Member Spotlight: Meet Jonathon Speed
Member Spotlight is a regular INFORM magazine column that features members who play critical roles in AOCS.
| Name | Jonathon Speed |
| Joined AOCS | 2020 |
| Education | PhD (University of Southampton, Southampton, UK) |
| Job title | Product and Applications Manager |
| Employer | Keit Spectrometers (Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK) |
| Current AOCS involvement | Session chair, 2022 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo |
Professional
What’s a typical day like for you?
I start the day with our 15-minute daily project management meeting. The whole team joins so we all know what’s important or urgent that day. I’ll check in with the development team (I act as the “Voice of Customer” within Keit) and answer any questions they’ve got on product development. I oversee the calibration of our instruments, too, so I’ll make sure that team has everything they need to build robust and reliable calibrations.
My favorite part of my job is…
The really broad range of applications I get to work with. We deal with lots of applications within the edible oil space, but I also get to work with mining and minerals, biotech, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals…you name it, I’ve probably analyzed it.
Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now?
I took a gamble! I wasn’t happy in my previous employment and wanted to get out of the lab and into a more customer-facing role. So, I applied for a “sales engineer” role that quickly evolved into “applications scientist” instead. And I haven’t looked back once.
Is there an achievement or contribution you are most proud of? Why?
I once calibrated an instrument in our lab, shipped it halfway around the world to a conference, set it up on the tabletop, and turned it on. It started measuring and worked exactly as expected. That was the first time our team had done that, and I was extremely proud of us all.
What event, person, or life experience has had the most influ- ence on the direction of your life?
When I was young, my family moved to Italy. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my father was so good at what he did, his employer created roles for him multiple times just to keep him on the team. I find that inspiring and try to emulate it: being a key contributor to the team as a whole regardless of the actual job/role at the time.
Personal
How do you relax after a hard day of work?
Gardening! We’ve got a small garden in Oxfordshire. I have crammed it full of so many plants it’s a bit of a jungle. But wandering around it with my young son is wonderful. I can teach him about nature, growing fruits and vegetables, and how it’s OK to leave a bit of the plot wild to help the “bugs, bees, and birds.”
What are some small things that make your day better?
Random photos popping up on my phone of family time with my wife and son—especially those that make you think, “what on Earth were we doing when that was taken?!”
