John Anderson, 39, commercial director of Applied Drilling Technology International Limited (ADTI) discusses his busy career path
What did you want to be when you were young?
I wanted to be a digger driver and I guess in a way I got there. I was always fascinated by big chunks of machinery and machinery doesn’t come much bigger than a drilling rig. That is what I was in charge of when I was a project manager earlier on in my career.
What are the main career stepping stones you have taken?
I studied Civil Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and then an MSc in Offshore Engineering at Robert Gordon University. After completing my studies, I joined and progressed through ADTI’s comprehensive Graduate Development Programme. The programme helps graduates meet the challenges of working in the oil and gas industry, and has been run by the company for over 20 years.
I guess I am quite unusual in that I have worked for the same company for my whole career. I progressed through various engineering roles, working my way up to senior drilling engineer both in the UK and Houston. After working on the commercial side of the business for a period I found my way back to the main core of ADTI in a project management role, running drilling operations. After this the opportunity arose to move permanently to the commercial side of the business.
To read the full article, visit our sister recruitment site here