Meet Alessandra
Shining a spotlight on those making a difference at Wood is an important part of our inspired culture. We are all about motivating our teams to be the best they can be, recognising the expertise, capabilities and positive energy they bring to work every single day.
Meet Andy Oliver, a Senior Applications Engineer in our Digital Consulting team.
Starting his career as an apprentice engineering machinist, Andy's journey took off when he joined the Royal Air Force. He worked as an aircraft technician before moving his focus to maintenance engineering and earning his engineering degree.
Located in Northampton, UK, Andy’s role at Wood sees him support front end engineering and development (FEED) studies, conceptualising processes and developing production/automation equipment for our clients. With the integration of the latest drive technology, robotics and pneumatics, he supports in the creation of custom machinery for clients and adapts their operations to address their future needs while enhancing safety.
I am part of a brilliant team delivering complex, world-class automation solutions for Wood's global clients. It's exciting.
Safety and wellbeing are priorities for Andy. A keen sportsman outside of work, his passion for exercise and cycling grew greatly after he suffered a knee injury in the military which, following surgery, left a long-term impact on his mobility. For Andy, cycling has been a recovery tool that has contributed to both his physical and mental wellbeing post-service.
Now a competitive cyclist, he has competed in two rounds of trials for the Invictus Games UK Team delivered by the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes.
Andy has also participated in the US Air Force Warrior Games trials, competing in Las Vegas where he achieved bronze medals in swimming and a gold medal in cycling.
Following this success, Andy was selected to be part of an Invictus Games Foundation Ironman 70.3 Relay Team, traveling to Estonia to compete in the 2024 European Championships in August. While there, he cycled 56 miles and cheered on his partners who completed the 1.2-mile swim and 13.1-mile half marathon.
He notes that, much like his supportive team at work, the encouragement and commitment of his relay teams create an environment where he feels motivated to set personal bests and achieve new milestones.
What's next for Andy?
This year, Andy has been selected to represent the Invictus Games Foundation as part of another Triathlon Relay Team. This time, he’ll be taking part in the prestigious ‘Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon’ in San Francisco.
His long-term goals include the Land’s End to John O'Groats cycling challenge spanning the length of the United Kingdom and cycling the width of France from Nice to the tip of Brittany.
As Andy says, there is nothing you cannot achieve when you have a supportive community around you to keep the “fire in your belly.”
