About The Motivation Experience and its creator

The Motivation Experience is my brainchild and emergent business. My name is Colin Utting; I have has had a distinguished career as an engineer, most recently as the Chief Engineer for Future Technology within BAE Systems Submarines. My career as an engineer spans some 33 years and throughout that time I have always been motivated by seeking a personal challenge that will really push me.

If you ask an engineer what they want to achieve as an ultimate career goal, most would want to: work with exciting new technology; work on a complex product; and be a Chief Engineer (the individual who has ultimate sign-off on the design). As the Chief Engineer Future Technology within BAE Systems Submarines I had it all, I was a Chief Engineer and I was looking at technology and predicting technology trends out to 60 years into the future. Furthermore, I was doing all this for nuclear powered submarines the most complex engineering product on earth.

I believe I have been privileged to hold what I consider the best engineering job in the world. However, as I said earlier I am motivated by seeking a personal challenge that will really push me, and so after some years in this great engineering role I have decided it is time for a new challenge, hence The Motivation Experience is born.

As the Chief Engineer for Future Technology, my opinions on the future underwater battlespace are highly regarded and I have been honoured to be invited to speak at numerous conferences around the world. This is a part of the role that I have always found most rewarding.

During my time as an engineer I established an early careers programme for engineers within my area of the business. Under this programme I have recruited and motivated 148 graduates and higher apprentices, many of whom are well on their way to distinguished careers of their own. I have really delighted in helping every one of these individuals, as I have learnt from all of them. I get a kick out of helping them, and as I look at technology so far into the future I know it will often be them that get to implement my ideas.

Partly due to the success of the early careers programme I was invited to present a motivational introduction to the submarines business and its products for all new starters. As a rapidly growing business , this has helped new starters to fit in and understand how their role is vital to the success of the business.

When not working as an engineer my passion is long distance walking and climbing mountains. I regularly take part in long distance walks including an annual 100 mile non-stop walk – 100 miles with no rest, no sleep, just continuous walking for up to 48hrs. Trekking and scrambling up mountains also feeds my appetite for adventure. I have climbed mountains all over the world, but also love some of the isolated areas in the UK; the Ogwen Valley in Snowdonia is one of my favourites.

Although I have achieved a lot it has not always been easy. I have worked hard to get to my ideal job, sometimes making the right carer choice and sometimes not. However, I have learnt from every decision and choice I have made, so now believe I have a wealth of experience I can pass onto others. I have also suffered personal tragedies and learned to cope with these. While I would have done much to avoid these tragedies, I believe they have given me the ability for greater empathy and capability to motivate people through their own challenges.