Avril Cullerne joined our Operations team in July, as part of the Halma Catalyst Programme. Here, we catch up with Avril to find out more about her role and the programme and how she’s settling into life at Advanced.
Tell us about the Halma Catalyst Programme
It’s a graduate development programme and there’s 13 of us in this year’s cohort from the UK and US. We can dip our toes into all three sectors of Halma (safety, environment and health) and the aim is for us to progress into a leadership role with one of their companies within seven years.
The scheme consists of three eight-month rotations, which will take me up to June 2027 – and Advanced is my first! For each rotation, we choose where we want to go based on our personal preferences, goals, and the opportunities on offer.
What attracted you to Advanced?
It was my top choice. I wanted to work in the safety sector, and from my research, I could tell the company was going from strength to strength.
For my first rotation, my main goal is to get a well-rounded view of how a business works and this operational role at Advanced is perfect for giving me a taste of everything and broadening my horizons.
And lastly, Advanced is based in Newcastle – where I’ve just spent the last three years at university. I knew the city had so much more to offer me and I love the people and culture, so it was tick, tick, tick!
What will you be working on during this placement?
I’ve joined the Operations team and have been assigned several exciting projects exploring how new technologies could potentially assist our workforce with doing their jobs even more efficiently, ensuring our production line is futureproof.
What has your experience been like so far?
From day one, everyone has been so welcoming and willing to help whenever I have any questions. Everyone is also a specialist in their field, and you can tell they know the job like the back of their hand and absolutely love what they do. And even when I’m eating my lunch in the canteen, everyone is happy to chat! I’ve also had the chance to manually build some PCBs while chatting to other operators and get a real feel for what it’s like to sit on the production line. I love hearing people’s stories, as some employees have worked here for over 20 years!
I also have lots of flexibility in my role, which I wasn’t expecting as a Halma Catalyst. My colleagues are happy for me to try different things and that’s really helped to boost my confidence.
Have you taken advantage of any company perks yet?
I like the YuLife app. I’m quite a big runner and currently training for the Great North Run, so my step count is going crazy and I’m collecting lots of coins! The Fun Fund also sounds great; I hope to take advantage of the free entry into The Alnwick Garden soon as I’d like to explore Northumberland more.
What do you hope to achieve by the end of your placement with us?
I would like to grow in confidence, both professionally and personally. I would also like to get to know as many people as possible, learn as much as I can, and figure out what I do and don’t enjoy.
One piece of advice Advanced’s Managing Director, Antonio Telesca, gave me was: “Don’t wish away your time, instead live where your feet are and just enjoy being at Advanced,” so that’s what I’m going to do!