When you were at School, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do next?
Of course not. Â I loved history but fancied commerce. So, I went into law. Â But no one leaves school thinking they’ll be a nuclear lawyer. And your career takes unexpected twists and turns. I never expected to be GC of a nuclear company at 30. Or to start a portfolio career at 50. What’s important is to find the right challenge to motivate you and a company with the right culture and ambition.
Did any of your teachers help to inspire your plans?
Consciously and unconsciously. We are all shaped by interaction with others. But I’d pick out Miss Menzies in primary, Mr Todd, who taught history and Mr Binns, who brought Latin to life on Hadrian’s Wall.
How did you decide which area of law you wanted to work in? Did this lead naturally to working in the energy sector or was that part of your plan?
Not really. Â In private practice I did oil rigs, estate agency, private clients, corporate Merger & Acquisitions, and the early days of private renewables in Scotland. You can’t be jack of all trades today. As a partner I had autonomy and didn’t want to lose that. Â And when Government aborted nuclear privatisation and set up Scottish Nuclear, I thought I’d have a go. Why they gave me the job I still wonder, but it’s been fun.
Tell us about your job, what’s involved day to day and did you need any particular qualifications or experience?
When you start out people focus on your certificates and degrees. Later on, they want to know what you’ve done. Â What you personally have achieved, not ” I was involved with….”. Someone said to me “Experience is something you get a split second after it would have been useful.” And they look to how others rate you, your values and reputation. At 65, what is important is experience and whether you feel you can add value in the role and want to do it.
What has been the most useful qualification you have undertaken that has helped you to progress your career?
My LLB took me into law and the MBA into industry. But I learned most when British Energy virtually went bust. Good times are easy. Â Bad times give you real experience, you hope you’ll never have to use again.
What do you like most about your job?
The variety matters. But the key for me is purpose. Trying to drive the energy transition to net zero by new nuclear or decarbonising the North Sea oil and gas or creating a green ammonia industry that produces zero carbon fuel is exciting. It’s all about trying to create a better world and a legacy you can be proud of.
What has been the most challenging part of your career so far and how did you overcome that challenge?
I’m tempted to say going bust and coming out the other side with something better. Â We did that in British Energy. Â But in reality, the most challenging aspect is people management. Getting the best from people and managing difficult people… whether you work for them, or they work for you… is the real skill.
How do you balance multiple roles at once? Do you ever have a conflict of interests or timings and how do you resolve these?
Having a portfolio is usually manageable provided you limit your commitments. But as a non-exec you have to fit with execs diaries and as the least critical participant, this can be a juggle. The problem comes when more than one entity is in crisis or very active and needs your time.  The time requirement is always greater than advertised and once you’re on board you need to make the time to do the job well.  Time conflicts are a more frequent problem than fiduciary ones if you have thought it through before taking on a role. And of course, having different interests can be useful and create collaborative opportunities.
What advice would you like to give to current pupils when they are considering their future?
Look for a challenge … a course, a career that excites you… that’s doing something worthwhile and that gives you satisfaction. It has to be more than just for the money. You only have one life. And have the confidence in yourself to go for it.  And another quote…” “Fate comes to those that stand and wait for it.”  Shape your destiny.
Tell us your favourite memory of your time at school.
Scotch egg and oxtail soup in the old dining room, now the assembly hall. Maybe not! Carbisdale? And maybe still being in contact with many of my classmates from 50 years ago.
