Chemical Engineering (MEng), University of Manchester, graduated in 2008.
I decided to join Mitsubishi Chemical, as I wanted to work for a global company. I thought that the Company would be able to offer me a varied career, which would allow me to apply the skills and knowledge learned from my degree in different roles. At my interview I was impressed by Mitsubishi Chemical's ambition to grow the business within the global MMA market, something that was underlined by the commissioning of the new Alpha technology plant in Singapore.
Over the past four years I have had the experience of working on a number of different plants on the Cassel Works production site. This has included day-to-day plant support and working on minor plant modifications. I have also been involved in two major overhauls and undertaken process inspections of the vessels under the guidance of the more experienced members of the team. This had allowed me to make these inspections independently at some recent smaller events.
In addition to the above experiences, I have had the opportunity to be involved in multi million pound projects at various different stages of the process on site. This has included work on the front-end definition, and assisting in the commissioning of new plant equipment. I have recently become the Development Manager for the Methacrylic Acid plant, which has given me the responsibility for its long-term technical development. I have also taken on line management responsibilities for the first time, putting into practice some of the skills I have learned as part of the Skills Development Programme run internally by the Company.
I have really enjoyed my experience at here and feel like a valued member of the team. There is a real feeling of an ‘open door’ policy that extends throughout the organisation, which helps you to settle into the role. Having a mentor to oversee your career helps to ensure that you have the experiences necessary to broaden your skill set as a Chemical Engineer.
I enjoy playing sport; 5-a-side football with some of my colleagues or Ultimate Frisbee for my local team. I also enjoy walking so being in Teesside is ideal, with the North Yorkshire Moors only half an hour away and I can be in the heart of the Lake District in just under two hours.
In the short-term I would like to achieve Chartered Chemical Engineer status and I am confident that the experiences and opportunities that I have had so far will allow me to complete this successfully. I am still very open-minded about the long-term. There are various avenues that I could explore within the Company including progression down the engineering route, getting involved in operations or stepping out into a commercial or business role.
