AN eminent academic and national cycling champion is riding high after joining a leading Cumbrian engineering company.
Professor Phil Leigh raced for Great Britain and finished third in the National 24-hour Championship, cycling 463 miles in one day.
Now he is focusing his energies on industry, having become Forth Engineering’s Strategic Collaborations Manager.
Phil, whose wide-ranging background also includes academia, engineering, research and economic growth, feels there is plenty of crossover from elite sport to business.
He said: “Belief is very important in both sport and business. If you’re trying to secure a deal and you don’t believe you’ve got the ability and the resources to deliver, you might not win that contract.
“It’s about being prepared as well. If you’re well prepared as an athlete, you’ll perform well. If you’re well prepared as a businessperson, you’ve got a good chance of delivering a project, winning some funding, or whatever it is you’re aiming for.”
Forth is one of the largest privately owned engineering companies in Cumbria. It specialises in bespoke solutions, serving industries including nuclear, oil and gas, and renewables.
Forth is celebrating a year of record turnover and record profits. The company has also delivered two world-first innovations in the last 12 months that have proven to be gamechangers in the nuclear decommissioning industry.
Phil’s role with Forth will include looking for projects, grant funding and collaborations. “I was an innovation advisor with Innovate UK, the government’s innovation funding body. I like to bring ideas coupled with strong networking.”
He has managed several multi-million-pound projects. His other achievements include delivering the UK’s first MSc in Carbon Management, with the University of Glasgow. He was also the University of Cumbria’s Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager, managing the university’s relationships with corporate and international partners. He is co-founder and director of the Electech Innovation Cluster, and founder of the Irish Sea Rim: an investment innovation enterprise zone.
Phil is delighted to be bringing his skills and experience to what he describes as “an elite business.
“Forth keep pushing the boundaries. And they give opportunities to young people by nurturing the skilled workforce of tomorrow. It’s fantastic that Cumbria has companies like Forth. They want to develop their workforce. And they’re looking for global as well as local and national opportunities,” he added.
During his years as an elite long-distance cyclist, Phil competed all over the world. He took part in the 1993 Tour of Peru as part of the Brazil team. Brazil were a rider short and Phil agreed to ride for them.
After his cycling career, he became High-Performance Director with Cycling Ireland leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, mentoring Olympic and Paralympic gold medal athletes.
Forth’s CEO Mark Telford said: “We’re really looking forward to working with Phil. It says a lot about how Forth has developed that we’ve been able to attract someone of his calibre to the business.
“Phil brings a rare combination of experience from industry, academia, innovation and high-performance sport. He understands what it takes to build successful partnerships, secure investment and help organisations achieve their ambitions.
“Just as importantly, he shares our values. He believes in people, preparation and continually looking for ways to improve and I’m confident Phil will make a significant contribution to the next chapter of the Forth story.”
