No matter which walk of life they come from, most people will have a mentor early in their career who passes on knowledge and experience.
When it comes to man management and leadership, Colin Maver learned from the best.
As one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first signings when the former Aberdeen FC manager arrived in the Granite City in 1978, Mr Maver – now operations director at Scottish firm Dron and Dickson (D&D) – said the Pittodrie legend had a hand in shaping his future.
He added: “Professionally, I have only had two people who have influenced me: one of them was Fergie for sure.
“He was my first boss and I can imagine it being like the national service, he was very concerned about every aspect of the young players’ lives.”
After Sir Alex met his parents, the young winger signed a schoolboy contract with the Dons aged just 14.
He did not stay at Aberdeen long though; the team was heading towards European glory and with a wealth of talent at its disposal in those halcyon days, Mr Maver said he had “joined the right club at the wrong time”.
Professional football’s loss was the oil and gas industry’s gain, although Mr Maver continued in the sport part time.
He has since gone on to apply that early experience to life at D&D.
The 49-year-old said: “There were things that happened in my football career that have helped me in business.
“I am a very team-oriented person and believe there is a role for everybody. Not everyone can score 30 goals a season, you need other people in the team as well.”
Such is the success of D&D’s 280-strong team, with many of them based out of Aberdeen, that the company has recorded a 33% jump in annual turnover to £37.6million.
D&D was set up in 1928 to support mining and excavation in the UK, but as that sector began to decline the company started to specialise in designing, supplying and maintaining hazardous-area electrical equipment for the oil and gas industry.
“In those days we supplied the equipment which caused the explosions; now we are supplying the men to prevent the explosions,” Mr Maver said.
The former Summerhill Academy pupil’s own move towards senior roles in the oil and gas industry came in 1992 thanks to Bryan Keith, the chairman of Montrose Football Club, where Mr Maver was playing at the time.
Mr Maver, who also played for Highland League club Keith, described Mr Keith as the other key influence in his professional life due to his help in setting up Bon Accord Electrical.
After building the Aberdeen company up and opening offices in both Houston and Cape Town, Bon Accord was sold and – after a stint at Granite City firm Noskab – Mr Maver joined D&D in 2003, becoming one of three directors behind a management buyout (MBO) five years later.
He said the company had changed beyond recognition in the years since the MBO, thanks to a move into international markets.
D&D opened an office in Dubai and acquired Abu Dhabi-based Totus Energy last year, while the firm has also started winning work in Brazil.
Mr Maver, who lives in Aberdeen with wife Alison and has three daughters – Lisa, 25, Megan, 18, and Abbie, 14 – said the strength of Stirling-based D&D’s work in the North Sea was the catalyst for its overseas growth. He added: “Every time we have gone for work internationally, our North Sea reputation has got us in the door.
“It means we can look forward with optimism for the next 12 months.
“There are great opportunities in the Middle East and Brazil, as well as in the domestic market, which funds that international expansion. It is an exciting and busy period, but we are all up for it.”