Mike Roberts, Co-Founder and Technical Director of Slipstream Engineering Design, is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as we give him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions.

1. What does a typical working day for you involve?

My day usually starts with a cycle down the canal path into work. It feels good to get a bit of exercise early in the day, and the ride always puts me in a good frame of mind.

Once in, I am involved in a couple of scrums with the technical teams to go over what happened the previous day, how projects are progressing and what we want to achieve that day. We find that these help keep everyone onboard with a project and delivering results for customers. I will then spend some time in our lab working with the engineers and looking at plans. At my core, I am an engineer, and I enjoy these technical conversations with the team.

I often have meetings with customers to update them on projects or to discuss new proposals from them. There are always plenty of interesting and exciting things in the pipeline.

2. What makes your company special?

At Slipstream Design, we are genuinely collegiate in the way we work. There is always a discussion between the team before decisions are made. Good engineers must be open to collaboration, and discussing options is an important part of this. Everyone is honest and open with each other, which makes for a nice, positive environment. We are a small team, which enables us to make quick decisions.

As a small team, we are ambitious and aim to work quickly to find the answer to a customer's problem.

3. Do you have any business rules that you swear by?

Honesty is the best policy. In engineering, you can’t fool your way to a solution or new product, as it has to work to a specification. That is why it is important to be honest and upfront every step of the way.

4. Do you dress up or down for work?

It varies depending on the day and what is going on. If we have customers coming in for meetings, then I always make sure that I am smart. However, I am often working in the lab, so my white coat covers my clothes.

5. What piece of advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Get a skill, put that skill to good use, stay curious and do what you love.

When you are curious, you want to keep learning, not just at work, but in all aspects of life. It is so important not to lose that curiosity. You need to have a passion for what you do, and that will drive you to put the effort in.

I feel that I am lucky to do a job that I love, so I feel I have taken this on.

From an engineering point of view: I would say that good engineering takes time. Learning and getting the fundamentals right first will save a lot of time later. The problems you are trying to solve will take time, so try not to stress. The answers will come… usually after a good night's sleep!

6. What’s your favourite Yorkshire venue for an event or team away day?

We work with a company who organise our team away days and activities. Over the last few years, we have done everything from walking on Ilkley Moor to spending the day at Swinton Manor doing activities on the lawn. They have all been lots of fun, and it is always good to spend time with the team away from the office.

7. How do you prefer to travel for business?

When possible, I much prefer to travel by train as it means I can do some work and have some thinking time. However, with customers based down south, that isn’t always possible, so sometimes it has to be driving.

8. What’s your favourite place in Yorkshire to relax?

I enjoy walking, with the Howgill Fells being one of my favourite places to go. It sits between the Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales and is very quiet. It’s nice to go there and have some time alone. I also like Littondale. It’s a beautiful valley that doesn’t get many visitors. You can cycle along the valley or walk along the tops.

I feel lucky living in Meanwood, as there is the Meanwood Valley Trail right out of my front door.

9. Where is your favourite place to eat in Yorkshire, and what dish do you recommend?

Close to home, I enjoy going to Zucco as they serve lovely Italian-style tapas, as well as having great staff and a wonderful atmosphere.

If I have been out cycling, I like to stop at Leeds Deli in Roundhay for coffee and one of their cinnamon swirls.

10. What do you miss most about Yorkshire when you’re away?

My family and friends are what I miss the most when I’m not here. Aside from that, the countryside here is something that I miss a lot.



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