Neil Statham served with the RLC leaving with the rank of Major in 2017. “Having enlisted as a private, I commissioned into the RLC from corporal after seven years, serving a further 10 years and discharged as a Major. After this I relocated to New Zealand and served four years in their RLC equivalent I then returned to the UK in 2021 and joined Mace; after 30 months I took up my current role in a start-up called Furbnow.
My role as an Officer in the RLC was predominantly around training for operations and conducting operations, in Iraq and Afghanistan, planning and managing training events, managing HR, deploying and conducting operations (usually supply, distribution, logistics and protection activities). The last few years of service were in staff positions coordinating a HQ’s outputs, visits, briefings to VIPs.
I spent most of my time sat behind a desk, managing an inbox, coordinating the diary and activities of the New Zealand Chief of Army, preparing briefs, liaising with other service chief’s teams, planning visits, preparing for meetings.
While serving I improved leadership, public speaking, dealing with stress, determination, loyalty, integrity, managing complexity. Veterans and service persons take these for granted but these skills are genuinely sought after and useful outside of the armed forces. I usually work on multiple projects and there are opportunities to be involved in non-project workstreams, so being able to multitask, network, build relationships and ensure delivery are useful skills.
Upon leaving I worked as an Associate Director Commercial, Mace, I joined Mace as a Senior Manager, moved departments twice in two years, found the right fit, and got promoted. As part of the cost and & commercial management team, I provide support to clients ranging from procurement strategies and process management and supply chain analysis and optimisation. I usually manage a niche team of multidisciplinary staff to deliver commissions varying from 2 – 6 months, usually on major infrastructure projects around the globe. I was home based, so usually the day behind my desk. I try to have meetings in the morning, informal catch ups and networking around lunchtime and focus on outputs in the afternoon – but every day and week is different based on client and team requirements. I often start very early, from military wake up habits, but then go for a run or a walk around lunchtime to freshen up and get some exercise.
More recently I have moved, where I am Supply Chain Lead at Furbnow. We are a tech-start up delivering residential retrofit services to homeowners across the UK. The best way to describe working in a start-up is like deploying on an advance party for an operation – you know what you’re trying to do but must figure out the ‘how’ iteratively and with scant resources. It’s dynamic, challenging and rewarding and a company and job that really aligns with my values.
With regards to my transition, what helped most was reaching out to BuildForce, talking to people, being open minded, doing my research and finding the cultural fit rather than the money or job title. I did struggle a little with imposter syndrome, being unclear of my skills and potential roles suitability. You can lose yourself in the process of resettling. Advice I would give others is network. Reach out to people that you know in every industry or role and see what they do and learn more, even if you think you know what you want to do, use the time to learn about your options and be ready to upskill to gain a recognisable “hard” competency. Veterans bring exemplary ‘soft’ skills, but sometimes a person may be able to get to the next level if backed up by the right qualification or notable experience.
Three words to describe a career in the construction industry would be varied, opportunistic, rewarding. And Three words to describe a veteran reliable, presentable, trainable.”