t: 01455 883 250 • www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
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From investment management to Retrofit Assessor Meet the newest member of the Retrofit Support Team, Nicos Arnaouti! He recently joined the team on a part time basis and we’re thrilled to have him join us at this exciting time in the retrofit world. But it’s not been your typical journey to working in energy efficiency…
You haven’t always worked in energy efficiency. What did you do before? I started my career in investment management with Barclays. I would spend the day chasing brokers and placing trades, that sort of thing.
What made you consider a career in energy efficiency? I was at my last company for 13 years but then it closed down and I was made redundant. I was considering my options during lockdown and I’ve always had an interest in property; I’ve also been a landlord for over 25 years and I’m very hands on. I take an interest so I know how things are built and I do a lot of DIY. The only thing was, I thought
none of my skills were transferrable to the property sector.
So what did you do? My dad is a structural engineer and architect by trade. As a child I used to go out with him onsite and saw him working. He was the one who suggested SAP calcs. After I qualified I did a few jobs my dad had been involved in. Later on though I did the DEA course because the social side appealed to me (which I found much easier) - probably because I’d done the OCDEA course. And after that I did the Retrofit Assessor course.
Why did you move into Retrofit work? I think Retrofit is very topical at the moment and it’s an area that’s growing a lot.
When I saw the position advertised with Elmhurst I thought it was a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn from more senior people in the team. Working part-time also means I can still work for myself and complete assessments, and bring that experience to the team. So far it’s been great and everyone’s been really friendly! I definitely don’t regret working in investment management for over 25 years, but lockdown was definitely the catalyst for reevaluating what I wanted out of life and I’m glad I made the move.
Interested in becoming a Retrofit Assessor? If you’re interested in becoming a Retrofit Assessor, take a look at Elmhurst’s online Retrofit Assessor course, available online and face-to-face.
