Duncan Harrison | Interview

by | May 6, 2022

Duncan Featured

At SVGC we’re proud to be a small business formed of experienced, highly qualified people operating on a national platform. Our team collectively has vast knowledge of strategic planning, public sector decisions, innovative technologies, data science and agile working methodologies.

Get to know our Business & Security Manager, Duncan Harrison. Duncan is responsible for looking after the day-to-day running of the business. With a breadth and depth of knowledge across all aspects of his role – including some financial aspects – utilising his skills from his 25 years in the Army, prior to joining SVGC in October 2012.

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

Being ex-Army, I always rise early and my first job on the list is breakfast, this enables me to start work raring to go with my flask of orange squash, which I seem to live on and of course listening to Greatest Hits 70/80/90s radio (80s music is the best let’s face it).

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

There are so many to choose from and it is a hard one to call, but I guess I can give you a top 5 and please note your work/job helps you put food on the table and puts a roof over your head, but there is no point having that if you don’t have your family with you to share that, so here goes:

  • Wedding day to my wife Maureen of 31 years.
  • Birth of my 2 boys Chris and Andy, both doing well in life.
  • Being promoted to Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) in the Army of which only 4% of those that join make it to WO1.
  • Joining SVGC in 2012 after leaving the Army of 25 years and being part of the SVGC team in its 25th birthday year.
  • Remembering which hat to wear when I get up, read on to the next question?

What do you love most about what you do?

A phrase I brought from my Army days is “Jack of All Trades and Master of None” and it speaks volumes for my role within SVGC as the Business & Security Manager. I wear so many hats, doing so many different jobs. Variety is the Spice of Life – The idea behind this expression is that life would be boring if everything were the same all the time.

What does your typical working day look like?

Lots of work from the time I log on till the time I shut down for the day, remembering to have the correct work/home life balance is key to good happiness. As Edgar Bergen said “Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” only kidding another saying from my Army days “Work Hard, Play Hard”.

When you hit a wall workwise, what do you do to help overcome the hurdle?

Depending on the scenario, throw the teddy in the corner, count to ten and remember to breathe. No seriously, evaluate what the problem/issue is, work out what the problem is remembering there is no “I” in “Team” so don’t fester and share the hurdle with the team to work out, how to get over it, if that doesn’t work, grab the teddy and start again.

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