Andrew Hay
What’s your job title?
Business Development Manager
What sort of duties do you have at work?
o Commercialisation of Fastrig
o Engaging with supply chain to manage delivery
o Liaison with clients and external stakeholders
What has your career path looked like until now?
o Studied engineering (A masters in Naval architecture at Strathclyde graduating 2013), started out in anchor system design and installation for offshore drilling rigs.
o Moved into structural project delivery for offshore drilling rigs with Maersk Drilling, based in Denmark and Azerbaijan 2014 – 2017.
o Moved back to Scotland and from project management into sales of heavy engineering and shipyard services, recently with Malin and then Harland and Wolff before joining SGS.
What’s your secret to making progress each day?
o Daily task lists on One Note!
o Write everything down, you won’t remember the detail otherwise.
What motivates you at work?
Being able to explain to my kids the role I had in decarbonisation of shipping when they are older.
What makes SGS different from other places you’ve worked for?
o I’ve worked with organisations of all shapes and sizes throughout my career, commercially SGS is in a unique position in that it is a startup, but for the size of the organisation it has massive projects at a fairly advanced state of discussion for the coming years. This is supported by legislative changes, wider realisation of the climate emergency, and the unlimited potential that is Di’s energy to push for change!
o On a personal level, we all try to find a narrative that makes us feel good about where we work. SGS has the clearest net benefit for the world’s future of any company I’ve worked with; ie it is not just about bringing fabrication back to the UK or delivering offshore services in a more efficient manor than a competitor, it is about each installation removing thousands of tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere, improving the environment for generations to come.
Who inspires you?
o Warren Buffett – probably the greatest investor of all time, but it’s his wisdom in predicting future society trends that gets him there (along with good old fashioned numerical analysis). Worth billions but still stays in a (relatively) modest house he bought 30 odd years ago and drives an old car because more wouldn’t make him any happier.
o Barrack Obama – introduced a vast array of welfare measures to lift the living standards of millions. Also has an infectious smile, would love to have a beer with him!
o Bill Gates – created probably the greatest brand of all time (Microsoft), but it’s born of his own passion as a technical programmer rather than manager. Also an incredible philanthropist.
What kind of music do you like?
Synthwave for driving (Gunship), Rock / Emo at the gym (Muse, Papa Roach, Linkin Park…), House for cooking (Daft Punk), and many more eclectic genres to add depending on the time of day!
What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
Big fan of sci fi and fantasy. Culture series by Iain M Banks
What’s your favourite food?
Thai, Japanese or Middle Eastern
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
I’m a cat whisperer
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Vet
What’s your favourite thing to do on a weekend?
o Pancakes for breakfast
o Take family to the farm park down the road. There’s no upper age limit on the trampolines or large slides!
What’s your favourite season and why?
Winter, the grass and hedge stop growing so I have more free time at the weekends!