Name: David Norris
Job: Sales Operations Manager at ChemAI Limited
Industry: Chemistry & Technology
Class of: 2012
House: Moore

What do you do?

I am the Sales Operations Manager at ChemAI Limited. I manage and navigate our sales pipelines while leading active customer engagements with our application and data scientists. ChemAI focuses on harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and chemical reaction data to drive maximum performance in chemistry optimisation. We work closely with pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical manufacturing industry partners to improve their formulations and molecule-discovery – it’s a fascinating space to be in!

How did you get to where you are today?

After leaving The High School of Glasgow, I completed my Master’s in Chemical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University in 2018 before joining the world’s largest brewing conglomerate, Anheuser-Busch InBev, as a Supply Management graduate, in Germany (I was raised bilingual, so I was excited to work abroad and put my German skills to the test). As a Chemical Engineer, I was eager to delve into brewing operations, but another door opened when I least expected it. An opportunity in logistics management presented itself, so I decided to lead a team responsible for on-site logistics operations for one of the largest breweries (Spaten-Franziskaner Bräu) in Munich, Germany. I worked in the brewery for four years before deciding to return to the realm of science and technology – I joined ChemAI as a Customer Service Associate before moving into my current position as Sales Operations Manager.

What is a standout memory of your time at The High School of Glasgow?

I have so many wonderful memories from my time at the High School, be it participating in the drama productions of Beowulf and Macbeth, playing rugby and tennis for the different sports teams, or discovering the wonders of the Chemistry lab. However, if I had to select one standout memory, it would be the St. Andrew’s Night celebrations during my final year. This event allowed our class to reflect fondly on our High School tenure together and emphasised the strong bond within our year group – the ceilidh was also one of the best I can remember!

What one piece of advice would you give to current pupils and recent leavers as they look to their futures?

Be ready to challenge yourself and do not shy away from what you do not know – sometimes the key to personal growth is acknowledging your fear of the unknown and jumping in anyway.

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