Profile
Alastair Henniker-heaton
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About Me:
I live with my wife and two young children in Shropshire. I work from home full time and enjoy spending time with my family, at the gym or on my bike. I love going on adventures with my two boys where we regularly go to Snowdonia in Wales.
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My pronouns are:
he / him
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My Work:
I make factories more efficient using technology.
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Read more
I have a really cool job where I help fix problems in factories using amazing technology! I use a bunch of special tools called industry 4.0 technologies like cloud computing, sensors, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
In my role, I talk to important people in the company, like the CEOs and directors, to understand what problems they have in their factories. I also learn about any rules or limits they have to follow, like keeping everyone safe and protecting the environment. Then, I come up with a plan to solve the problem using technology while considering all these important factors.
My job is pretty important because I have to work with lots of different people, from the top leaders to the technicians who work on the factory floor. I talk to everyone to make sure I understand their needs and ideas. I’m the person who leads the projects and takes charge of designing the solutions.
It’s really exciting because I get to use my knowledge and skills to make factories better and help everyone work together smoothly!
Some links to some of the projects I have worked on:
JM technology selected for worlds first climate neutral methanol plant | Johnson Matthey – Here the team created a fully automated e-fuel refinery – eFuels pilot plant in Chile officially opened – Porsche Newsroom.
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My Typical Day:
I wake up when my alarm goes off at 5:45 in the morning, but I like to hit the snooze button and sleep a little more until 6:30.
Then, I start my workday around 8:00 am. But guess what? My commute is super short! I just have to walk across my garden to get to my home office. It’s really convenient. When I get to my office, I ask Alexa (a smart assistant) to play my favorite music on Spotify. While the music is playing, I go through my emails and plan out what I need to do for the day. It’s important to be organized!
My job involves working with customers to understand their problems. I use technology to come up with solutions for them. This means I have a lot of meetings, visit different places, and do research to create proposals. It’s like being a problem solver!
During lunchtime, which usually lasts around one to one and a half hours, I make sure to take care of my mental health. Sometimes I go to the gym to exercise, take a walk, or ride my bike. It’s important for me to get outside and breathe in fresh air because I work from home. And guess what? If I have a meeting, I can join it from my mobile phone and go for a walk at the same time. How cool is that?
My workday usually ends between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening. Then, I can relax and enjoy the rest of my day doing things I love.
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Education:
Ashby School
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Qualifications:
Ashby School – GCSE’s – I can’t remember my exact grades now but the one that sticks out is Maths which I failed.
Ashby School – A-Levels – Again I think I failed every a-level I took.
Rolls-Royce Derby – Higher Apprenticeship – Technical Apprentice
Derby College – B-Tech National – Manufacturing Engineering – Pass / Pass
Derby College – Higher National Certificate – Manufacturing Engineering – Merit / Distinction
Derby College – Higher National Diploma – Manufacturing Engineering – Distinction
University of Derby – BSc Honours Degree – Mechanical Engineering – 2.1
Cranfield University – Master of Sciences Degree – Through-life System Sustainment
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Work History:
2008 – 2011 – Technical Apprentice – Rolls-Royce – I left school with no a-levels to do a technical apprenticeship. It was when I started work that I found that I could be successful academically – reflected by my grades for B-Tech, HNC, HND. I completed all of these qualifications while working.
2011 – 2013 – Product Definition Engineer – Rolls-Royce – When I completed my apprenticeship I was offered a role designing parts for jet engines, specifically the Turbine blades which withstand temperatures hotter than the sun when in use. It was here the company funded me to complete a bachelors degree where I attended lectures on day release once per week.
2013 – 2015 – Senior Product Definition Engineer – Rolls-Royce – I completed my degree an was promoted to a senior level.
2015 – 2016 – Commercial Officer – Rolls-Royce – I fancied a change from designing products to helping look after our customers – I worked in the warranties and guarantees department where customers would send in claims and I would assess their validity and the companies liability to come up with an offer of compensation if required. This was really interesting as I got to travel around the globe seeing customers and also got to see how our products failed and the impact it had on our customers.
2016 – 2019 – ILS Engineer – BAE Systems – I met my now wife and decided to settle in Shropshire so had to move jobs. Here my employer paid for me to complete a masters degree where once every quarter I would attend Cranfield University for one week for lectures and then have 6 weeks following that to complete any assignments.
2019 – 2020 – Business Intelligence Specialist – BAE Systems – The project I was working on came to an end so I looked for a new role internally. This role seemed interesting as it was all about using data to solve business problems.
2020 – 2021 – Manufacturing Technology Solution Architect – The business was setting up a new production line and I was ideally positioned to introduce new ways of working where data would form a central part to the design of the production line to make it more efficient and improve quality. The pandemic meant that I was working from home full time.
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Employer:
Johnson Matthey – helping our customers to catalyse the net-zero transition.
Global multinational company which manufactures products to make the world a cleaner healthier place for us and future generations.
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
I didn't really know to be honest
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes, frequently!!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Something in Medicine / Prosthetics or Outdoors
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The Killers
What's your favourite food?
Indian Food
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Spend more time with family, more time outdoors and to remain fit and healthy
Tell us a joke.
What did the shark say when they ate the clown fish? This tastes a little funny.
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