Executive head of facility management and real estate for Airbus UK Grant Lethby is entering into his 21st year with the business - and has described his journey as "diverse and full of opportunity".
Grant started out as a project manager with no previous experience with space and defence, having studied geology at the University of Portsmouth.
"It doesn't rely just upon those who have a background in maths and science degrees," he said.
"We try to get a mix of abilities and we're always inundated with exceptional talent.
"I started probably quite unconventionally - from studying geology I moved into a consultancy role in London.
"With my project management skills, I then took the job at Airbus in 2001. My role was delivering all of the equipment associated with moving spacecraft around Europe - my job then was to manage the design, build and supply all of this equipment.
"I then moved into production control, before being made head of spacecraft production in Stevenage - this was a significant step up and a great opportunity, bearing in mind iI didn't have a background or degree in this field.
"This role was looking at a myriad of products within Airbus. We were involved in delivering a spacecraft for Earth observation science satellites, military satellites and exploration satellites. I was really proud to be part of it.
"There were a number of really cool programmes and my role was to produce these spacecraft from raw material up to completed spacecraft, which also involved the launch campaigns on site.
"I was engaging with really talented teams - and the team I was involved in were delivering spacecraft all over the world.
"Throughout my career there's been a strong development culture. It's a really diverse business."
Part of Grant's current role involved the delivery of Stevenage's new £35m headquarters in 2021.
When asked what was most rewarding about his 20-year Airbus journey, Grant said: “It’s hard to pick just one thing, as it was amazing leading a talented organisation of manufacturing engineers and production teams for missions round Mars, Mercury and the Earth.
"But one of the most rewarding was when we were asked by the Science Museum in London if we could contribute to their new information age gallery and we jumped at the opportunity.
"We took a redundant, incomplete spacecraft and built it to a level where aesthetically it looked the same as a spacecraft, and worked with them to deliver it and it's still there today hanging from the ceiling of the top floor.
"It was a really rewarding project, seeing people of all ages and all skills coming together to deliver it."
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