Back deck to boardroom, what does it really mean?
Just over a year ago, I was closed up on onboard a cable burial vessel, staring down, and sometimes upwards, at the shuddering waves as we transited to site, undergoing trials for a new subsea burial tool. It was January in the North Sea, wind a NE force 10 and my watch said it was 0245. I could remember having easier times. Engaged as the client’s on-site representative, I had to be everywhere, making sure I had the information to inform every decision—cable alignment, vehicle status, burial depth, environmental, logistical, the lot. It meant long hours battling wind, waves, and shifting sands, and it meant building trust through shared cups of instant coffee and sideline brainstorming sessions at dawn.
Fast-forward half a year, and I’m now in a boardroom presenting a repair strategy to an investment company whose cable experienced unexpected damage near the same location. Different project, different company but similar location, similar conditions and similar challenges! Those lessons learned offshore have become part of the backbone of our proposal. In that room, we’re not debating theory; we’re applying real-world insights gained on deck to refine budgets, schedules, and procurement plans, ensuring a swift, cost-effective restoration.
Bridging the gap between hands-on trials and strategic planning is more than a career arc —it’s about weaving frontline experience into every boardroom decision. It is about knowing the consequences of a decision to the budget, the person in the hard hat onboard and to the investors. When your strategic choices are informed by the salt spray and sonar pings of an offshore campaign, you deliver resilience, reliability, and results.
That’s what “back deck to boardroom” really means: turning every wave-tossed trial into a strategic advantage.