One of the team which has built Xodus into an international energy consultant is Graeme Rogerson, who initially planed to pursue a career as an architect.
When the 41-year-old joined Xodus nearly seven years ago, only 40 people worked for the Aberdeen-based firm.
The business now employs nearly 600 people worldwide and, as operations director for Scotland Mr Rogerson helps to oversee the 250 working here.
In addition to the Aberdeen HQ, the Scottish business now includes offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Orkney, which between them turned over £33million last year, which accounts for 45% of group turnover. Mr Rogerson said that, although the Scottish business wasn’t growing at the same rate as Xodus’s operations in locations such as the Middle East and US, it was still key for the company.
He added: “Around half of Xodus’s revenue is still generated from Scotland. Our clients continue to invest heavily in North Sea activity and Xodus is very committed to this market.
“We are also following many of them through their journey as operators, going from providing design and development work to operational asset support.
“Scotland is at a different stage in life than the newer offices, which are focused on rapidly growing their business and establishing their position in their respective marketplaces.
“Our priorities differ in that we are established in the North Sea and, to retain our market-leading position, we need to develop and continue retaining our experts.
“If we get this right, then company growth will follow organically.”
Mr Rogerson said part of Xodus’s work to develop its employees came from the most unlikely of places; extreme sports.
The former Banchory Academy pupil – no stranger to a pair of skis himself, having spent three winters ski-ing in the Alps with wife Eileen in the past – said ski trips and canoeing excursions were common team-building exercises for Xodus staff.
He added: “My wife and I have spent weekends taking colleagues on canoeing courses, and team building through the social side is important to the company.”
Although brought up in the north-east and surrounded by people in the oil and gas industry, Mr Rogerson studied structural engineering and architecture at Strathclyde University, before realising the energy sector was for him after all.
He said: “I am an engineer at heart and wanted to be involved in an industry where pure engineering was the focus. There are other influences when it comes to buildings and architectural work.”
Mr Rogerson started out in the oil and gas industry at design consultant Andrew Palmer and Associates, working in subsea engineering. Following stints at Stolt Offshore and Talisman Energy, he joined Xodus in 2007.
Mr Rogerson said that, despite Xodus’s Scottish team working in a mature market, it still had plenty to offer. He added: “The opportunities here are the foundation stones of our international growth.
“There is no way we have hit the ceiling yet; there is still plenty of potential here and around the world.”