In partnership with Utility Week, the Institute of Water runs a talent recognition scheme called Rising Stars. As well as giving a profile to individuals who have shown potential and appetite to progress in the water industry, the Rising Stars programme offers them opportunities for professional development and the chance to attend key industry conferences. Winners in 2014 ended the year attending a dinner with Martin Baggs, chief executive of Thames Water.
One of the 2014 intake was Andrew Taylor, managing quantity surveyor, Morrison Utility Services, and Utility Week talked to him:
Why did you want to work in water?
The opportunity to work in the water industry actually came to me through my then university lecturer recommending me for a position he was made aware of. Since then I have found myself fascinated with water, in particular the diverse range of functions, constantly evolving innovations and sheer size of the industry.
What’s your career ambition?
Short term: to maintain the level of progression I have been fortunate enough to have so far in my career. The next natural progression would be to step up to the role of commercial manager.
Long term: to make a difference. This could be by helping provide sanitation to areas of the world without clean water.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the UK water industry today?
With growing pressures to renewables targets and the potential within the industry to reach them, the UK water industry must begin to put sustainability at the forefront of our thoughts. I believe that hydropower and the utilisation of potential energy sources can help the industry become much more efficient.
This may be achieved by the installation of hydro-turbines across water sites, streams and rivers. The energy produced could then be used to help power the industry, with any excess put back into the grid.
What have been the best and worst moments of your career to date?
Best: within the last year I have been given the opportunity to manage people. I have found this to be extremely rewarding and it has added another dimension to my role. This is something I find really stimulating and am immensely proud of.
Further to this, winning the Midlands Rising Star Award was a great moment and has so far provided me with excellent opportunities to broaden my knowledge of the industry and meet some incredible people.
Worst: in the very early stages of my career I found it difficult to gain the responsibility I craved. Maybe that is quite natural. I suppose that could be a mark of how fortunate I have been so far in my career.
Do you have an industry or career role model?
I try to adopt what I consider to be the best attributes from the numerous people I have worked with. With regard to mentoring, many people within Morrison Utility Services have been kind enough to do this for me, to name just a few: Dan Barnes, Patrick Johnston, Chris Prior, Scott Haigh and Richard Walker.