Meet the Team: Finlay Macdonald | OWC Brighton
At OWC, our teams are constantly expanding into more locations, in expertise, and in sectors of influence. Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we invite you to get to know our team members so you can meet the energy behind change.
This week, we introduce Finlay Macdonald, a Junior Engineer with our onshore solar PV team!
Position: Junior Engineer – Onshore Solar PV
Office: Brighton, UK
Favourite Book: The Martian by Andy Wier (although I’m not a huge reader)
Favourite Film: I really enjoyed the new Cillian Murphy film called Steve which came out recently, but I could watch the Princess Bride over and over again (it’s a classic!)
Favourite Song: I’ll give you albums as one song is too hard – either Billion Bollar Gravy by London Elektricity, True Colours by High Contrast, or Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party.
Hobbies Outside of Work: I play Sunday league football with some of my friends from back home, I try to cook and bake with varying success, and in the last year or so I’ve got into suana-ing.
Can you give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at OWC?
Onshore Solar encompasses three key sectors: performance and analysis, which focuses on calculating a project’s energy generation potential; Independent Engineering, which involves reviewing technical aspects during sales, acquisitions, or investments; and Owner’s Engineering, which is my main area of work. My day as an Owners Engineer is filled with assisting clients who require our services to solve technical and logistical challenges they might have throughout the construction of a project. One of the perks of the job is all the site visits I get to go on which is great as I love to be close to the action and to see the engineering in progress.
In addition to my main role within the onshore solar team, I am also in the privileged position of being the Chair of ABL Groups Shadow Board. The Shadow Board is a group of under-30s from across ABL Group whose role is to help drive innovation and positive change by providing input and feedback in forums we might not otherwise have access to. As Chair, it’s my responsibility to guide the team towards our goals and facilitate discussions in a way that allows us to deliver the most value we can.
What inspired you to join your profession?
Coming out of university having studied aerospace engineering I had a broad set of options regarding what fields to go into (defence, aviation, space); and all I knew is that I really enjoyed power systems and that I wanted whatever I do to make positive contribution to the world. So really this role is perfect, it massively ticks both boxes!
Can you share with us something exciting you are currently working on?
Recently, I’ve been taking the OWC drone out for a spin when I go on site visits which is always fun and a great way for me to stay close to my aerospace roots. I’m also busy organising the onshore Christmas party currently which is always exciting.
On top of getting to use the drone, as a member of the shadow board I am set to attend the management meeting this November in Kuala Lumpur. During the meeting, the Shadow Board has been invited to provide feedback to the attendees regarding some topics we think are worth discussing, so we are all currently busy ensuring our presentation is up to scratch.
Looking ahead, what do you think is key to driving sustainability in your region?
Id love to be optimistic and idealist and say it will be human goodwill and respect for the environment that drives sustainability; but realistically I think it will be capitalism. Green energy is the cheapest form of energy and it allows countries to not be dependent on imports from other countries to fulfil their needs – in my opinion, the maths just works.
Besides work, what do you enjoy most working within the ABL Group?
While I’m based in Brighton there is a great amount of flexibility granted to me when it comes to where I can work; whether its working from the Oxford office on a Friday so I can be closer to my partner and family, or spending a week working in the Cape Town office to catch up with my colleagues in south Africa and see Table Mountain.
I have been very lucky to see so many places and meet so many people.
