Are We Nearly There Yet?

Adriènne Kelbie shares her story which starts with being curious! She developed her natural ability to understand people and the world around. 

Growing up around Glasgow, Adriènne had a love for horses and through this learnt discipline and time keeping with one of her own to look after, giving her a good work ethic. Working incredibly hard, Adriènne has had a diverse career journey taking her from temping as a PA, to training roles, to Operations Director at the National Lotteries Charity Board before finally settling at the Office for Nuclear Regulation as their Chief Executive. 

Adriènne has a passion for STEM which resulted in her being the first Patron for Women in Nuclear UK and an Ambassador for Powerful Women. Adriènne talks about her achievements from being young and explains why she's never looked for a job, only opportunities! For more information: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adriennekelbie

Rob Whittleston is NNL’s Vice President for Insight and works as part of the Science Strategy and Innovation directorate where he is leading the delivery of strategic intelligence and insight to support sector growth in a shifting nuclear landscape. 

Rob talks about his choice to study Earth System Science at Leeds University before successfully completing a PhD in Geochemistry. Rob’s varied career, saw him starting out as a project manager with Radioactive Waste Management before moving on to Hitachi Europe, then into Government Department for Transport. I guess you’d say he’s followed his own advice to success: “Choose something you enjoy and you’ll be successful at it”.

Rob grew up in Sheffield and now lives in South Manchester with his wife Hannah.

For more information: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rob-whittleston

Deb Hill shares her career story as a technical leader in the field of nuclear criticality and a storm chaser in her spare time.  As a nervous youngster, Deb learned to grow and develop through the encouragement of a mentor and the realisation that only she could step outside her comfort zone.

Deb’s story is one of growing boldness to grow and develop as person and in a career.  Her advice to new graduates is now, “don’t let you be the one who holds you back”.

Deb Hill is a Technical Leader and a Laboratory Fellow in Criticality Safety at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory and last year was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the American Nuclear Society’s Nuclear Criticality Safety Division. For more information see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-hill-71b5582b/

Steve Garwood grew up in South Glamorgan.  His ambition to read Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College was deemed "Aiming a bit high" by one school teacher.  But upon arriving, he gained fresh motivation. Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, court cases and the world of engineering have all played a part in his career jouney.

Whether it’s gaining a PhD or jetting off to Newfoundland to study a ship failure, there are plenty of lessons to take away from Steve’s story. A key person in the UK's structural integrity community, Steve is happy to discuss the opportunities, the people and the key moments that have shaped his career.

Steve is Professor of Structural Integrity at Imperial College and a Non-Executive Director of the National Nuclear Laboratory. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-garwood-043206a9/?originalSubdomain=uk

Nassia Tzelepi was fascinated by science from a young age growing up in Greece.  It led her to read Molecular and Laser Physics at the University in Crete.  Her career journey took her from 40°C heat in Greece to horizontal rain in West Cumbria to work in the UK nuclear industry.

Nassia talks about discovering her purpose and her inner desire see the positive impact of science in the real world; on energy and the environment. As a materials expert, Nassia shares her passion to contribute to a greater good, to something that is useful; the safe operation of nuclear reactors providing zero carbon power in the UK.

Nassia is a Laboratory Fellow at the National Nuclear Laboratory. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/nassia-tzelepi-7a3aa132/

For David King, life is an adventure. Having trained in law, he had a successful international career in accountancy becoming Finance Director and then Chief Executive of a Primary Care Trust.

Everything changed in 2006, when the Care Trust was dissolved. For the first time in his life he had “zero plans”. David’s Christian faith, adventurous spirit, and a passion for making a difference led him into the charity sector and teaching English as a second language.

Since 2006, David has travelled to China and Africa multiple times. He is Chair of N-Gage, a youth charity, the Brockbank Foundation Ltd. and is a part-time teacher of English as a second language with the Manchester Adult Education Service. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-king-571a4425/

Lindsay Edmiston discusses her career adventure including how she has successfully managed family priorities with a leading career in the nuclear industry.

Lindsay studied Industrial Chemistry at Cardiff and though she couldn’t speak German went to do a PhD in Germany - she learnt quickly!  Her career then took her to West Cumbria and the nuclear industry where she has developed an ability to bring together and manage teams.

Lindsay is a Business Leader and Head of Capability in nuclear waste management and decommissioning at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-edmiston-637007a0/

Rich Deakin talks about stepping outside his comfort zone from a working class background in a South Yorkshire mining community to an influential career in the nuclear sector.

Rich is a people person, recognising the importance of other people's skills in the teams he has led.  This approach has helped him to solve some of the nuclear industry's most challenging problems in operating facilities. Rich discusses what he has learned about himself and about working with others, and how his family shaped his approach.

Rich Deakin is Director of the Low Cost Nuclear Challenge, part of UK Research and Innovation within the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy https://www.linkedin.com/in/richdeakin-consulting/

Mars Skae had a clear idea of what she wanted to become following the kindness of a private paediatrician who treated her for free as a young child in a poor family.

Her journey took her from Kuala Lumpur, where she grew up, to secondary school in Singapore and then to university in Sheffield.  Mars’ passion, hard work, willingness to embrace other cultures, and a miracle or two along the way finally led her to become a consultant paediatrician in Manchester.

Mars Skae is a Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mars-skae-ab3b2696/

James Murphy talks about the ups and downs of a career that has taken him from War Studies, through Journalism to Business Strategy. Having grown up near the Bovington Tank Museum, James was fascinated by humankind's capacity for either procreating or killing.  He went to Kings College London to read War Studies, but recognised the front line was not for him.

Instead, he chose a different front line - that of journalism which took him into some challenging situations.  James was impatient to develop and progress and this led to a number of highs in his career, including at BAE Systems, and a major low, which James discusses with typical candour and positivity.

James is the Chief Strategy Officer at the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory.  For more information see - www.linkedin.com/in/james-murphy-7194753