Name
John F Bailey
Time at HGS
1951 - 1956
Fondest memories of HGS
The school trip to Denmark in 1953 is best, but also the introduction to Physics.
Job title, where you work & what you do for your job
I am currently retired. My last job title was Vice President and Regional Manager for Bechtel in sub Saharan Africa, working from Johannesburg. In that position I was responsible for the coordination and marketing of any projects in the region. Later, working with a Business Line Regional Manager, I helped establish and implement a new telecoms business line in London for Europe and The Middle East regions.
Route taken to where you are now
I left HGS with 4 Ordinary Levels. I joined ICI as a student apprentice where I obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Following this I worked with BICC (cables) for a while and then joined Bechtel where I stayed for my entire career, earning a MBA equivalent. I started off as project estimator/cost engineer. I then progressed through positions as a project controls manager, project manager, department manager and finally as Vice President. I lived and worked in 12 countries. I worked on projects in 54 countries. The projects included petrochemical, refinery, foods, steel mills, pipelines, world fairs and the Olympics. My highlights were building a new city for 250,000 people and the industry to support them in the desert, along with working on the Channel Tunnel. After I retired in 1998, I became a consultant to Bechtel and was assigned to an automated meter reading (gas meters) start up business in England where I served as Director of Deployment. (Unfortunately, the project did not move forward after initial test runs. The start up was purchased by another company).
Skills/qualities needed for current job
Complete commitment to the company and the current job, self starter, positive attitude, good teaching and mentoring skills, good leadership skills, and the ability to manage widely diverse peoples and projects. Honesty and good ethics.
Top tips for a successful career
Open mind and good attitude, always be honest and ethical and remain positive.
Is there a particular teacher that stood out during your time at HGS that you would like to recognise?
There were two, but I am horrified to learn that I cannot remember their names! They taught Physics and Mathematics (my two favourite subjects).