ELA Case Study: Lee Comerford

Lee Comerford achieved a First Class Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at UMIST. Lee enjoyed the outward-bound personal development course WILD1 and began Spanish tuition in the UK, following this with a course in Barcelona. In 2005 Lee undertook an IMechE course on a new Problem Solving technique known as TRIZ, in addition to a practical course in Machining Skills and taking part in a Racecar Dynamics Workshop. He attended the SAE UK Global Performance Conference and included a two-week work placement with DJ Racecars during the summer of 2005. At the beginning of 2006, Lee took part in an Advanced Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis course. These qualifications aided in leading the Universities Formula Student Team for two years. Lee attended the Harvard Business School 2010 Symposium: "European Companies & Technologies that will Change our World" and the British Wind Energy Association’s 3rd Annual Wave & Tidal Energy Conference to help with a project considering the feasibility of wave-power. He was awarded a Manchester Leadership Award with his degree for his volunteering work with Young Enterprise. During 2006 Lee carried out a one-day visit to design consultancies in Cambridge to gain an appreciation of companies based in the UK with manufacturing links in China in preparation for a visit to companies in China, together with Mandarin tuition during his stay. Lee visited over twenty industrial sites in the three-week period.

Lee summarised the benefits of the Award as follows:

  • “Massive increase in confidence through the Award itself and the Cambridge events organised by the Academy.

  • Language skills which I otherwise would not have obtained.

  • An extensive network of professional contacts which has led to fantastic opportunities.

  • Completing courses that helped me to secure my position in the Arup Vehicle Design Group.

  • Help with realising my dream of running my own company.”

During the summer of 2006 Lee also launched his own company, DART, which was a runner-up in the Universities Venture Further competition. The company was formed to accelerate its customers' product-development process. Lee worked in the Arup Vehicle Design Group in Solihull for six months where he achieved £30K funding for a research project into alternative fuels and designed Eco Vehicles for Asia. Following this, Lee joined the GKN International Leadership Development Programme and completed 6 month placements on the Isle of Wight, in China and in Argentina where he was able to bring his Spanish level to fluent. Lee now manages an Aerospace Production Unit of 11 people at GKN Aerospace in Yeovil.

 

Picture of Lee Comerford

 

 

Updated July 2012

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