Wed, 16 Jul 2025 From school in Guildford to over two decades at SSTL, Richard Boatfield has been a cornerstone of our IT team since the 90’s. Here’s his story, in his own words:

"When this photo was taken, I was a student at Bishop Reindorp CofE School here in Guildford (now Christ’s College in Bellfields). From there I went to Woking Sixth Form and then on to Hatfield Polytechnic – which confusingly became the University of Hertfordshire just a year later! I studied Computer Science and graduated with a BSc.

My first job was with an IT Support company called Ivy Ltd, where I wore several hats – IT support technician, infrastructure engineer, and developer. I joined SSTL in March 1999, and I’ve been here ever since.

Over the years, I’ve stayed within the IT Group, starting out as a Junior Software Developer, then Software Developer, then Business Systems Team Leader, and now I’m a Senior Applications Engineer in the IT Service Delivery team.

I’ve always been a Science Fiction buff with a fascination for all things Space – so working at SSTL has been a brilliant fit. What I love most is that there’s never a dull moment. Every day brings a fresh challenge, and despite the years rolling by, SSTL has kept that unique “family atmosphere” that’s been here since the early days.

And I still smile at the irony that, while most of my uni friends were studying Astronomy and Astrophysics, it was me – the computer scientist – who ended up in the space industry!"

Thank you, Richard, for your calm expertise and the countless times you’ve helped keep us all connected. You’re very much part of the SSTL story.