Alumni Spotlight: Q & A with Lindsay Jackson

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Alumni Spotlight: Q & A with Lindsay Jackson

Tuesday, 02 February 2021

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Lindsay had always been passionate about mechanical engineering, however he wasn't confident that he would be accepted into a university course.

Fortunately, ECU's portfolio entry engineering degrees provided him the opportunity he needed.

Lindsay went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Motorsports (Technology) and Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical).

Since then, Lindsay has worked across a variety of industries and in multiple countries: India, Canada, USA, Sweden, Norway, South Africa and the Netherlands.

Currently, Lindsay is living in Finland where he works in Global Service Operations at engineering giant Sandvik.

Lindsay's advice? Find your passion and never give up.

Continued from Alumni News …

Where are you from?

Perth, Australia

What made you choose ECU and your particular course/study area?

ECU offered portfolio entry, which given my lack of TER/ATAR was one of the few viable pathways into higher education for me. Engineering, especially mechanical has always been an interest for me, the question was how to get there. A Bachelor of Technology (Motorsport) was the answer.

What is your fondest memory of ECU?

My fondest memory from ECU is using the workshop to fabricate machine parts for the FSAE racecar. It was a long drive home so I would often spend hours between split classes in there.

Career wise, what have you done since leaving ECU?

I have worked for several companies, mostly surrounding mining and rail industries, in design and project management capacities. My current role (pre-COVID) allowed me to travel extensively (India, Canada, USA, Sweden, Norway, South Africa and the Netherlands) and even to relocate to Finland where I currently live.

What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?

Racing my own Jokkis car in Pori. Jokkis is a form of amateur rallycross where you race on mixed surface tracks around Finland in elimination-style heats. Motorsport was what got me into ECU (Open Day, Mt Lawley, 2009), so to be able to now race on the other side of the world thanks to a country assignment I secured with my ECU degree is the ultimate payoff to me.

Where’s your favourite place in the world?

There is a road along the Darling Scarp that gives a breathtaking view of Perth. I could ride my motorcycle through there till I’m old and grey and never get bored of it.

Who inspires you?

The people around me. Family and friends back in Australia, friends here in Finland and plenty of people I have met around the world. When I see someone lean into something, they are passionate about, doesn’t really matter what it is, something about it inspires me and drives me to pursue more.

If you could go back to when you graduated from university, what advice would you give yourself?

As cliché as it sounds, don’t quit. I ended up failing more than a few units, mostly old foes like maths and physics (core to being a Mechanical Engineer). But if I had bowed out, I would have missed out on more than I care to think about.

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