Celebrating another of our longest-serving employee, we are delighted to introduce John, Principal Consultant at Roke. With years of dedication and expertise, John has played a pivotal role in shaping and contributing his vast knowledge and experience to countless projects. Today, we take a closer look at his journey, achievements, and the impact he has made at Roke.
John has achieved a remarkable milestone, marking 50 years of dedicated service with Roke. Throughout his career, he has contributed significantly to the company, demonstrating unwavering commitment, expertise, and professionalism. As he now embarks on a well-earned retirement, we take this opportunity to celebrate his accomplishments and wish him all the best in this exciting new chapter of his life.
What motivated you to join Roke and what has kept you here for so long?
I joined Roke in 1974, which at that time was part of The Plessey Company. I was motivated by the interesting and challenging work, the rural location, and the friendly, positive and helpful ethos.
Can you share a memorable moment or achievement from your time here?
One of my greatest achievements over my time with Roke was designing several communication pieces of equipment, which have gone from initial concept through to production and deployment.
How has Roke changed since you first started?
It’s changed tremendously! In 1974, the site computing power consisted of two calculators, and everyone used slide rules. Compare that with the processing power of current computers and access to the internet and the change is astounding!
What advice would you give to new employees just starting their careers here?
My advice would be to select a technical area or domain that interests you and build up your experience and expertise in that area to become recognised as an expert. If you can do that, you will always be in demand and have interesting work and a good career ahead of you.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve experienced numerous technical challenges during my career, and all have been overcome with innovation and teamwork!
How do you stay motivated and passionate about your work after all these years?
My work at Roke has always been interesting and rewarding and so I haven’t found it hard to stay motivated.
Can you describe a project or initiative that you are particularly proud of?
Founding the annual Roke Manor Rounders Tournament in 1981!