About Us

Ashleigh is co-founder and Commercial Director. Prior to setting up the company, she held challenging roles in Education and Health sectors.

With a degree in Psychology and Social Welfare, and armed with an MBA from Northumbria University, Ashleigh is an expert in managing diverse teams. She has helped digitise company processes, adopting the latest in software to enable our engineers to focus on engineering.

In her spare time, Ashleigh volunteers for the local Heaton Hawks Football Club as Assistant Welfare Officer.

Vahid is co-founder and Technical Director. Prior to setting up the company, he worked as an engineer to design and build some of the world’s largest subsea vehicles. His career spanned across engineering design and offshore construction operations, giving strong all-round experience.

Since founding the company in 2011, he has helped to establish it as a leading provider of engineering services in the field of offshore construction. He is passionate about innovation and has secured significant R&D funding & IP rights for the company to develop subsea technology.

In his spare time, Vahid is a keen footballer, coach, surfer and volunteer with the Society for Underwater Technology.

Graham Penman is an offshore and subsea engineering leader with extensive experience in offshore construction, IRM, vessel mobilisation, diving and ROV operations, and project management. As Operations Director at Walker Subsea, he supports complex offshore engineering campaigns, vessel operations, mobilisation scopes, and subsea construction projects.

Over his career, Graham has held senior leadership roles with Tier 1 offshore construction contractors and operators, delivering major subsea infrastructure, decommissioning, and offshore installation projects worldwide. He also founded and managed his own subsea engineering consultancy, providing project management, engineering, and offshore operational support across the energy sector.

He is recognised for leading large multidisciplinary teams, delivering complex offshore projects safely and efficiently, and bringing strong practical expertise in offshore operations, fabrication, vessel upgrades, and subsea construction.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from Dundee University, Struan joined us in 2023, to be part of the team to design and build the D-Sea underwater battery pack.

Taking on diverse roles in subsequent projects, he has rapidly gained professional skills, and was promoted from Graduate to Mechanical Engineer. This includes modelling of subsea equipment, analysis of sealing elements and preparation of schematics. Taking his skills offshore, and equipped with BOSIET, he has served as Offshore Project Engineer for our clients.

In his spare time, Struan is a keen footballer and golfer.

Chris Tierney is a respected subsea and offshore engineering professional with a strong track record in building and developing offshore engineering businesses.

As a founder and leader within the sector, he has played a key role in establishing and growing offshore engineering companies, combining technical expertise with commercial strategy and operational leadership. His experience spans subsea operations, offshore project delivery, engineering consultancy, and business development, where he is recognised for developing practical engineering solutions and building high-performing teams.

At Walker Subsea, he continues to support company growth through technical leadership, client engagement, mentoring, and offshore engineering support.

Gavin Smith is a mechanical designer with over 10 years’ experience across offshore energy, subsea engineering, fabrication, and machining projects. He specialises in 3D modelling, fabrication drawings, machining details, structural steelwork, and offshore equipment design. His background includes subsea structures, pipeline systems, tie-in spools, pressure vessels, vessel modifications, and offshore accommodation upgrades.

Gavin has extensive experience producing fabrication-ready and workshop-ready drawings, working closely with engineers, machinists, and fabrication teams to deliver practical designs for manufacture and offshore installation using AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor.