Abstract
Engineering Manager for Geo Speciality Chemicals UK Ltd and Chairman of the Wessex Section of the InstMC, Graham is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute. Graham started his career as a Student Electrical Engineering Apprentice with Wimpey Engineering in 1981, graduating with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Portsmouth Polytechnic in 1985. During one of the industrial training periods, Graham took the opportunity to join an on-site instrument engineering team at a UK refinery, and this decision led to his career in instrument engineering.
Following graduation, Graham continued to gain experience working on Refinery re-instrumentation projects, covering all aspects of site investigation, design, construction and commissioning. In 1988, to further his experience, he joined BP Chemicals as Works Instrument/Electrical Engineer at a Speciality Chemicals Plant in Surrey; following the closure of the site, Graham was transferred to the site in Southampton where he has been based for the last 23 years.
The site has changed ownership six times in that time, and Graham has undertaken several different roles within the business. Initially, Graham led the site’s instrument/electrical engineering group, followed by a period of multidisciplinary project management, before moving into information technology (IT) management, including leading the implementation of several major IT upgrades and an SAP implementation.
A period of site management followed when Graham took operational responsibility for a satellite manufacturing site at Barry in South Wales, sadly this assignment eventually involved the closure, decommissioning, demolition and environmental permit surrender for the site. All of which was completed on time and without incident. Returning to Hythe, near Southampton, Graham was appointed as Engineering Manager with responsibility for the Maintenance and Engineering Departments, including engineering project delivery.
Although Graham’s career has moved towards management, he still maintains a keen interest in instrument/electrical engineering through the Wessex Section of the InstMC and is always looking for opportunities to develop the next generation of engineers.
Chairman - Graham Dunkley -
Visits Programme Officer - Tony Short -