MEET THE TEAM - Mark Hogan

Meet the Team – Mark Hogan

  1. Describe your job in 5 words or less

Challenging but very rewarding.

  1. What is a cool thing you are working on right now?

Right now, I’m working for a pharma company in Germany. The project involves connecting about 100 machines to an MES system. It’s a big project but it’s interesting because there is such a wide range of machines that we are working with. Each one of those machines has its own challenges.

The project is running over about a year, so there is a lot of work in it. It’s mostly remote, but I will be in Germany soon to provide support during OQ (operational qualification) testing.

  1. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

I grew up on a farm, so I was surrounded by farm equipment and machinery. I was always fascinated by this equipment, and I enjoyed working on the various machines. So, I suppose I have always been interested in engineering. My father was also an engineer, so that also helped create the interest in me.

  1. How and why did you get into engineering?

Growing up on the farm was the starting point, as I mentioned earlier. This got me into mechanical engineering. Then, in college, I got introduced to the controls side of engineering. I loved that side because it opened up a whole new range of possibilities of what machines could do.

  1. If you could swap jobs with someone for a day, who would it be?

I am a big Formula 1 fan, so it would have to be someone from that sport. There is one engineer that stands out – Adrian Newey. He is probably the best F1 designer there has ever been, so if I could swap jobs or even work with him for a day, that would be very cool.

  1. What’s the most engineering thing you do outside of work?

I still spend my weekends on the farm back at home fixing old tractors and equipment and working on old cars.

I also enjoy working on micro controllers like the Raspberry Pi and with 3D printers. There is always a project on the go, so I am always busy.

  1. What’s the best thing about working for life sciences customers (pharma, MedTech, etc)?

Working for life sciences customers means I get to work with a wide range of different machines. I like the challenge that this involves. I also like travelling to various client sites and meeting new people.

  1. What is the best thing about being on the SL Controls team?

At SL Controls, there are great opportunities to learn new technologies, which is fantastic. There is also a great level of camaraderie in the team, and there are always people available to bounce ideas off and get a different perspective.

The ability to work flexitime is positive, too, and there is the option to work from home or in the office. It’s a very people-orientated company as well.

From an engineering perspective, I like the fact the job is about taking on challenges and finding solutions.