PEOPLE IN ENERGY

IAN DRUMMOND Regional Director Europe & Africa, Abyss Solutions

Background: Ian Drummond joined Abyss Solutions in the role of Regional Director for Europe & Africa, in May this year and is looking forward to using his experience to help establish the company in the UK energy sector and supporting them to achieve their ambitious growth targets.

How did you get into the Energy sector and how long have you been working in it?

I graduated as an ECITB apprentice in Non-Destructive Testing in 1998 and joined the Leadership and Management Scheme at Rigblast Group. I spent 5 years supporting Mach- Ten’s Offshore’s NDT & Inspection Divisions in Scotland, England and Qatar, before moving to Aberdeen as the Global Technical Manager. Since 2007, I have worked in leadership roles within asset integrity management services for Bilfinger Salamis and Cosalt Offshore, before joining Oceaneering International’s Asset Integrity Division as Senior Operations Manager, where I was responsible for operations in Europe, North Africa and Brazil before becoming their Regional Business Development Manager in 2017. I feel very fortunate to have gained a broad range of experience across many geographical areas, all of which has enabled me to step into my current role with Abyss Solutions.

What does your job involve on an average day?

Having recently joined Abyss Solutions, I’m very much on a steep learning curve at the moment to get a better understanding of our people and service capabilities around the globe. An average day consists of a morning call with the team in Sydney and an evening call with the team in Houston and in between those calls, I’m talking to clients to better understand how Abyss Solutions can help support their technical challenges, which is what I enjoy the most.

How have you coped personally and as a company with the pandemic?

I normally spend a large amount of my time travelling to visit clients and specialist partners all around the globe, so working from home has been a much more comfortable environment than a cramped hotel room or a busy airport.

One of the great things about starting with Abyss Solutions though, has been that we are very much a digitally connected business, so remote working comes very naturally and our customers can also benefit from using our bespoke remote solutions.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Corporate golf trophies aside, I would have to say that as a big “People person”, I’m most proud of being part of the development process with those that I have worked with closely as a mentor. This is something I have been involved with a lot in my career and helping people to succeed is always very rewarding.

What ambitions have you still got to fulfil professionally in your career?

My role at present is to introduce and grow Abyss Solutions from a recent start-up organisation and help it to fulfil its true potential. Having always worked for large corporations, this is something I always wanted to try and a big part of the reason I took the role on, so I am finally ticking that box!

Abyss is revolutionising the industry landscape in advanced robotics, data analytics and innovative machine-learning technologies and so I’m delighted to be part of this industry step change and fulfilling my professional ambitions at the same time!

If you were inviting guests to a dinner party, which 3 people would you invite and why?

Billy Connelly, Michael Palin and Rachel Riley. It would be fascinating and hilarious to listen to the life stories of Billy and Michael, in particular, their travel adventures and misadventures around the globe. I have had the pleasure of meeting Rachel twice when hosting the Offshore Achievement Awards, she was charming, funny, and very generous with her time, it would be great to repay that generosity and give her the opportunity to let her hair down on the guest side of the table.

Who has been the most influential person in your life professionally?

Lots of people have influenced my professional career, the key thing for me was to listen, learn and respect people who have the experience and knowledge to positively guide and to develop my skills. My first boss, David Dakers once said “mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow” this was in relation to supporting and completing a small job for a client in desperate need, that “small job” then led to a major contract and a position of trust because we had gone the extra mile to solve a problem that others had deemed too small to consider worthwhile. I have taken that learning and statement and apply it to everything I do in work and life.

Over the next 10 years, what do you think will be the key challenges in the energy sector in the UK?

The UK is well positioned to focus on net-zero emissions by 2050, we have the infrastructure and a highly-skilled workforce to support the transformation to low carbon solutions such as hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and electrification. The key challenges for the next ten years will be the acceptance and deployment of new technology that reimagines service delivery and the challenge to continue to attract the next generation of school levers to our sector. Abyss is well placed to embrace the diversification technology challenge and will work in partnership with Operators, industry bodies and academia to meet these challenges head on.

Given the experience you have now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were just starting out in the Energy sector?

I have travelled to many exotic and beautiful places around the world but have spent most of that time in offices, hotels and airports. My self-advice would be “when you travel with work to new locations, make the time to experience and embrace the culture, history and people and of course, get a round of golf in!”

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