Graeme Jackson joins Josh on the podcast to share his route into engineering, and how it took him from a Strathclyde lecture theatre to offshore rigs in the North Sea, and eventually to leading data and AI in the energy sector in New Zealand.
From almost choosing architecture, to a physics teacher spotting his potential, Graham explains how maths, physics and creative subjects became the foundation for his engineering mindset. We dive into his time at the University of Strathclyde, why being open to opportunities mattered just as much as internships, and how a spontaneous decision to study in Hong Kong shaped his direction.
We also unpack his graduate programme with Maersk, including international rotations across Aberdeen, Denmark and Qatar, and why traditional hands on engineering experience still matters when you move into digital, analytics and artificial intelligence. Graham shares how he later returned to university to study analytics and machine learning at UCL, how engineering principles translate into the tech world, and what advice he would give students who are trying to understand where AI fits into their future.
If you’re a student, or early career engineer, this episode is packed with honest reflection, practical insight, and a clear message: the world’s biggest problems are engineering problems.
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