ITER NEWSLINE
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A "one-team" approach
Iris Rona
See it from the global partner perspective: Michael Walsh, the new Head of the Diagnostics Division.
Michael Walsh, who joined the ITER Project on 1 December as Head of the Diagnostics Division, strongly believes in the "one team" approach. "From the global partner perspective it is very important that we succeed as a team," he says. "My role at ITER is not about me, but about getting the job done and I believe that in working together with our ITER Organization team, Domestic Agency partners and external organizations ... one plus one can really be significantly greater than two. We need to leverage our resources and deliver the goods so that ITER can be realized. Keeping the final deliverable in sight at all times is critical for a smooth journey."
Michael was born in County Cork, Ireland and studied engineering at University College Cork. After completing a Master's degree, he won a Euratom fellowship to undertake a PhD at Culham Laboratory in the United Kingdom. He completed this in 1991 and worked extensively in the private industry sector between then and now, always with a strong connection to the field of fusion.
Since 2003 he has worked with ITER in one way or another so he is a familiar face to many people working at ITER.
Michael, who most recently worked on JET and MAST at Culham Laboratory, is excited to be part of the wider team based inside as well as outside in the Domestic Agencies, and he is looking forward to bringing to ITER some of the excellent techniques he learned over the years.
Michael is married and has three children, Caoimhe, Aisling and Eoin. When he first discussed this role with his family, Eoin, the youngest at 9 years old, said that "it was a life opportunity to work at ITER!" "I am not sure he realized though," says Michael, "that it wasn't for just for a couple of weeks."
In his spare time Michael likes to ski, hike and read. He also has a black belt in judo and hopes to join a judo club in the coming months to help improve both his fitness and his French.
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