The Industry Wave

In Episode 15 of The Industry Wave, Paul Sheerin is joined by Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and one of Scotland's leading business voices. From selling mops door-to-door as a teenager to leading one of the country's most influential business organisations, Russell shares the experiences that shaped his career, his leadership philosophy, and his d...

In Episode 14 of The Industry Wave, we’re joined by Stewart McKinlay, Skills Director for the Manufacturing Skills Academy at the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS), and a well known and hugely respected voice in Scotland's engineering skills landscape.  Stewart has gained that recognition for many reasons, but his passionate advocacy for widening access to engineering, education...

In Episode 13 of The Industry Wave, we’re joined by Susan Scurlock MBE, founder and Chief Executive of Primary Engineer—one of the UK’s most influential voices in engineering education and inspiration. From a childhood shaped by curiosity and constraint, to building a nationwide movement that’s reached hundreds of thousands of young people, Susan shares the deeply personal story behind Primary Eng...

In Episode 12 of The Industry Wave, we celebrate a major milestone—one year of the podcast—by sitting down with rising engineering talent Zak Thomson, Scottish Engineering’s Young Engineer of the Year 2025 and design engineer at Emtelle.  Recorded in the Scottish Borders, Zak shares his journey from a hands-on, uncertain school leaver to an award-winning innovator shaping global telecom solutions....

In this episode of The Industry Wave, we’re delighted to welcome Nairn Moffat, Design & Manufacturing Engineer at Toshima and Scottish Engineering’s Graduate Apprentice of the Year 2025.   From discovering a passion for hands-on problem solving to forging his path through a Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeship with Glasgow Caledonian University, Nairn shares how work-based learning shaped hi...

In episode 10 of The Industry Wave, we sit down with Scottish Engineering’s newest colleague, Jennifer MacDonald, as she reflects on a career that began with a simple question asked at age 15 and evolved into a global engineering and inclusion journey. From growing up on the west coast of Scotland to studying chemical engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Jennifer shares how early curiosity, real...

In episode 9 of The Industry Wave, we were delighted to sit down with our new President, Kerrie Murray the first from the North East of Scotland. Kerrie takes her place in Scottish Engineering’s rich 160-year history as the 90th President and the third consecutive woman to hold the role. From her early days in the small town of Turriff, inspired by a passionate maths teacher, to studying accountan...

In episode 8 of The Industry Wave, we sit down with our first ever female President, Aine Finlayson, as she reflects on her six-year journey as part of the Scottish Engineering Presidential Committee as it comes to an end. From her early days as a science‑driven student in County Down to a career that has taken her across Europe and ultimately to her role as Chief Operating Officer at Peak Scienti...

In episode 7 of The Industry Wave, we sit down with a second-generation leader of Whittaker Engineering Murray Whittaker to explore the intersection of family legacy, innovation, and the future of Scottish engineering. Growing up around the family business didn’t mean an easy path—instead, real-world experience and an apprenticeship shaped both perspective and work ethic. We discuss the unique adv...

In this episode 6 of The Industry Wave, My guest today is Dr. Ollie Folayan, MBE, Head of Process Engineering at Costain Group and co-founder of AFBE-UK. With a long and distinguished academic journey—beginning with his Bachelor of Engineering in 1999, a PhD in 2002, and culminating in his role as a Fellow and Vice Chair of the Institution of Chemical Engineers—Dr. Ali brings a wealth of expertise...

In this episode of The Industry Wave, our guest today is John Campbell, whose career in industry has been significantly influenced by his  connection with the UK’s Armed Forces and Scottish Engineering. We talk about his first experience as a 17-year-old reservist in Devonport and how it sparked a long term relationship with the armed forces. John shares highlights of how his experience of the res...

In episode 4 of The Industry Wave, we’re joined by the dynamic Mamta Singhal MBE — a Chartered Design Engineer whose career spans senior roles with globally recognised brands including Hasbro, Dyson, Coca-Cola, and Mars. With a background that seamlessly blends art, engineering, and business, Mamta is a passionate advocate for innovation, diversity, and sustainability in the engineering sector. Aw...

In episode 3 of The Industry Wave, we sit down with Oliver King-Smith, Founder of smartR AI and a pioneering voice in applied artificial intelligence, to hear about his journey through technology and entrepreneurship. During our conversation, Oliver reflects on how his passion for solving real-world problems through innovation has guided his work — from developing award-winning software and semico...

In episode 2 of The Industry Wave, we catch up with Scottish Engineering's 89th President, and Thales Operations Director, Bernie O'Neil, to hear about her journey into Engineering.  During our chat, Bernie underlines how strongly she feels that quality education opportunities should be open to all, and how she sees that shaped the career she continues to enjoy.  2025 is the second and final year...

In episode 1 of The Industry Wave, we sit down with Ross McPhillie, our 2024 Scottish Engineering Young Engineer of the Year winner. Ross is a key innovator at RUA Medical, where he has played a pivotal role in developing a prosthetic heart valve prototype that has successfully endured 200 million durability cycles and is now transitioning to commercialisation. Join us as Ross shares his journey i...

Welcome to The Industry Wave Brought to you by Scottish Engineering, The Industry Wave is your gateway to Scotland's vibrant engineering sector.  For 160 years, we have championed innovation and growth for our sector, and with this podcast we aim to use our voice to share the uplifting examples that we hear and see every day. We aim to create a platform for a wide range of engineering people with...