It Really is all I know.
Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration—but glass has truly been at the center of my life, and from a very young age.
At 12 years old, I started working evenings and weekends cutting glass and helping out on site. I had no idea back then that this humble part-time job would snowball into a diverse and rewarding career that would take me across the globe, and eventually allow me the freedom to choose where I wanted to live and work.
I say fortunate, but nothing came easy. Growing up in 1980s England, you were born with a work ethic. If you didn’t work hard and move forward, there were hundreds lined up behind you ready to take your place. I put my head down, soaked up everything I could, and when I turned sixteen, I signed up for a formal Glass & Glazing apprenticeship without hesitation. I graduated at nineteen and quickly worked my way through a wide range of glazing installations—from traditional heritage projects to point-fixed systems and curtain wall applications.
In the late ’90s, I launched an emergency glazing business built on a lean, agile “man-and-a-van” model. I had trusted glaziers on call in 12 major cities across the UK, and the business thrived. I loved the fast-paced nature of emergency work so much that I took the calls personally in my home city of Manchester rather than hiring someone else. That period taught me a lot—about people, pressure, and precision.
By my mid-twenties, with 13 years in the industry already under my belt, I was offered a high-rise curtain wall renovation in the heart of Manchester. I executed and managed the project successfully, and it became the key turning point that launched me into glass & glazing scope project management.
From there, things moved quickly. I stepped away from the emergency business and began managing large-scale curtain wall and façade projects across the UK. Soon, national became international. My first overseas project was in Germany, and from there I was fortunate to deliver projects across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East.
My family followed me through it all, and we eventually settled in Canada, which we now call home.
As my career progressed, I moved from project management into senior and executive leadership roles—but at heart, I’ve always been more entrepreneurial than corporate. So I took the leap into freelance consulting, and that’s where you’ll find me today.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—whether you’re looking to collaborate, share your industry story, or just talk shop. I’m always interested and can talk glass for days!
The more I consider my initial statement, it really is ‘all I know.’
MH.