60 SECONDS JANUARY 2020
14
CV:
2013-present: energy director, Tata Chemicals Europe
2009-2013: operations director, Tata Chemicals UK
2004-2009: various site and plant management roles,
Tata Chemicals
2000-2004: engineering and maintenance manager for
two large chemical sites
1990: fi rst-class degree in chemical engineering,
University of Strathclyde
1979-83: apprentice fi tter/turner, ICI. At the end of
the four years, all apprentices were made redundant
so I worked for fi ve years elsewhere before re-joining
the company
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
Holy Grail: Gudellaphoto /stock.adobe.com Fish & Chips: cdkproductions /stock.adobe.com Maldives: Martin Valigursky /stock.adobe.com
60
seconds
with...
QAs a child, what did you want
to do when you grew up?
A To be honest I didn’t know. I knew
I’d have to get a job at 16 as my family
needed some income from me. I had a
great childhood but never thought about
workhood!
QHow did you get into the industry?
AVia school, I applied for every single
apprenticeship in the Cheshire area
as there were lots back then. Luckily, I got
the ICI job which was the one I wanted.
People would say, “Get a job at ICI as it
will be a job for life”. As soon as I joined
the Wallerscote site, I knew I had made
the right decision.
QWhat do you like most about
UK manufacturing?
A I have always been passionate about
making things. It’s great to see our
products used in society as a whole and I’m
also proud that UK companies lead the way
in Europe on climate change and overall
plant effi ciency. UK manufacturers are very
good – perhaps the best!
QHow do you think manufacturing
is perceived by people outside the
industry?
A I’d like to think that people value what
we do and recognise our contribution
to society as a whole. I’m not convinced
this is true for all people for all of the time.
We spend a lot of time justifying ourselves
and fi ghting for support and this can take
us away from our core competence. The
products we make help decarbonise (soda
ash goes into glass which is endlessly
recyclable and goes into double/triple
glazing solutions), they go into medical
and food applications and add to society
as a whole. Our motto is ‘Serving society
through Science’, which is apt.
QWhat has been your biggest
accomplishment to date – either
in or out of work?
A In 2019 I led a successful grant
application for the fi rst industrialscale
carbon capture and useage plant in
UK. It’s a £16 million project with a 25%
grant from the UK government. Out of
work, we’ve raised two fantastic children
who are now making their own way in life.
QHow do you spend your
spare time?
AGardening, fell walking and walking
our dog, Dolly.
QWhat’s the secret to a successful
future for UK manufacturing?
AGovernment support for UK
manufacturing is perhaps the most
important thing for us. As a sector,
we support a lot of employment, we
manufacture things better than most
others around the globe and we care
deeply about sustainability. It always
feels like we’re battling to safeguard
our future and we need proactive and
joined-together support across all
government departments.
QOne thing you may not know
about me is….
AI’m passionate about Industrial
CHP and spend a lot of time trying
to promote it.
PETER HOUGHTON
energy director, Tata Chemicals Europe
My favourite
holiday destination
The Maldives
My favourite
book
Chemical
Engineering
Volume 6 by
R.K. Sinnott
A few of my
favourite
things...
My
favourite
food
Fish and
My favourite
fi lm
Monty Python
and the Holy
Grail
chips from the
local chippy
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
/stock.adobe.com
/stock.adobe.com
/stock.adobe.com