Katoni Engineering has appointed Stuart Gray as its new Head of Engineering Delivery, bringing over two decades of North Sea experience to the role.
Gray joins Katoni after a 23-year career spent almost entirely on the operator side of the industry - a background that gives him first-hand insight into what operators require from their engineering partners. He began offshore as a steward before completing an operations apprenticeship with Wood, earning NVQs in operations and control room operations. He progressed through operator and control room roles with operators including Talisman and BG Group, before moving onshore in 2012 into shutdown and operations positions.
His career has since spanned senior roles across the sector, including Operations Integrity Lead for the UK and Ireland at Shell, and shutdown and modifications roles at Chrysaor and Harbour Energy, most recently serving as Shutdown Manager at Spirit Energy.
Gray said his decision to join Katoni was influenced by a longstanding familiarity with the company's work. "What always led me toward using Katoni was the attention to detail, the quality of the teams, and the ability to consistently produce good work to a high standard," he said. "This role allows me to bring an operator's perspective into the engineering world - to consider what a client genuinely wants to see, and how they want to see it."
He identified honesty and visibility as central to strong delivery. "There can be a feeling that companies will tell you they can do anything. What I've always valued is the honest conversation - yes, we can do this, but here's the time, the people, the effort and the cost. That honesty up front is critical."
On his priorities, Gray said his focus would be on strengthening how Katoni plans and delivers for its clients. "It's about leveraging the relationships and the environment here, and helping Katoni become best-in-class in how we deliver for our clients."
Katoni Engineering, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Aberdeen, provides multidiscipline, brownfield-focused engineering across the UK North Sea and internationally, with offices in the UK and the Netherlands.