We are delighted to have welcomed James Taylor to the Severn Partnership team as our new I&M Manager. James joins us with over 12 years experience in the industry, and brings specialist skills to our Lean Automated Monitoring service.

I sat down with James for a quick Q&A, to find out more about where his surveying career started and the experience he brings to his role with us.

 

Could you tell me a little bit about your working background and how long you’ve worked in this industry?

After completing an undergraduate degree in Physical Geography at the University of Worcester, I went on to study for my MSc in Engineering Surveying at the University of Exeter. I then joined a company who specialised in dam and cooler tower monitoring, and began working offshore when required. This inspired me to pursue a role where I would be solely working offshore, and I joined a team based in Aberdeen who completed surveying and scanning of oil rigs.

My career has involved monitoring for over 12 years, with experience gained from a real variety of projects.

What skills do you consider someone in your field should have?

To work in geospatial monitoring, you need to have a good grounding in all aspects of survey. This is because the principles remain the same, it’s just the applications that differ.

What drew you to this field?

I’ve always found monitoring to be an interesting area of survey, and I was drawn to the development and innovation possibilities of this service.

How do you make decisions at work? What is your process?

First and foremost, you need to define the problem and assess how can we tailor our solutions to combat current and future project pitfalls, evaluated against factors of cost, time, environment etc. After implementing an appropriate solution, monitor the results carefully and make changes if the desired results aren’t forthcoming.

What skills have you found vital to your career?

As all projects are different, problem solving skills are vital to allow adaption to the unique challenges of each. A good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the available technology is also important, ensuring deliverables are as set out within the bespoke I&M plan.

How has the industry changed since you started?

What hobbies and interests do you have outside of work?

I’ve always been an avid sports fan, and split my time (although not equally) between Formula 1, Rugby Union, football and golf.

What is the culture like at Severn Partnership?

The team at Severn Partnership have been extremely welcoming and I’ve been delighted to experience this forward thinking, supportive company so far.

 

Head over to our Lean Automated Monitoring service page for more information or contact James directly.