“You have to own your career and drive it forward yourself”  Mark Wilson, HSE & Operations Director, Offshore Energies UK

Unlike many people, I like change. This may be rooted in the fact that my family was quite nomadic; we moved a lot when I was growing up. I spent most of my childhood in Scunthorpe then my teenage years in Aberdeen. Instead of going to university, I joined the army as a trainee mechanic.

I’ve always been a problem solver so being a mechanic suited my personality. I took advantage of the opportunities offered by the military, and I appreciated the transparent structure and clear career pathways. I quickly understood the ‘rules of the game’, which enabled me to progress through the ranks. I undertook tours all over the world – the Gulf, Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, and Germany – resolving mechanical issues in all kinds of circumstances and environments. I find it rewarding when my actions make a difference.

Quite young I recognised that you have to own your career and drive it forward yourself. Being good at what you do is only part of the story. It’s important to demonstrate your personality and show your potential by adding value. I volunteer for things; run sports teams, lead committees etc. These things make a difference to how you are perceived and the opportunities that come your way.

When I left the army, I was intentional about my decisions. I knew in this ‘second career’ I would have to start from the bottom again. I gained a chartered management qualification, Masters in Business Administration and worked in a company for free to gain skills while I was transitioning out. After a short stint with a family business, I became a human factors advisor for oil and gas company, ConocoPhillips. I looked out for growth opportunities, and I was prepared to move around and take risks to get into management roles. I moved sideways to take an offshore manager role to understand what it was really like to live and work offshore. People were surprised I wanted to be in the thick of it, but it enhanced my credibility and I was offered an interview for a director role as a result.

I may have been a director now for six years but I have carried some of my military habits into my current career. For example my ‘uniform’ – anyone who know me will recognise that I wear the same style white shirt, blue trousers and blue shoes, everyday! The military also instilled in me the importance of professional credibility. So, when I was offered a non-executive director role in addition to my day job, I wanted to join an organisation that reflected both my competency and my commitment to taking these roles seriously.

I joined the IoD because it is a highly credible organisation with an excellent reputation. It recognises the responsibilities of the role of a director and the members are senior people from all kinds of backgrounds. It is also a support network and a reliable source of up-to-date information and tried and tested advice.

Perhaps I bring an element of military planning to my role as interim vice chair for IoD Aberdeen and Grampian and as an IoD sustainability ambassador. I have tried to add structure to our forward planning to help our communication with members and simplify our admin. I did some training at Sandhurst which has the motto “Serve to Lead” and I like this idea of servant style leadership. Being a member of the IoD provides plenty of opportunities to give something back.