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Steven Cordiner,
MPhil, Engineering, 1999
“I chose Napier mainly due to a long standing relationship with lecturers who
I worked with commercially on several projects over several years. I also felt
Napier was a ‘practical university’ which had a realistic knowledge of industry
and, therefore, had a more pragmatic way of preparing & lecturing students.
I would definitely recommend it as a place to study.
“The practical, industrial and academic knowledge of the lecturers helped me
have a more methodical approach to solving problems which required innovation. I especially remember
working with Professor Bill Buchannan academically and commercially and doing something which would
have a benefit to industry.
“After graduating, I held a senior position in one of the largest gas companies in the world; before going
on, in 2009, to co-form a multi-million pound group of companies, with another Napier graduate, Ian
Brown. Now semi-retired, I deliver technical and business presentations, mentor young engineers and get
involved in engineering design where there is a requirement for innovation and complexity. My continued
involvement is no longer a financial thing; it’s more to stay in touch with what has been a lifetime of
working at the sharp end of engineering. Some of my lifetime goals have been to improve the environment
and promote technical safety through high quality engineering and innovative products.
“Externally, it may appear that my greatest personal achievement was having co-formed a highly successful