Meet Harry

Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you've done since graduating

Following my degree, I joined the British Army and served in the Royal Corps of Signals for 8 years. Initially providing communications systems to operations worldwide, I transitioned to provide linguistic support to French-speaking operations in Africa.

I left the Army in 2019 after managing all aspects of administration for a unit of 90 people and joined Clare Hall at Cambridge University where I worked as Operations Director for several years, delivering safe facilities and accommodation for an academic community of 150.

The Covid-19 pandemic was arguably the most challenging and rewarding period in this role. I am proud of the high-quality services my team and I sustained throughout.

I have since spent time as a Programme Manager, connecting veterans with cybersecurity training and employment and recently started a new role. I currently work as an Account Director, overseeing a multimillion-pound cleaning services contract, providing 1,200 staff to a client with 420 sites across the UK.

Now, I live in rural Cambridgeshire with my family. Outside of work, I can be found walking my dog, making bread, or riding motorbikes.

Find out more about my course, Chinese and Cultural Studies

Why did you choose to study at Newcastle University?

I loved the location - Northern, near the sea, with rugged terrain, and a great reputation for activities and nightlife. As an institution, Newcastle has always been highly regarded, and was one of the few universities in the country to offer Chinese at that time. My open-day visit confirmed it was a place I could be very happy, and I wasn't disappointed. 

How do you think your course prepared you for your chosen career? 

I would hesitate to say I have a "career", but there is an emerging theme of operational leadership and management in the jobs I've held.

In this regard, a Modern Languages degree, particularly a year abroad, prepared me well to communicate with and understand a range of people and cultures, to think independently and critically, and to amass knowledge from a wide variety of sources.

On occasion, it has also proven useful when dining out! 

What did you enjoy most about your time at Newcastle University? 

The people. Though I am only in touch with a handful of my contemporaries, I have great memories of my time in Newcastle and feel that is largely down to the people I knew. Although not in Newcastle, I also have strong memories of my year abroad, where even the difficult times can now be seen as challenges overcome. 

Describe your time at Newcastle University in three words 

Adventure. Discovery. Fun.