meeting! 
Jay stays fit with his martial arts and he continues to teach Kung Fu once a week allowing him to pass on his knowledge to others. Jay grew up in Slough and now lives in Bristol with his partner and young family. Find out more about Jay at: www.linkedin.com/in/jatinder-bhart-apmp-mba-ceng-mimeche-2aa84514/  

Life is a journey, however remember to get off the train once in a while! Trevor Llewelyn, International High Jump Coach and Head of Department, Dulwich College.

Trevor Llewelyn has had two parallel careers: an International High Jump Coach and Head of Department at his former school, Dulwich College. He grew up in South Croydon with limited access to academic subjects before gaining a free place on the 11+ to Dulwich College where he admits he struggled with the variety of subjects on offer. Through reading, Trevor became interested in Geography and it was his love of that subject which took him to St John's College, Cambridge to study where his love for athletics blossomed into coaching. Trevor's career has gently unwound… a journey he's been happy to go on that has allowed him to travel the world. His globe-trotting has even taught him to, “get off the train once in a while” and, importantly, that "it's easier to have a conversation rather than email!"Now head of Geography at Dulwich College, you can find further information about Trevor at: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/trevor-llewelyn-3254a419