Paul Osborn 

Director                                                        

After leaving school in 1982 I was offered a welder fabricator apprenticeship at a local engineering company. I completed my 5 years and became a fully fledged coded welder working on building small and large vessels for the refrigeration industry. During this time I extended my skill set in manufacturing various components, including refrigeration skids for well-known supermarket chains.

In 1997 I was offered a position within a company purchasing department. Within 5 years  I moved from Purchasing to Internal Sales, External Sales and eventually to a Project Engineering role. This involved using all my expertise in purchasing/sales and liaising with clients to ensure their requirements were met. Alongside this role  I became the company Health and Safety Officer, communicating and implementing the companies H&S requirements, within the sector in which we operated.

In 2001 I took up a new role helping to set up a young steam engineering company within Suffolk. This is where I felt I really excelled and my passion for the steam industry truly began.

After a few years I decided to spread my wings and put all my knowledge, experience and drive into my own company, in 2010 Optimise was born.  I realised there was a gap in the market for clients looking for steam boiler servicing and installation.

We have put together a like minded team,  with a good balance of  dedicated office and engineering staff , we are devoted to all pulling in the same direction to give our clients the professional service they deserve and fore filling all their steam requirements.

Helen Parnell

Book Keeper

I am the jack of all trades within the office team! My roles include purchase/sales ledger, reception duties, creating weekly and monthly reports for Paul, conversing with customers and liaising with the company accountant. I love problem solving and working with in the friendly OPTIMISE team.

Lisa Osborn

HR Manager

In my younger days, my passion was nursing but with an ever expanding family it was not so much of a good fit. I worked for a few years in HR after nursing and in 2010 I quietly worked behind the scenes of OPTIMISE helping to build our company.   In 2018 on the strength of my experience and qualifications in HR it made sense for me to take on the role as  Manager  implementing and maintaining all areas of  HR.  With a background in Human resources , nursing, and additional qualifications in counselling, anxiety and mental health I felt I had a lot to offer the company in this area too. With the government’s new initiative in mental health and wellbeing in the workplace I felt it important to strive to highlight (or better still prevent)  potential problems.  To also offer support or possible solutions for our staff that maybe contributing to any mental health worries in (or out) of work. In the wake of COVID we feel it has never been more critical for us as a company to nurture our team’s mental health and wellbeing.

.Damien Greenleaf

Apprentice Engineering Design Technician

After leaving college with top grades from my previous design course, I interviewed at OPTIMISE in late 2024 for the opportunity to become an Engineering Design Technician Apprentice under the guidance of Dave Firth. My job here at Optimise is to ensure 3D and 2D designs of top quality are produced to be used by both the team at Optimise and any clients we work alongside.

My passion for design and technology, along with my interest in engineering, made Optimise the best choice for me as a career. Optimise have been extremely welcoming since I have been here, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenging tasks set each day.

Will Newbury

Social Media Content Creator | Office Support

After leaving college with a double distinction in my Film & Media course I then studied at Bournemouth Arts University for my Level 4 Higher Learning Certificate in Film & VFX. I have decided to take a year out before embarking on my BA Honours Degree in VFX.   My passion for photography, film making and editing fits perfectly in with my role at Optimise. I am able to utilise my knowledge and skills to create some good content to promote the company.  I am also offering my experience in website building and marketing  and will be helping other members of the office team with day to day tasks.

Dave Firth

Steam Consultant | Engineering Manager

I started with Optimise in 2013 as an engineer and was promoted to Engineering Manager. In 2021 I advanced to Steam Consultant.

I enjoy the varied work my job involves and although sometimes it can be a demanding role I have a real passion for  engineering, steam design and the industry Optimise work in.

Rhys Mower

Apprentice Chartered Business Manager

I joined Optimise back in 2022 after work experience in 2021. In my first 18 months I completed my Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. During that time I took an interest in the day to day running of the business, especially the financial aspects.

In September 2024 I began my next course with WSC University,  BA (Hons) Business and Management Degree along with Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. 

I work closely with Paul with my daily tasks,  anything from producing Financial applications and reports, Project Labour Planning, Purchasing and Invoicing, liaising with customers regarding potential and ongoing projects and facing any other challenges that arise for OHS. I am still as enthusiastic about my role now as I was on my first day and look forward to seeing what the future holds for us as a Business.

Yvonne James

Office & SHEQ Administrator 

I am the Office Administrator, my aim is to keep the office running smoothly in the background ensuring the right processes and procedures are completed.  I hold a Business Administration Level 2 qualification.

I am qualified in the following: IOSH Managing Safely,  Internal Quality Auditor, Quality Systems Manger based on ISO 9001:2008 and have Level 3 in HACCP. NEBOSH  General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety.

I keep my IOSH qualification updated by taking refresher courses so that I stay current in the world of safety and keep briefed via different industry bulletins for sector specific concerns.

When Optimise decided to become ISO9001:2015 (quality) certified, I updated my quality training so that I could create the Quality Management System to comply with the current standards.

Optimise are also accredited with CHAS, SafeContractor and Gas Safe and I handle all the audit requirements for these accreditations, including the management of the company training needs.

With Climate Change and Sustainability approaching the 2050 deadline to be net zero, Optimise decided to put me through my paces and I completed the IEMA foundation certificate.  This was a challenging course and was excited to pass this exam.  I now am tackling the different environmental concerns that Optimise has and are working to being Carbon Neutral before the deadline comes.  We have increased the amount of recycling that happens in the office and are continually looking at ways to reduce our energy and plastic consumption, I have been really impressed how the office has risen to these challenges.

Sue Balaam

Domestic Manager

My job has been particularly important this past few years ! With Covid rearing its ugly head  it was paramount I kept the office a safe place for the team to work in. I enjoy my days at the Optimise unit. We are a hard working, fun and friendly team. Fortunately most have managed to remain Covid free during the whole pandemic, so I feel my domestic duties have contributed to everyone’s safety while working in the office!