Case Study: Alumni Donor - Oddi Aasheim
Oddi Aasheim, happened upon a course at Heriot-Watt University that would greatly shape his career.
Originally from Stavanger (the ‘oil capital’ of Norway), Oddi was wandering around an offshore energy event, where he happened to meet a human resources director from Shell and asked where they recruited from.
The answer, Heriot-Watt University, would become his first choice of university.
Oddi began a hybrid programme, Offshore Civil Engineering that allowed him to practise mechanical, civil and electrical engineering as well. After graduating with a first-class degree and a Watt-Club medal, Oddi’s career took him through various prestigious roles in Scotland, England, and the USA. He worked with organisations including Shell and Accenture, which eventually led to found his own company, FirstHuman, a leadership consultancy and development company that works across the globe.
Oddi has always appreciated Heriot-Watt's commitment to providing access to people who would not otherwise have it. He supported the Ann Trotman Fund for many years, and in the past year he committed to supporting Empower through Education, one of the four priorities of Heriot-Watt’s Shaping Futures campaign.
It’s so important to acknowledge how much our education is worth—what we learned, who we met, how much it contributed to our careers and our success.
Oddi felt strongly about giving to Empower through Education; he wanted to directly enable future generations to access the same educational opportunities that he was able to. ‘We owe it to the people coming after us to have the same opportunities. It is about paying it forward and providing future generations with the chance to build fulfilling and impactful careers. Besides, they will be the ones paying taxes when we are old and need support!’