‘Farm machinery mechanics taught me about people as well as engineering’

BMS’s Tom Shortt discusses the early factors that influenced his career and led to his role as an engineering director.

An engineering director at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Tom Shortt has been with the organisation for more than nine years, but his passion for engineering began much earlier.

Shortt told SiliconRepublic.com, “While still in secondary school in Tipperary, I worked part‑time as a farm machinery mechanic, travelling across the county to diagnose faults, rebuild engines and restore agricultural equipment to service.”

He explained that the experience cemented within him a technical curiosity and an appreciation for practical problem‑solving in real‑world conditions, making a future in mechanical engineering the clear choice.

He added, “That role taught me as much about people as it did about engineering. Our customers ranged from large agricultural contractors to elderly farmers working in isolation.