Why vertical transportation?
It was an accident really. I don’t know many kids who grow up wanting to be a lift engineer and I didn’t either. But I’ve always been interested in all things mechanical and when a friend, who was an apprentice with a lift contractor in Dublin, told me of an opportunity in their company, I thought, ‘why not give it a go?’.
Starting as an apprentice, I become an installation engineer. I then went on to do a Master of Science (MSc) in lift engineering before jumping across the pond to become a vertical transportation consultant in the UK.
What’s an engineering myth you’d like to debunk?
Vertical transportation is just sticking a metal box in a hole.
What do you do outside of work that helps fuel your creativity and commitment to engineering?
I’m lucky enough to have 2 kids who have provided me with an excuse to revisit my passion of Lego. I think they’ve started to realise that when I buy them a new set, I’m always buying it for me too. I‘ve spent far too much money on those little bricks.
Which engineer has taught you the most?
One of my previous mentors, from my days as an installation engineer, is a man by the name of John Donohoe. At an age when most are thinking about settling back into a routine, he began an MSc in lift engineering and we graduated in the same year. He remains a constant inspiration as he taught me to always embrace learning and never stop being curious.
What professional relationships do you value the most?
The ones that are most collaborative.
I’m privileged to know several engineers who are always one of the smartest in the room but will never act that way. They understand the importance of being part of a team and actively canvas and take on board the ideas of others, even when they probably already know the best solution.
If you could change one thing about the built environment, what would it be?
I would make homes more attainable. While not necessarily an engineering problem, I think that the lack of available housing, and cost of those homes when they do become available, is an ever growing problem for young people.
What does Making Spaces Work mean to you?
For me, Making Spaces Work is simply about making the built environment a more enjoyable place to be. We spend most of our lives inside buildings and it’s important to ensure that, when we’re in one, we feel comfortable, happy and safe.
Tell us something that not many people know about you.
I was (briefly) the face of a Skoda advertising campaign in Ireland in the 90s.
