Spotlight on Transferrable Skills | Dr Mick O’Connor, HAELO
I’ve spent the past 40-years in engineering, starting as an apprentice welder in the Clyde shipyards then oil rig construction, oil refinery and petrochemical plant overhauls, aerospace, defence, aviation, construction, utilities and now space. I’m currently programme director at Prestwick Spaceport, drawing on my previous experience of managing live missile testing ranges. I’m a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Director and was recently appointed the Institute of Directors Chartered Director lead for Scotland.
I’m Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University, supporting undergraduates and postgraduates in the areas of employability, entrepreneurship, enterprise, and engineering management. I recently completed a PhD entitled; Emergence sense-making in complex organisational ecosystems, which is a fancy way of saying ‘I make sense of uncertainty’.
I wasn’t academic at school however, I did excel in creative subjects such as metalwork and art. I just couldn’t concentrate, and would spend more time looking out of the window or distracting classmates. I learned in later life that my learning style was visual and kinaesthetic, so starting a craft apprenticeship was the right path for me. In 1986 I won the Prince Philip Prize which is awarded annually by the Glasgow Incorporation of Hammermen to the best engineering student in the West of Scotland. The award changed my life and gave me a lifelong passion for learning which endures to this day.
HAELO started as a consultancy company, built upon a consulting framework I had developed entitled ‘Organisational Meshing®’. My first big client embarked upon a companywide transformation programme and used the framework to navigate a path through it, lasting nine-months. At the end of the assignment HAELO received fantastic testimonials, however I was asked if it was the intention to develop supporting software. My immediate answer was; ‘no’, I’m not a software guy! However on further enquiry the client stated that if I were to develop supporting software, they would bite my arm off, and I thought; if that’s not a buying signal I don’t know what is! So I set about learning how to develop software, but where to start? As an engineer I started by clearly defining the problem, then an outline architecture, then soon reached the limit of my competence, then employed a developer. Three-months later, together with the client, I put the software through its paces starting with user acceptance testing and then implementation.
The software is designed to provide senior decision makers with a holistic view of an entire organisation to ensure all governance arrangements are in place and operating in compliance with regulatory requirements, moreover assure operational resilience and provide early threat detection. The software can be tailored for any regulatory framework within any industry sector, however there was a pull from the financial as RegTech is something which is recognised, unlike other sectors. The current focus is on supporting the implementation and governance of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR).
I have managed many types of business and although the financial industry is different, in many ways it is similar, particularly when it comes to governance, risk and compliance (GRC). My experience of directing and governing complex engineering businesses projects and contending with the vagaries and volatility of the operating environment I believe will serve me well when working in the financial industry. It is essential when joining a new industry to show humility and listen. Yes, I bring expertise, however it is important to learn from others who have greater knowledge of the specific nuances and challenges of the sector.
So far so good! The concept and software functionality is receiving positive feedback from the financial industry more than any other at present and people could not be more helpful; for that I am truly grateful. The short-term plan is to carve out a niche as the go to SM&CR solution provider, then widen to other use cases. The longer-term plan is to widen to adjacent regulated verticals e.g. rail, space, health, aviation etc.
For anyone new the financial sector I think it is important to know your strengths and do your research. Whether joining as a risk manager, programme manager or analyst, transferrable skills from other sectors are of value and the financial industry brining different experiences and approaches. Skills come in hard and soft form, albeit I am not a fan of the term ‘soft skills’ as it downplays their importance. I consider soft and hard skills as being of equal importance, we can teach hard skills however, soft skills reflects character and what you bring to an industry when you turn up on your first day. My engineering experience tells me of many instances where someone with lesser academic qualifications was the preferred candidate as they exhibited the right character traits.
My primary reason for joining SFE was to be part of the financial community, although relatively new I am enjoying the experience and excited to be part of it.