Elementz boss embraces the value of being different

Elementz specialises in Software as a Service (SaaS) with the core offering - "Integrity Elementz" - providing a range of comprehensive, configurable cloud-based applications or “elements” to enable users to build end-to-end integrity frameworks for their subsea assets.  These can be tailored to provide all the functionality needed to serve as the core integrity platform to effectively plan, execute and report on all integrity and inspection activities.

What's your annual turnover?

Elementz is eyeing turnover of £2 million in its first year of trading.

Why did you take the plunge?

As our parent company sought to focus on a one-product strategy, we saw the opportunity to spin off an interesting part of the software portfolio centred on what has become our core offering.

We discussed this in detail with industry leaders and customers and, with the knowledge that subsea infrastructure would remain key to a resilient energy future, we took the opportunity to go for it. Simply put, it was the perfect time to dive into an area with long-term potential and real impact.

What do you least enjoy about your job?

Dealing with unnecessary bureaucracy - being trapped in a labyrinth of processes and procedures and endless meetings where everyone is “aligning”, but nothing actually gets done. It's  like being stuck in quicksand, but the sand is made up of email threads, minutes of meetings, and PowerPoint slides. 

What are your ambitions for the the company?

To consistently hit reasonable revenue targets while maintaining a solid profit, but more importantly, I want us to be known as a great place to work - a company where people feel valued, empowered, and can grow and develop in their careers, maybe having some fun along the way.

The drive of the job is one thing, but the journey and the people whom you make that journey with are the most important. After all, the thing only works because of the people around you and giving them the chance to shine is key.

What would most help you to achieve your goals?

Apart from a universal translator for all the jargon that flies around the tech industry, the single thing that would help most is establishing a unified set of digital standards across the energy industry. This would allow governing bodies, operators, engineering, service and tech companies to collaborate more effectively, enabling us to develop interoperable solutions that improve the customer experience and drive industry growth.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Be prepared to hit the deck and do it fast. Failing quickly is like ripping off a plaster: it stings, but at least you’re not stuck slowly peeling it off while your soul dies inside.

Whether it's launching a feature that crashes harder than your laptop with 50 tabs open, or making a strategy decision that backfires like bad wi-fi during a Teams call, the faster you know it’s a mess, the quicker you can pivot to something that works. There's no time for finger-pointing or playing “whose fault is it anyway?”. 

Where do you find yourself most at ease?

Professionally, I enjoy collaborating directly with people who are passionate about transforming their workflows, improving the customer experience and building great products. Away from work, I relax by absorbing myself in some of the creative processes that humans need to be nourished by, and, for me, they are music and art. 

If you weren’t in your current role, what job would you most fancy?

100% a painter. I’m fascinated by art. There's something magical about throwing colour on a canvas and the work I create is all about movement - abstract styles like Rothko and Pollock really speak to me.

What is the best book you have ever read? 

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

What makes this book so extraordinary is how it invites readers to embrace the chaos and uncertainty of life with humour and curiosity.  It challenges conventional wisdom, suggesting that there isn’t a grand design or straightforward path, and that’s perfectly okay. 

The book’s message - that the universe is vast, unpredictable, and sometimes laughably indifferent - is a reminder to not take life too seriously and to find joy in the journey rather than obsessing over elusive answers.

What has been your most challenging moment in life or business?

Without a doubt, it was the birth of my youngest daughter, who arrived into the world with an extreme omphalocele. Born via C-section, she spent over nine weeks in high-dependency care, ending with a major surgery, on New Year's Eve, to put everything back where it belonged.

Now, I know I wasn’t the one who physically endured the C-section - my wife did. But that, plus the sleepless nights, or the worry that clung to us like a shadow, were things she faced with a strength that could move mountains (and she would have, had they been in her way).

Meanwhile, I was balancing work and our other fantastic kids, which felt like juggling chainsaws blindfolded. But through it all, my wife was a force of nature and our little one remains a warrior in her own right.

What do you now know that you wish you had known when starting out in your career?

That it is ok to be different, think different, and approach things differently. I’ve come to realise that embracing difference - whether in thought, approach, or background - is not only acceptable but often the key to innovation and success.

Early in my career I underestimated the importance of unconventional thinking and diverse perspectives, focusing more on traditional paths and credentials. To be brutally honest, I did it because I thought it was right in trying to fit in.