We spoke to John McCulloch, rhi’s operations manager for the United States of America, to learn about his professional development at rhi, the opportunities for the business and his advice for anyone looking to further their career.

Can you tell us more about your career with rhi?

In 2006 I joined rhi as a consultant based in the Houston office. I have been able to progress with the business and became a  Senior Consultant,  and then a Lead Consultant and in 2019, I became the Operations Manager for the US where I am now responsible for the daily operations of the US business and ensuring the successful delivery of all projects to our clients.

Throughout my career with rhi, I have worked on various energy projects including FPSO, semi-submersible hull & topsides and onshore facilities. These projects have allowed me to not only provide support to our external clients, but also travel to countries I never imagined, including India, Singapore and Australia. I even got to live in South Korea for 24 months whilst supporting a client full time.

What excites you most about the future of rhi?

I think we are successful because rhi can adapt to our clients’ requirements, identify and provide solutions to problems they may not even foresee. I always try to put myself in the client’s shoes and consider all the aspects of the project and how our decisions today could impact the project ahead.

What excites me most about the future of rhi is the potential growth, our resilience, and how we are continuing to evolve our services to deliver to new sectors.  More recently, I have seen how everyone across our business has risen to the task and continued to deliver high level support for our clients during the changing environment we find ourselves in.

Are there any achievements/learnings from your experience you would like to share?

Personally, I look forward to engaging with clients and discussing how we can provide solutions to their potential problems. The biggest achievement for me is when our clients recognise the value we bring and request our support with their next project. It is a great feeling knowing that we have positively impacted a project and left an impression on the client.

Any advice you have for someone who is looking to further their career?

Looking at my own career growth within rhi, people can hopefully see that this is a company where talent is developed and people can work through to management.

My advice for anyone looking to further their career would be to take any opportunities offered to them, be that through in-house training programs or professional development.  It is also important that you continue to challenge not only yourself but others around you. We all have a potential to settle and only when we are pushed / challenged, do we find out we are capable of so much more.