14th August
Meet Kate Miller, Stakeholder Management Associate
She’s undertaken biology research in Costa Rica and surfed in Nicaragua, but there is no place like home for our Stakeholder Management Associate, Kate Miller.
We had a chat with Kate to find out what led her to a career in offshore wind and what she finds the most exciting about working in the industry.
Can you describe yourself in three words?
Reliable, organised and adventurous.
These skills are all very useful in my role. I need to co-ordinate with multiple people over multiple projects and I’m also always open to getting involved in anything new or challenging that comes my way.
Did you always want to work in the offshore wind industry, or did you have other career plans?
Truth be told, it wasn’t even on my radar. I initially wanted to be a vet. However, after some work experience, I realised this wasn’t the path for me.
Unsure of my career goals, I went to university to study biology as this was a subject I really enjoyed in school. This was followed by seven years of living and working in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, with lots of trips to Asia, Africa, and Central America, with some volunteering in between. I put my degree to use by taking part in primate and turtle research projects in Costa Rica, and taught English to local schoolchildren
During my time in Canada, I started working for an events company, so I went back to studying when I returned to the UK and gained a masters in Events Management. This was around the time Covid hit and, sadly, the events industry collapsed. This led me to take a sideways step into a communications and marketing role for a resource management company.
I love Scotland and genuinely feel there’s no place like home. So, I came back and started looking at what I could get involved in within the environmental space, as sustainability was something I’d grown passionate about.
What has been your career highlight at Caledonia so far?
Being part of the team to bring the Caledonia-funded augmented reality welding headsets to fruition has been a major highlight. The headsets allow students to hone their welding skills using state of the art technology that provides real time feedback.
It’s great to see how this technology will address a recognised skills gap and should positively impact the industry and those coming into it in the future. We also funded an electric van which means the headsets can travel across Scotland, so island and remote communities that sometimes don’t get the opportunities to use equipment like this benefit too, which is important.
Why is stakeholder engagement so important for Caledonia?
There are so many different stakeholders in an offshore wind farm who are all key to the success of the project. It’s important that everyone, from key decision makers to the local communities, feel they are with us and part of the journey.
Communication is key in stakeholder management so that everyone knows exactly what our plans are, why we are doing it, and the benefits it will bring. We also need to build trust with our stakeholders. Ocean Winds is a proven developer, and we want to demonstrate why we can successfully do this again in the Moray Firth with Caledonia.
Our local communities play a huge role in shaping the project, so engaging with them is an important part of stakeholder management. Caledonia really does value their views and takes on board the feedback. Our most recent round of public consultation events showcased the changes we have made based on feedback from previous events.
You have done lots of volunteer work, why is this important to you?
I have been fortunate enough to travel and experience lots of amazing opportunities so I think it’s important to give back where you can.
More locally, I have co-founded a charity which focuses on environmental issues in Scotland, the Caledonian Environmental Restoration Trust. Our current big project, the Scottish Coastal Clean-up, looks at marine plastic mapping and helps clean the Scottish coastline of plastic pollution. I’m passionate about the environment and giving back through volunteering, so this was something I really wanted to be involved in.
What excites you most about the offshore wind industry?
I really care about the planet and the environment, so it’s great to be doing something that contributes on the journey to net zero. There is a lot of change taking place so it’s an exciting time to be in this industry, to see how its potential will be brought to fruition and the benefits it will bring.
What is the best professional advice you can give for people wanting to get into the offshore wind industry?
Firstly, do something you are passionate about. It may sound cliche, but life’s too short to be doing something that doesn’t have you jumping out of bed in the morning.
More specifically for offshore wind, I’d say to explore the different opportunities available. There are so many more than the traditional engineering and technician roles that may first come to mind. The industry needs, and relies on, project managers, lawyers, finance teams, procurement, communications and ecologists to name just a few. It’s a fast-paced industry, but a very rewarding one to be a part of.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have two dogs that I enjoy taking to the beach or up Munros. I also like to take advantage of the many amazing restaurants and cocktail bars we have here in Edinburgh.