Meet the Team – Harry Finestone
As we celebrate Harry’s exceptional contributions, we invite you to get to know him on a personal level. From his journey into the field of Electrical Engineering to his passions and interests beyond the workplace, discover the unique facets that make Harry the incredible individual he is.
CB: What led you to become an engineer?
HF: I wanted to become an engineer from a young age, always playing with Lego® and trying to create weird and beautiful buildings. I have close family members who are in the industry, and they helped me with various work experience placements in the sector (architects, engineers etc.). After completing these placements, I knew I wanted to become an engineer. I decided to leave school after my GCSEs and do an apprenticeship (This was relatively uncommon at the time, and I was the only one from my school to take an apprenticeship).
CB: How would you describe your current role and responsibilities?
HF: My day-to-day role and responsibilities would be the following:
- Ensure the client’s requirements are met and surpassed on all projects.
- Produce calculations to prove designs work.
- Review contractors’ tender pack and provide comments.
- Visit the site to inspect and snag.
- Ensure office morale is kept up and assist anyone who needs it.
- Ensure I am keeping up to date with the legislation and regulations.
- Create designs for tender issues.
- Create specifications and documentation for tender issues.
CB: What do you enjoy about your role within Cudd Bentley?
HF: I enjoy my role at Cudd Bentley, as everyone works together and supports each other. We sit down as a team and resolve issues when we have issues. Although there is a hierarchy, everyone (directors included) will give you the time of day to assist you where needed.
Cudd Bentley offers an excellent package which includes private health care and pension, and now we are an EOT (Employee Owned Trust) which means, as an employee, we now have more of an interest in the company.
CB: Briefly describe your career path which led to your current position?
HF: After completing my GCSEs, I left school and landed a level 3 apprenticeship with Ove Arup; this was a 2-year apprenticeship consisting of 1 day a week at college and four days in the office. After completing this, I stayed with Arup as a CAD/REVIT Technician for two years. I then decided to leave and join Cudd Bentley, where I had the chance to do Electrical Engineering and a level 6 (degree) apprenticeship. I am in my 4th year of the degree and have progressed from a CAD/Revit Technician to a Junior Engineer to an Intermediate Engineer. Now I am an Electrical Engineer.
CB: Describe the most challenging engineering project you’ve worked on?
HF: One of the most challenging engineering projects I have worked on is where the unit’s end tenant (user) employed us to do a full fit-out. During this project, we had numerous meetings with the end user to ensure we fully understood what they required in each location. There was access control, Intruder alarms, CCTV, Pull down power poles, Emergency Power Off switches etc.
CB: What has surprised you about your chosen career path?
HF: I started as an AutoCAD / Revit Technician, taking markups from an engineer and bringing them to life in 3D models. After several years of doing so, a senior team member saw that I had more potential within our company and asked me if I would like to explore electrical engineering. Now I am running several projects by myself and have returning clients. I am also writing technical documents to help aid the rest of our team.
CB: What’s your most significant contribution as an engineer?
HF: One of the most significant contributions I make as an engineer is that I can absorb the information I receive from project work or updated legislation, create technician notes and presentations, and deliver them company-wide to help inform others.
CB: What advice would you give potential clients to maximise the help you can give them?
HF: Get as much work done in the early stages as possible. Spending more upfront and ensuring everything is covered and accounted for pays off in the long term, rather than finding issues down the line where you tried to save money.
CB: What challenges do you see facing the engineering industry?
HF: One of the main challenges that face the engineering industry today is sustainability. In a world where everything must be green and carbon-free, and cars and buildings are rapidly moving towards being predominantly electrically operated, our sustainable designs play a massive part in a successful project. Our in-house sustainable team is equipped to deal with the requirements and is skilled and knowledgeable to assist in any project.
CB: Who would you most like to swap places with for the day?
HF: If I had the chance, I would swap places with my partner for the day. This way, I would understand how it feels to live with myself and what she must deal with daily. It would mean I would know how to better myself moving forward to have a better life.
CB: What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
HF: Become a lifelong learner. You will always continue to learn, no matter what stage of your career. When you try to learn endlessly, you will acquire more skills and be more flexible and adjustable in your career path.
CB: What could you give a 30-minute presentation without advance preparation?
HF: I could give a 30-minute presentation about sustainable products such as Electric Vehicle Chargers, Photovoltaics, Electric heating etc.
CB: What is your favourite thing to do when you’re not working?
HF: I love both watching and playing sports, as well as exploring the world on holidays.
CB: What is the last book you read?
HF: Harry Kane: The Biography