Embracing change to ensure startup success

Case study overview: Embracing change to ensure startup success

For many, the financial crash of 2008 was a disaster, but thanks to the ELS programme’s international outlook, Alex turned it into a life-changing opportunity by moving sectors and country.

University days

Alex studied mechanical engineering at the University of Bath, which included a year in industry. He spent it at a  robotics company OC Robotics, where he made a friend studying in the year above who encouraged him to apply for the ELS programme. 

The award has had significant impact on Alex’s career. He spent the funding on courses in energy and renewable energy, and spent a month in France studying the language, which is where he met his wife. “The award has affected my personal and professional life,” he says. Seduced by space exploration and the search for life beyond our planet.

Upon graduating, Alex returned to OC Robotics to work on projects in defence, nuclear and aerospace, as well as getting his first taste of project management. “I’d really recommend working at a startup to anyone’” he adds. “The breadth of experience I got set me up for future jobs.” By 2011, Alex’s wife had completed her studies and Alex was keen to try something new and put his experience to use in a larger company in an international setting. However, the financial crisis had hit Europe hard and finding new roles for both was a challenge.

A new direction

The couple decided to move to Norway, which was largely protected from the crisis, and Alex started a job in the oil and gas industry. “I hadn’t specifically targeted a move into the oil and gas industry, but there were lots of interesting opportunities and the working language was English,” he explains.
Alex progressed through Aker Solutions swiftly, taking on more managerial responsibilities. 

“The ELS award gave me confidence to apply for leadership positions quite quickly; I was one of the youngest
leaders where I worked,” he adds. But once again, the volatile global economy was not on his side. This time, it was a crash in oil prices. “I had to make people redundant and it was a challenging experience,” he explains. Alex decided to pivot again, landing a job as a project manager at a startup developing smart sell-by-date labels.

Building confidence

The move was Alex’s first experience of working in manufacturing, but experiences from the ELS programme gave him the confidence to use his skills in a new way. His new role entailed scaling up production capabilities and installing a new production line so that the labels, which adjusted the sell by-date of a product based on
temperature in a bid to reduce food waste, could be made faster and more efficiently. With this accomplished, he took charge of a small team. “That was cool, helping to grow the company,” he says.

He is now helping prosthetics startup, Hy5, scale. He joined the Oslo-based start-up as chief operating officer, at the point where it is starting to sell its affordable prosthetic hand. “It’s basically been my job to optimise everything and build production capacity,” he explains. “We’ve opened a new factory, built up a small team and can now sell the product internationally, so hopefully we’ll grow the company to something bigger”

An international outlook

“The award introduced me to a group of motivated, international people and that made me keen to work broad,” Alex says. Initially, it gave him the funds to live abroad and learn a language, but provided him with international contacts too. Alex’s career has taken a number of different turns and led him to another country so it is no surprise that his advice to future ELS applicants is: “Go for it. You never know what’s going to happen. It could be the start of something good.”