BSc (Hons) Applied Physics & Microelectronics alumnus, George Graham, didn’t have a career plan in place when he enrolled at Edinburgh Napier. All he knew was that he was interested in the various fields associated with physics, and the University’s emphasis on applied learning appealed to him.
“I remember well the lead-up to exam times, studying with my classmates in Merchiston Library then heading to the student union, all of which created really great memories.
“In particular, I remember a fantastic mentor called Dr Keith Turvey. He is one of the people who changed the trajectory of my life and will always play a special place in my life.”
After finishing his studies at Edinburgh Napier, George initially explored a career in academia. He was part of a research programme sponsored by Nestle where he built 3D interferometers to study modes of failure in mechanical equipment used in the food industry. George was asked to speak about his cutting-edge research at a forum which had associates from Mars Inc in attendance. This led to him being offered a job at the company in January 1997. He has never looked back!
“It was an outstanding organisation, and I was blessed to have a very rewarding career with them. I had no idea my choice to join ENU would result in this path opening up for me.”
George's 23 years at Mars took him around the world, building new products, teams and businesses in Dubai, USA, China, Singapore and London. It has presented him with many highlights.
“In New Jersey, USA, one of the roles I had was leading an R&D team for Mars Health and Nutrition. It was one of the best teams I have ever worked with. We had a clear mission and worked with some amazing people – one of whom was Muhammad Ali to build a range of nutritious snacks!
“In China, one highlight was inspiring the team to develop ‘the best chewing gum in the world’.
“Out of all these wonderful times, it’s the great people that I’ve worked with that I remember most. I still keep in touch with them today.”
There were challenges too, of course. These required George to use his strong leadership skills to steer the team through any tough time