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Our people make Hutchison a great place to work and we’re pleased to shine the spotlight on another member of our talented team.

In our latest Meet the Team feature, we meet Service Engineer, Rowan Griffin.

We asked Rowan to tell us a little more about his role and what he enjoys most about working at Hutchison.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in in 1957 in North Shields, Northumberland where both my parents were nurses. I left school at 16 and joined Perkin-Elmer ­– a US analytical instrument manufacturer with a UK base in Beaconsfield – as an apprentice. My apprenticeship was multi-discipline and I studied mechanical, electrical and electronics and developed sills in metal machining, welding, spraying, and electrical engineering, including high voltages. Also included was electronics, from basics to high-tech micro circuitry – some of the equipment still used valves!

During this time, I also attended technical college one day per week studying HNC Electronics.

I then joined a company that specialised in conference audio communication. In this role, we manufactured and installed the equipment used to generate and distribute multi-language translation for international conference venues, plus sound reinforcement, and electronic voting systems. I joined as a temporary wireman while considering moving to Australia, however, I was persuaded to stay with the company. I managed to work my way up to the design, production, and implementation of systems from small local council chambers to major international venues, such as the QE2 Conference Centre in London.

I also spent thirty percent of my time in the USA, Middle East, Far East and Africa. I met some interesting people including HM Queen Elizabeth, Margaret Thatcher, George H W Bush, Yasser Arafat and many more. I also met a few notorious people, Saddam Hussein being one.

After 13 years and a bad experience in Nigeria, I needed a break. During the little spare time I had, I learned to fly gliders and then went on to become an instructor. I also gained a private pilot license and then took the opportunity to become a professional instructor. I served three terms as Chief Flying Instructor and became an Instructor Coach, which involved teaching people how to be instructors.

After 6 years of “vocational” income, I decided to re-join the real world. That was almost 21 years ago, when I was lucky enough to join Hutchison Technologies. Thanks Mark.

Tell us about the main aspects of your role.

The main aspects of my job are customer facing. I mostly investigate and rectify issues reported by customers by way of the service desk. Another role is that of commissioning engineer, making systems works and handing over to the customer with training if necessary. I have also been assisting with helpdesk workload by reviewing incoming calls and providing assistance, either to helpdesk or directly to the customer. I also carry out sales technical surveys from time to time.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I like the variety of work; no day is the same. I have learnt so much about new things and continue to do so.

What makes you stay at Hutchison’s?

Hutchison is a company that feels good to be of. The company has grown dramatically since I joined in 2000, but it has managed to retain the one-to-one feeling of being valued.

If coronavirus is a teacher, what has it taught you?

Solitude doesn’t always lead to loneliness. A positive attitude is a preventative measure.