NRI Annual Review 2024 - Flipbook - Page 30
It’s a small operation but very
modern and agile, which means
there’s a willingness and ability
to deeply understand the impact
of new technologies and adapt
to changing and emerging
client needs.
Indeed, everybody at NRI is
keen to understand the external
environment. We don’t operate in
siloes or focus on nuclear without
any context. We’re alive to what’s
going on elsewhere and ready to
assess the potential impact of, say,
blockchain or AI on our business
and industry. We’re also keen to
improve our strategic mindset
and ensure all stakeholder views
are understood and re昀氀ected in
our processes. It’s a really exciting
environment to be working in. I
used to do a lot of freediving and
mountaineering in my spare time,
which is all about managing risk,
albeit controlled risk, so I feel
I’m well suited to this role. I’m
certainly looking forward to the
challenges that lie ahead.
“We have a rich
mix of specialisms
under one
roof, with
different people
contributing
different
experiences to
help understand
nuclear risks.”
Jonathan Cooper
Jonathan Cooper,
Engineering
I’ve been at NRI for nearly two
years, and so far it’s been a really
interesting, busy and refreshing
experience. I previously worked
in a huge organisation, and
I’m enjoying being part of a
smaller company, surrounded
by professional people who are
supportive, collaborative and
friendly. Working in a small
team gives you autonomy: you’re
trusted and empowered to do
your job. If you have an idea, you
have to grab it, own it and drive it
yourself – and I like that a lot.
As an Engineering Surveyor,
my main job is to assess and
characterise nuclear risks for our
underwriters, ensuring they have
the technical information they
need to carry out their work. Not
all insurance companies have
that link between engineers and
underwriters – it’s a real USP
for NRI. We have a rich mix of
specialisms under one roof, with
different people contributing
different experiences to help
understand nuclear risks. For
me personally, this process
30
involves a lot of travel. Over
the last two years, I’ve visited
operational nuclear power plants,
decommissioning sites, new
build sites, research reactors and
medical isotope plants, travelling
to countries across Europe, North
America, the Middle East and
Asia. It’s been fascinating, with
lots of cultural lessons learned.
How people prefer to be greeted,
how they communicate, whether
they’re resistant or open to new
ways of working – these things
that seem small are key to
building relationships, which is
critical in our industry.
At each nuclear site, I work
as part of a team to evaluate
performance against international
safety standards. We assess
risks from multiple perspectives:
machinery breakdown, nuclear
safety, operational safety, thirdparty liability and 昀椀re protection,
which is where my background
comes in. Before joining NRI,
I spent over 20 years working
in 昀椀re-related jobs, including
the 昀椀re and rescue service and
as Fire Safety Coordinator at
Sizewell B nuclear power station.
This means I have 昀椀rsthand
