January 2021 – WEST

In the first of our alumni profiles in 2021 David Hammond, Technology Transformation Architect – Open Hybrid Cloud at IBM, reflects on his hugely successful career at IBM and his continuing relationship with Paisley and the University. From developing new software for deployment to HMS Ark Royal working for Ferranti, to developing a new En-route Air Traffic Control system for the UK Civil Aviation Authority with IBM. It may seem rather a long time ago, but I realised early on that the entry into the workforce was not guaranteed, it took commitment and preparation. I grew up in Ferguslie Park in Paisley, Scotland at a time when the major industries of the day were in rapid decline: Car Manufacture, Ship Building, Coal Mining, Steel Works. Many were in extended unemployment and living on ...

Politics and Social Policy graduate Jamie Kinlochan will receive a British Empire Medal for services to vulnerable people in Scotland during the initial COVID-19 response as part of his role with charity Who Cares? Scotland. I am really humbled to be recognised in this way. The response to COVID-19 left so many people out at sea and I’m incredibly proud of the lifelines that we were able to provide. I’m part of a brilliant wider team at Who Cares? Scotland and it took all of us to develop the vision I had into something that made a difference to people’s lives. I’m incredibly grateful today to my colleagues for their efforts and to our supporters and funders for encouraging us to do something different to help people. Jamie Kinlochan Jamie, who graduated from University of the We...

Month: January 2021

How my education in Paisley set me up for a career with IBM in development and systems integration