Job Title / Current Employer

I’m an Enterprise Account Executive for a research and advisory company called Gartner. They are headquartered in the US but have offices in almost every major city globally.

 I manage our research partnerships with major public and private healthcare providers. The work can be really interesting - often I am working with the CEOs and CIOs of hospitals to plan how they are going to create the future of healthcare through technology. 

Class of?

Class of 2011

Brief description of your path after Owen's? 

After Owens I did a Bachelor of Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Sheffield. I applied to do law and criminology but missed out by one mark (should have revised for my A-levels more!). 

I played a lot of rugby at school and university, and spent about two years after I graduated playing semi professionally. 

At 24 I went looking for adventure and ended up in Australia. 

I found a job in recruitment and spent three years as a recruiter in the commercial real estate industry. 

It was a very sociable job, and I enjoyed that my input dictated my earning potential. 

Since 2020 I’ve been in research. I don’t think I had any idea a job like this existed when I was in school. I was not particularly business minded or technological. However, I’ve found most of what I do is thinking conceptually, building relationships, communicating effectively.

 I’d put any success I’ve had down to curiosity, persistence, and good timing. 

How your path has lead you to where you are now? 

My path has led here by chance rather than design. I didn’t have the focus or drive when I graduated at 22 to do a law conversion course like I’d hoped when I left school. 

Once I got to Australia I knew this is where I wanted to live. So I took work that fit with that goal. 

I met my wife who is from Sydney in 2017 and now we have two children. 

In 2018 I started my law degree, studying at night after work. 

It’s been really slow with family and work commitments, plus a pandemic for good measure. 

My goal is to transition to a legal career once my children are both in school. Only a generation ago a career was for life, but now I think that has really changed. If you don’t end up going down the path you hoped, I’d say it’s never too late to start afresh. It just requires patience and persistence. I’m happy with my career now, but I still want to fulfil my childhood ambitions one day. 

What skills or attributes did Owen's inspire in you? 

I am truly grateful for what I learnt at Owens. My class mates were so bright. I think it pushed me to think big and challenge myself. 

Rigorous debate of concepts and issues is a skill I picked up at school. I remember having really eye opening philosophical discussions in class and out. Whether it was about God and religion, politics, or history, those conversations shaped me as a person, and gave me the confidence to challenge my own ideas and others. 

Favourite Owen's memory? 

I have to mention two favourite Owens memories. 

First is playing drums in the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The EGH is an incredible venue - I don’t think I fully appreciated that at the time.

The second is a Year 12 history trip to Berlin. It was a special blend of powerful experiences and great fun.