Ricki Oconnell

Background

About Ricki Oconnell

from completing my GCSE's and having the urge to do something productive, led me towards being part of the agricultural world. starting my 3 year apprenticeship with chandlers farming equipment at the age of 16, was the mark of my career path. completed college which gained me my level 1,2 & 3 city and guilds in land based agricultural engineering, also earning me my welding qualification along with other qualifications. on the completion of my apprentiship I was then offered a full time placement as a mobile engineer based from chandlers belton depot. with an urge to push my self and progress, I soon worked my way up the lader in becoming one of the lead fendt technicians at Belton along side Massey Ferguson also. after 8 years of being at chandlers it came to a point where I felt I needed a new challenge and an opportunity to travel. my next step on the career ladder was a mobile engineer for watlings JCB which gave me a nationwide role, covering majority of the UK for one of our biggest customers Ardent hire, I worked on numerous JCB products raging from mini diggers up to 40 ton 360 machines. I got to see many sights and fully enjoyed the job with succeeding a year and attending many courses to help broaden my knowledge. my current chapter on the ladder came from a phone call which attracted me from the word go, travelling over to Egypt to work along side Aldahra Agriculture under Chandler farming equipment employment. After viewing the project and seeing what I'd be dealing with made me keen to take the job as it was a roll which had so much potential. In September 2017 I started my first day at the Toshka project as a workshop foreman, but with employment changes I was asked to help joint run the workshop over there, this was a proud moment with having no management experience but a desire to eventually be at that stage Some point in my career, I did not expect it to happen at such a young age. With having great communication and good people skills was a bonus