Non Linear Engineer Podcast

NLE12: Diego’s Engineering Journey: From Venezuela to Steam Systems in Argentina and Spain

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:00:45 +0000

Jose and Tony interview Diego about his path in engineering and migration. Diego, a
mechanical engineering graduate from Venezuela, moved abroad in 2017, first to Argentina seeking automotive work but joining Spirax Sarco in the steam and heat-transfer industry. He describes working in thermodynamics-driven steam systems across many industries, first as a project coordinator managing turnkey boiler and steam distribution projects from design through installation and commissioning, then later moving to Valencia, Spain. After a year in a fast-paced startup environment, he returned to Spirax Sarco as a field service engineer, troubleshooting boilers, instrumentation, and commissioning onsite with fewer resources and greater customer pressure. He shares a stressful boiler level-control commissioning case ultimately traced to a design sizing issue, and reflects on cultural differences, reinvention, flexibility, resilience, and advice to keep a vision while staying open to unexpected opportunities.

00:00 Meet Diego
00:47 Early Engineering Spark
01:59 Leaving Venezuela
05:03 Landing First Job
06:21 Steam Industry Basics
08:38 Mechanical Skills Applied
10:40 Back to Spain
14:05 Project Manager Life
18:25 Two Countries One Company
20:32 Reinventing Yourself
24:08 Startup Teaser
24:39 Startup Laundry Franchises
27:14 US Expansion and COVID Crash
28:48 Startup Business Model Talk
29:52 Engineering When Things Fail
32:11 Boiler Commissioning Nightmare
35:55 Root Cause Design Sizing
39:22 Career Advice Stay Flexible

41:44 Always Explore Opportunities
42:52 Thanks and Wrap Up

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE012 - Linkedln

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NLE11: Dr Joseph Gibbons: An Expert's Journey in Renewable Energy and Research (from Environmental Engineering to Lunar Regolith)

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 22:26:26 +0100

In this episode, Tony and Jose sit down with Dr Joseph, a principal technical advisor and advisory lead for Natural Power Ireland, to discuss his extensive background in energy and environmental engineering. Joseph shares his academic journey from undergraduate studies focused on converting natural energy into electricity, to his work in consultancy and asset management in the UK's energy sector. He delves into his groundbreaking postgraduate research on using lunar soil to create reflective surfaces for solar PV systems, which gained recognition from the European Space Agency and led to a PhD. Joseph explains the intricacies of due diligence in renewable energy projects and reflects on the importance of passion in one's career #continue to our LinkedIn

00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:19 Jose's Professional Background
01:24 Early Career in Energy Consultancy
02:06 Transition to Asset Management
03:06 Academic Pursuits and Teaching
03:34 Postgraduate Research and PhD Journey
04:06 Lunar Regolith Research
07:13 Teaching and Lecturing Experience
08:12 Challenges and Rewards of Teaching Mathematics
15:16 PhD Research and Its Impact
15:58 Lunar Regolith as a Construction Material
27:17 Complexities of Scientific Research
28:57 Reflective Surfaces and Solar PV Systems
35:24 General Misconceptions About Science
39:24 Efficiency in Engineering and Its Implications
42:15 Rebound Effects of Energy Efficiency Policies
47:39 Historical Context of Climate Change
51:14 Challenges in Renewable Energy Development
56:59 The Role of Due Diligence in Renewable Projects
01:08:40 Career Advice and Personal Reflections
01:23:42 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE011 - Linkedln

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NLE10: Oscar Herrera-Granados: 100 years of solitude in Hydraulic Engineering

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:45:04 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Oscar Herrera-Granados, a Hydraulic Engineer and Senior Lecturer at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, as a special guest on the pod.

Oscar started his engineering career after graduation in his home country Mexico. He moved to Europe more than 20 years ago to pursue his career, initially to Germany for further study and eventually settled in Poland. In addition, he had collaborated with Brunel University for hydraulic engineering research while he was in England recently .

The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including several severe floods events in Europe, climate change impacts and the importance of natural flood management as a mitigation going forward. At the end, he even admitted his ‘regret’ of not listening to his older colleagues when he was young, and how to bridge the gaps #continue to our LinkedIn

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE010 - Linkedln

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NLE09: César Pateiro: Just apply common sense

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:53:28 +0000

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite César Pateiro, Chief Engineer in one of the most famous franchises in the world, as a special guest on the pod.

Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of César, a mechanical engineer whose career has taken him from Venezuela to Scotland, with impactful stops in Mexico and Spain. Along the way, César has gained invaluable experience in high-stakes industries, operating in some of the world’s most challenging environments. #continue to our Linkedln

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

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NLE08: Nandana Shankar: It's fine to do what suits you

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:49:23 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Nandana Shankar, an Associate Scientist at the Functional Genomics Centre at Cambridge, as a special guest on the pod.

The conversation touches on several thought provoking topics, including stereotypes of stem cells and CRISPR baby. Nandana also revealed how her mother has helped her to align her interests in biology and mathematics with the further studies, but she has resisted the peer pressure by choosing a different career path #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE008 - Linkedln

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NLE07: Cassim Kazee: Engineering is a very patience process

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 22:20:31 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Cassim Kazee, Principal Civil Engineer at Motts MacDonald, as a special guest on the pod.

Cassim started his engineering career in 1995, a year after Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president. After a rapid rise in terms of job profiles, an impromptu conversation made him pivot and took a step down by coming to the UK in 2008.

The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including the socio-economic background of South Africa at that time, cultural inclusion in the engineering consultant workplace, projects from Sweden to Shetland, and his advice to young engineers on how to control where their career goes #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE007 - Linkedln

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NLE06: Noel Jose. Auxiliary systems, defence and mental health

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:17:19 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony chat with Noel Jose, a mechanical engineer expert on auxiliary system working for an important defence company in the UK

Noel shares his journey from his home country to settling in Glasgow after taking on £30,000+ in debt.

The conversation touches on several fascinating topics, including his experience working for a defence company, life as an international student, and how his mother inspired him to become a mental health first aider #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE006 - Linkedln

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NLE05: Euan Reilly: A Swiss-army-knife Civil Engineer

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:42:23 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Euan, Civil Project Engineer at SSEN Transmission, as a special guest on the pod. They dive deep into Euan's 20 odds years of civil engineering career as a consultant and things that went well and wrong! And how he juggled the demands between the family and working from home during the first Covid lockdown. This episode was certainly the most casual conversation that we have had to date #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE005 - Linkedln

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NLE04 Katherine Komander: Offshore wind of change

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:02:18 +0100

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Kathy, Project Controls Associate at Ocean Winds, as a special guest on the pod. They dive deep on how she managed to get back into Engineering after a long career break and how the engineering industry has been supportive to help her reach her full potential. They'll talk about Kathy's involvement in Moray West Offshore Wind Farm - a 60-turbine fixed-bottom site which, in 2024, is quickly advancing in its final construction phase #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE004 - Linkedln

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NLE03 Alrazi Earij: a STEM ambassador journey from Syria to London and now in Scotland

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 23:11:56 +0000

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Alrazi, Civil Engineering Lecturer at University of the West of Scotland, as a special guest on the pod. They’ll talk about Alrazi’s struggles in his first year of civil engineering undergraduate study back in Syria, his interest on all things transportation was the result of an atypical teaching from Prof Sati Badawi. The reason he chose to pursue his love of transportation in a MSc degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering instead of civil engineering, a continuation of further research that earned him a PhD in Civil Engineering #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE003 - LinkedIn

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NLE02 Shane Bermingham: An enthusiastic Renewable Energy Engineer wants to drive positive change and contribute to a more sustainable world

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:18:25 +0000

In this episode, Jose and Tony invite Shane, Lead Project Manager for Delivery at Downing LLP, as a special guest on the pod. They’ll talk about Shane’s engineering journey from Ireland, with a shortstop in China as an English teacher in between, to kick start his career in Scotland #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE002 - LinkedIn

NLE01 Jose Lamas from Venezuela to Spain and eventually settles in Scotland

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:48:30 +0000

In the inaugural episode of the Non-Linear Engineer podcast, Tony talks to Jose about his journey from Venezuela to Spain and eventually settles in Scotland #continue to our Linkedln page

Music credit: DaFuq!?Boom! - YouTube

Show Notes NLE001 - LinkedIn