Lee is passionate about LED and control systems and enjoys discussing and debating their relative virtues with like-minded enthusiasts, so what better way to get to know him than a quick interview:
What have the first few weeks been like? After the initial “I can’t remember how to do my job, I don’t know what I am doing” feeling of starting at a new company and learning their systems and processes, I’ve settled in well, I think, although you’d have to ask my boss!
It’s an interesting time to join a new company; how have you found getting to know the team – what effect has working remotely had? Starting a new company in a national lockdown has been interesting indeed! We are so fortunate to live in a connected age, with Teams and Zoom, etc.., so I have at least been able to see people and meet them “face-to-face” virtually, but I am looking forward to meeting my colleagues in the flesh - there is no substitute!
I think the team is one of CU Phosco’s main strengths. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, no matter how silly my questions may have been!
Working remotely has been part of my life for a year now, and I can do my job from just about anywhere if I have the software, so I don’t see any difference in productivity or any workflow issues.
What are your priorities for the next three months? I already have some juicy projects to get my teeth into, hopefully improving lighting design efficiency. Mainly I want to ensure that I can maintain the high standards that customers have come to expect from CU Phosco Lighting while also bringing some fresh ideas to the department to see if we can offer even more.
What’s your favourite product so far, and why? I’m a sucker for a product that ‘just works’ with no fuss, so I have really enjoyed using the E950, which, although functional in looks, is spectacular in performance!
How and why did you become a lighting designer? Like a lot of lighting people, I fell into it, really! Fresh out of college, my friend helped me to get a job on the production line at DWW (to help earn some beer money). From there, I applied for an internal opening on their Applications team and was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity and soon found I had a real passion for this job I had never heard of before I got it! After a few years of learning on the job, I moved to a high-end company in London’s Mayfair, and their education program was second to none. I completed my industry training for interior and exterior lighting and have now been doing this for 15+ years. Enjoying it just as much as the first day!
What projects have you worked on so far (if you can talk about them)? A few high mast and ports, which is a new experience for me, and some standard road lighting, nothing too scandalous! As well as lighting designs, I have been helping the Technical Director with a few internal projects that are very interesting, but they are top secret, I’m afraid!
What are you looking forward to the most about getting back into the office? Not being disturbed by my two children! Mostly it will be great to see people and have that instant interaction that is so much more personal than a delayed team’s feed!
I hope that once the World is back to normal that some ‘happy medium’ can be achieved with a balance between a few days in the office and a few days at home, as the mental health benefits of having more family time has been one of the few shining lights in the pandemic!
What do you think will be the biggest trends for outdoor lighting this year? I think we will see an increased push to move away from 4000K as ecological concerns over blue light continue to grow.
I guess the usual suspect of smart connected lighting will continue to be popular.
Maybe not this year, but on the horizon, there will be a trend for luminaires to incorporate some type of reflector technology (like the good old days!) rather than rely on lenses to reduce glare.
The ‘Circular economy’ has had a lot of press in recent weeks? What are your thoughts on how it will change the lighting industry? I find this subject exciting. It is no secret that the “take, make, dispose” model is not sustainable.
It makes sense to design out waste for the business and the planet! By offering Lighting as a Service, I hope that the industry will see a steep increase in products designed to last, where the race to the bottom is removed. Where quality is valued more than how cheap you can go because it is not facing a significant initial outlay. This is good for the industry, the customer, and the environment!