Neil Edmond CO85 Engineers Ambition

Truro School recently welcomed back Old Truronian Neil Edmond CO85, now Chief Executive Officer of Corserv, for an inspiring career talk with students, as part of the Truro School Connected programme.

Neil’s career has taken him from Cornwall to London, Italy, the USA and back with senior roles at BT, CBRE, and the Ministry of Justice before leading Corserv, a company made up of Cormac, Corserv Care, and Cornwall Airport. He also shares a personal connection with the School, as both of his children, Isabella CO18 and Oliver CO16, are Old Truronians themselves.

Reflecting on his school days, Neil spoke fondly of his time at Truro, where he studied Physics, Chemistry, and Maths A-Levels. He originally hoped to begin his career with an engineering apprenticeship at Imerys but, after missing the required grades, went on to study Chemical Engineering at the University of South Wales, which included a year in industry. His placement with ExxonMobil proved transformative: “life changing,” he said, noting that the company even funded his final year of study.

In his talk, Neil covered a wide range of topics, including:

• How to measure success
• Navigating further education
• Career progression in engineering
• Opportunities to travel for work
• Managing career transitions after long service at a company
• Balancing family life with professional responsibilities

Students posed thoughtful questions such as:

• What has been your biggest mistake?
• Are you limiting yourself as an engineer if you are not prepared to travel?
• Would you advise pursuing a degree or an apprenticeship route?

Neil ended the session by asking students about their own career ambitions and offering tailored advice. His closing message was simply:

“Find your purpose.”