I started in Careys in 2006 but started my working life as an electrician and soon moved on to join McNicholas’ then-new tunnelling division. Even back then I demonstrated the problem solving qualities needed to work in health and safety. I believe the early experiences from being on site have allowed me to empathise and support colleagues much more effectively.
I’m not risk adverse and will always look for pragmatic ways of getting the job safely built. I’m proud of the projects we have built within the Carey Group and often bore my family when we drive past an old job and say, ‘I helped build that’.
My two daughters continue to tease me by asking did you mix the concrete or tie the steel dad? The answer is no, but I would like to think that true risk reduction only works if the HSSQ team are integrated into the operations team and work together. This is something I have championed in Careys for almost 20 years now and the proudest moment for me is when one of the lads on site stops me and says, “Have you seen what that company is doing over there. That’s like Careys 15 years ago”. This for me, is the greatest achievement in my world of HSSQ, when our people can see the difference and understand why we follow the Carey Way.
As I come to the end of my career, I feel a pressure and responsibility to impart some of the knowledge I’ve acquired to the next generation. I try to coach and inspire those around me, sometimes by telling too many stories, but I hope these illustrate my point in a way that they will remember for the long term.
Outside of work, I get away as often as my wife will allow in my motorhome. I love travelling and exploring new places and get bored sitting by a pool in the sunshine. I have two daughters in their twenty’s both of which think I cannot dance and that I’m not funny…but what do they know.