Meet the new recruits!
We’ve got big plans for the MDE, which means we are going to need a few more hands on deck.
Introducing the new recruits...Tazz & Haz!
My name is Alex, but better known to most as "Tazz". I am a father of 3 and spend most of my downtime with them, my wife, and our 2 dogs Doug (the pug) and Den (springer spaniel).
You will often hear at least one of them in the background of a Teams call either snoring, shouting, or squeaking something annoying. I have a diploma in Business leadership and management and studied counselling and personal training in my spare time because I have always found how we work and where we find our limits fascinating. I am also an avid runner, the photo was at Manchester, one of my 6 marathons planned for this year. I have run every day for over a year now!
I have a drive to learn and am very curious, I like to understand how things work, so I often get right into the details and ask lots of (probably) annoying questions. The Marine industry is always something I have felt close to so being here at TCE has made every day feel like a school day.
I love music and am very eclectic, you will often catch me listening to anything from Josh Groban to Killswitch engage depending on my mood. My dad is a composer, but unlike him, I have tried to play many instruments but have not quite mastered any (just yet).
Career: I have recently joined The Crown Estate as a Senior Product Owner and am very excited about what is to come. My background has almost always been in software development, and I have worked in various roles including; business analyst, developer, product owner, lead product owner, and an Agile coach. I am very passionate in what I do and love to share knowledge and my experiences with anyone who will listen. I am certified as a Scrum Product Owner and Scrum master, so I like to see myself as an agile guru. I have been part of quite a few digital transformations and bring with me a lot of experience not only as a Product Owner but also in change management and people leadership.
After being one of the fallout victims of redundancies due to COVID I have been through a few companies and not quite found my fit, however I seem to have gone full circle, I love the sea and everything nautical, so to be back in the marine industry that I love, all be it in a different domain, now using my PO superpowers to unlock the potential in the MDE.
I had the pleasure of working on the MDE a year ago, and so it feels like I am coming home. The difference is this time I am hoping to be able to be part of many more products and concepts and look at things from an enterprise view, and be a part of the exciting journey TCE is on.
Favourite hobbies: Running, Basketball and now puppy training
Favourite marine creature: Basking Shark (such gentle giants)
Party trick: Not sure this counts, but I get my 10,000 steps in every morning jogging on the spot whilst playing my PS4
My name is Harriet, but better known to most as "Haz”. The natural world has always been a staple love of mine, feeding my curiosity and my imagination. I spent much of my childhood pond-dipping, rock-pooling and searching for exciting new creatures…I admit, not a lot has changed!
I’m a water baby and love spending time in nature, and when given the opportunity love to go diving or snorkelling in search of exciting marine life. I’ve recently moved back to London (Peckham) from Anglesey, North Wales, which has been a bit of a change of scene! While I miss the mountains & beautiful beaches, it has been great moving back and catching up with friends and family. As a major foodie, having access to the multi-cultural delights of London eating has been awesome. Being able to go to gigs & events is a major plus too, and all the incredible culture London has to offer. I’m really excited for this chapter of my life, bring it on!
Career: I joined The Crown Estate in January as a Marine Evidence Advisor and am really loving my time here so far! In my current role, I work on research and evidence projects to support the sustainable development of the seabed. As part of this role, I often investigate survey data stored on the MDE, to see what environmental insights can be gained from industry data. My role also involves working on the continuous development of the MDE and the MDE’s communications & content strategy.
Before joining TCE, I worked as a researcher at the Ocean Discovery League (ODL), an organisation founded by deep-sea explorer Dr.Katy Croff Bell, to accelerate deep-ocean exploration by developing accessible systems to broaden the community of those who explore and understand the deep sea. I found my love for the deep-sea during my MSc in Marine Environmental Protection at Bangor University, where I studied the “functional diversity of benthic communities of cold-water coral reefs of the Rockall Bank".
I also have a creative background in green infrastructure and architecture and design (BSc Architecture, University of Bath) and have experience working on a wide range of projects; from small-scale landscape projects, such as creating microhabitats for wildlife, to large-scale infrastructure projects, including Heathrow and Bradwell B. I like to think that my multi-disciplinary background gives me a creative edge and a fresh approach to challenges and tasks!
One of my main drivers and life ambitions is to ensure the protection of our precious marine environments and to have a positive impact in nature restoration, both at home and abroad.
Favourite hobbies: Eating (& cooking)! Also, music, art (drawing, painting & digital), festival going, hiking, all kinds of sport (I’m trying my hand at tennis at the moment), wild swimming, diving, travelling, reading, film & sciencey stuff! I also love spikeball, if you havn’t tried it, you need to.
Favourite marine creature: I’m torn between tassled wobbegong sharks, manta rays, great whites, nudibranchs, whale sharks or corals... too much choice!
Party trick: It may not be a party trick, but I’m a sucker for good fancy dress party and can make some absolutely cracking home-made costumes. My recent creation was a deep-sea angler fish (see below).
2 truths & a lie: I’m named after a Björk song, I’m grade 8 saxophone & I’m not competitive at all.
(Below are some photos of me - including a photo and drawing from my childhood -me searching for stag beetles)
