Darryll Howell
Current Employer/Organisation Name
RED
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
After university I took a year out travelling around SE Asia and Australia. On return to the UK I started work in the Building Services Engineering team at Royal Haskoning based in Peterborough and then moved to Vector Design in Oxford and then Red Engineering Design in London. For the last 6 years I have been with Red Engineering Design in Singapore and am now the Director for APAC covering operations from Australia, up to Japan and across to India. We specialize in the Design on sustainable and low energy complex buildings, especially Data Centres ad are at the forefront of Energy Transition implementing new zero Carbon technologies to provide power and cooling.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
My first job was a graduate Engineer in a large multidisciplinary consultancy firm, which worked on both large heavy engineering projects and smaller scale Built Environment projects. My first rotation was in the Built Environment team, and I enjoyed the mixture of problem solving, interactions with clients and consultants from other disciplines, such as Architects. It was also nice to see a project through to completion that people use, such as hotels, theatres etc. This set me on the course of my career that I have enjoyed since. This is a little bit different from my ambition of getting into formula 1 I had when I started my degree.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
Generally, I enjoyed the breadth of the Engineering Degree course. Not only did it cover the technical aspects, but it also provided a strong foundation for life in business with modules on law, finance and lots of opportunities to work as teams on projects. I think the highlight was my 3rd year exchange to Modena University in Italy, enjoying experiencing a different culture, great food and weather. A big highlight was getting out to the Maranello test track and getting a close view of Micheal Schumacher putting the Ferrari through its paces.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
Proximity to the countryside and the friendships made.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
Simply felt comfortable and loved the place when I came for an open day, combined with the good standard of the Engineering Degree.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Dealing with people, teamwork, Finance and law have been great benefits as I have moved through my career. From a technical perspective in the Building Services, it comes back to thermodynamics (the movement of heat) or Electrical Engineering and sometimes some Fluid Dynamics.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
It is easy for Engineers to get blinkers and proceed head down only looking at the minute details and hide form things that maybe naturally uncomfortable by working on the calculations etc. A good well-rounded Engineer needs to look holistically at the big picture. Also, it is OK not to know the answer and to ask questions or for advice. 90% of what you do you will learn on the job, the Degree gives you good foundations, I am still learning and asking questions after 25 years. If you work colleagues or line mangers won’t offer advice you’re probably not working for the right company. You will spend most of your life in work, don’t stay somewhere that makes you unhappy, 1st talk to your employer to see if they can make things better, if they can’t go find somewhere that does.
What are your plans for the future?
Keep learning and trying to help us move to a low carbon future.
