Fionnlagh Wenman - Getting To Know You

Meet Fionnlagh Wenman, our esteemed technical consultant. Fionn has been with RPC since September 2021 and utilises their expertise in building project management systems in Unifier as well as configuring forms and writing code to extract and present vast amounts of important data in a clear and concise format. Collaborative and forward-thinking, Fionn's contributions continue to drive our success, making them an invaluable asset to our team.

Where are you based? 

I’m based in South London – I work from home full time but pop up to the office here and there to visit my colleagues in person! I live with two lovely flatmates and a loud, beautiful cat.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Basildon, Essex, where I attended school by the seaside in Southend. I spent most of my school holidays visiting extended family in Devon and exploring the coasts, forests, and moors of the South West. Later, I travelled up North for university where I studied Physics at the University of Manchester – I spent three of my university years based in Manchester, and my final year in Madrid.

How has your career path brought you to RPC?  

I worked part time for a tech company that focused on industrial lighting solutions alongside studying physics full time. During this time, I realised that my favourite parts of physics were the parts where I had to use programming, so once I graduated university, I left physics behind me to join RPC, here I could both program and problem-solve full-time, so my current role right now is perfect!

What attracted you to RPC?

My uncle works for RPC and introduced me to the company, over the years that he had been working for the company, he spoke very highly of the culture here. From generous holiday allowance to flexible project-focused work, not to mention the team-player attitude, RPC sounded like a lovely place to work and to learn more about programming and developing technologies used within project management.

What are you working on right now? 

Right now, I am testing a project management system for one of our clients. I’m currently ensuring the build is accurately matched to the agreed design, and then I test the system to make sure it works as expected.

What do you do in your spare time?

I am interested in mycology, so I spend a lot of my time exploring forests and woodlands looking for mushrooms. I then keep a sample of each one that I find and identify, which I dehydrate and display. As well as foraging for mushrooms, I cultivate some species at home to cook with or to use medicinally, such as pink and blue oysters, lion’s mane, and Reishi. I also love to read, usually about mushrooms, but I also love fantasy and adventure themed fiction. For a more chill social vibe, I attend a weekly pottery session and have made a host of ornaments and crockery. I also love to play Pokémon games. 

What do you like best about your job?

I tend to switch between reporting and configuration, and my favourite part of both is the problem-solving aspect! There’s quite a lot to learn about all of the systems that I’m working on, and figuring out how all the parts interconnect so that I can build new processes / pull out data usually gets my brain engaged!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a scientist and make cool potions, but along my science journey I realised that computers were far more my style!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“Find comfort within discomfort” – I often tend to be extremely set in my routines, but when I push out of my comfort zone and do things I wouldn’t usually do, wonderful and unexpected things often happen.

What’s on your desk?

Right now, on my desk I have a bonsai tree, five Christmas themed rubber ducks, a fake crow, a stress ball shaped like an eyeball, an IKEA clock set to Okinawa time, and a temperature and humidity monitor (for the mushrooms).

Tea or coffee?

I love my herbal teas, but if I’m holding a mug, it probably contains coffee with lots of honey and sugar, as well as a hefty amount of oat milk.

Dog or cat?

Cats all the way! I love dogs too, but I’ve grown up with cats and there’s something very special about earning the love and loyalty of a cat.

If your house was on fire, what 3 things would you save?

1.    The folder I keep important personal documents in.
2.    My giant reishi mushroom.
3.    My mum’s teddy bear that she gave me.

What would your superpower be?

Definitely shapeshifting! It’s a catch-all superpower – want to fly? Shift into a bird! Explore the ocean? Shift into a shark! Reach that high shelf? Just make your legs a few inches longer!