When chief executives insist they operate an open door policy it can be easy to treat such claims with scepticism.

Yet Andy Hunt, who runs support services, manufacturing and plant maintenance giant Doosan Babcock, points out several examples of people he has tried to help advance their own careers before admitting the self administered policy is “probably to the detriment” of his own work.

Still the amiable Mr Hunt, who has been with Babcock for almost three decades through various iterations and owners, continues to find time to identify “diamonds” who he wants to help fulfil their potential.

As someone who picks locks for fun Mr Hunt clearly isn’t afraid of challenging himself or those who work for him.

Sitting in Doosan Babcock’s research and development building on its large site in Renfrew, he said: “People often criticise me of punching way above my weight in training and investment in people.

“If we don’t do that and these people can’t absorb the skills from the existing employees we’ll lose it forever.

“I feel a lot of responsibility to try to keep the capability to keep these high class engineering jobs local. If I see that disappearing not only is it a loss to Doosan Babcock but a loss to Scotland and its economy.”

It is not just high flying graduates that Doosan Babcock, which works in industries including oil and gas, petrochemical and industrial power, looks to attract. Mr Hunt talks up the company’s apprenticeship programme stating it takes on dozens of young people but also offers those re-training or changing career a chance.

He said: “We try to see the potential in people and build on that rather than just looking at who has the highest academic qualification.

“We go down to the most unfortunate souls that perhaps didn’t do the best at school. But you talk to these people and they are diamonds waiting to get out.

“You put a little bit of investment into these people and they shine through. It is fantastic to see.

“Anybody can contact me and ask me what I think the best route is for their career.”

Mr Hunt is also passionate about the need to recruit more female engineers into the industry.

He said: “Every female engineer we bring in delivers not just as good as, but better than most of the males in the company. They are also fantastic ambassadors and we give them plenty of opportunity.”

The open door policy he uses for staff also extends to customers with Mr Hunt choosing to operate a relatively flat management structure in spite of being in charge of thousands of people in offices and sites across the world.

He said: “I have got myself and the next are the managing directors below me. That keeps me in touch with customers.

“If customers need anything they phone me up and I have regular dialogue with customers who tell me when we have got it right and when we have got it wrong. There is no hiding as the CEO. You have to that finger on the pulse.”

Underpinning Mr Hunt’s strong social beliefs is the Doosan Credo, a set of principles governing how the company does business.

Mr Hunt admits to thinking it was a bit “apple pie” on first reading but has come to realise its value. He said: “We give them to our customers and say this is our pledge to you that we will behave in this way. Forget the contract, if ever we don’t behave like that phone us up and quote the Doosan way.

“It is about being fair and giving people air time to explain their side of the story. It is a really powerful tool.”

Another quirk sees executives at the business issued egg timers. They are encouraged to turn the devices over and wait till the sand runs through before making any strategic decision. Stamped on either end is the question ‘Is this the Doosan way?’

Mr Hunt has changed his decision on several occasions while allowing the sand to run its course and said: “It gives you that time to reflect on whether this is the right thing to do for the long term or are you just taking a short term view.”

Over the past year Mr Hunt has overseen the start of an investment of more than £4.5m which included upgrading the Renfrew site and widening the scope of projects it could take on through more research and development activity at a process engineering centre.

Job numbers have increased from around 800 to more than 1,000 with Mr Hunt, who praises the backing he received from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, keen for more.

He said: “To be able to attract the right people to the company we had to set up with the right tools, right techniques, right software. All the stuff that goes with this high class engineering-led asset work we were trying to get into.

“At that time there was probably about 800 here. When I joined in 1986 this place had close to 8,000 working here. We have seen that steady decline and want to build it back up again.”

Mr Hunt highlighted work which Doosan is doing on Glaxosmithkline’s plant in Montrose as an example of the type of project it is now winning.

He explained there is a focus on retaining expertise and intellectual property in Scotland with offices around the world feeding back into the base in Renfrew to consult on problems.

He said: “The real high class asset management techniques we use on plants around the world are retained here in Scotland. We protect those like the family jewels.

“So the real high level intellectual property stays in the UK rather than leaching it overseas.”

Along with that he is hopeful of winning work in the nuclear new build programme around the UK which would offer significant manufacturing potential for Renfrew.

Mr Hunt says there is also around 250 “Masters and PhD type people” in the Renfrew site looking at upgrades, modernisation and efficiency which can be exported around the globe.

He says the emission control measures the group took saved 15 million tonnes of CO2 during 2014.

Doosan Babcock is also working with other divisions of the wider group on a range of projects with Mr Hunt mentioning the $32m acquisition of Fuel Cell America as one where the European division has been involved in widening out sales of products.

Mr Hunt adds: “We have got to have other opportunities.”

CV

Andy Hunt was born in Goole, Yorkshire. His first job was working on a demolition site while he also had brief spells offshore and doing some marine engineering work.

He was sponsored by a business mentor to go to Hull University to study heavy electrical and mechanical engineering.

After that he joined Babcock as a graduate trainee in 1986. His father and grandfather had both worked for the company.

After serving in various roles, including managing director of Doosan Power Systems Europe, he was appointed chief executive in December 2013.

Outside of work Mr Hunt enjoyed motorcycling until an accident curtailed his activities. He also likes sea fishing and defeating locks.