From creative arts to fire testing leadership: meet UKTC's Dan Fitzsimmons

Tue 01/06/2026 - 09:41

As Head of Testing at United Kingdom Testing and Certification (UKTC), Dan Fitzsimmons is a key leader at the firm, playing a pivotal role in managing the technical team and driving operational excellence.

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But, did you know, he started his career in the creative arts sector? His journey from the creative arts to becoming a respected figure in fire safety testing demonstrates the diverse pathways that can lead to success in technical industries.

So, to find out more about Dan, his journey and UKTC’s service offering, which has enhanced that of SOCOTEC overall, read on…

Dan on…his unconventional background

“Growing up in the outer estates of Manchester, the son of a labourer, life was always interesting. I am the youngest of three children by 10 years, so in a lot of ways I had four people looking out for me, rather than the normal two.

“I began my working life at 15, working as an injecting moulder in a hearing aid factory, which taught me, if nothing else, that if I wanted to succeed in life, I needed to knuckle down, mainly because it was piecework and I got paid 1p per successful mould. You very quickly learn to be efficient with your time and take care of your tools, when you know that if you don’t, you won’t get paid and as such have no money.

“I was never the most academic at school, but relatively street smart and the youngest of three children, I knew how to stand out in a crowd. It was this skill that led me to the world of creative arts.

“Training as a dancer and actor, I had the opportunity to travel across the UK doing different stage shows and small TV roles, and at 19 moved to Disneyland Paris to work in their parade in character for seven months.

“Upon returning to the UK, realising my once boyish looks had started to decrease, along with my hairline, I realised I really needed to go back into education and finish my degree. At the time, I was still quite full of myself and had designs on being the next Edgar Wright or Kevin Smith.

“However, this wasn’t as easy as it sounds, and once I met my future wife, I realised quickly that if I wanted a nice family life, I would need to change direction and find a more stable pathway.”

From creative arts to fire testing leadership: meet UKTC's Dan Fitzsimmons

Dan on…building UKTC's operational excellence:

“When Andrew and David came up with the idea of building a fire testing laboratory, it was a very simple mission: to help construction professionals demonstrate their compliance, in the best and most efficient way possible. Knowing that the testing industry was broken, through their experiences with a product manufacturer, and that across-the-board product manufacturers were waiting on average 6-12 months following any test for their formal report.

“Due to my experience at a competitor laboratory, Andrew and David entrusted me with building a culture in line with the company values: pace, innovation, conscientiousness and accuracy. Being a small team in the early days, most of these values were already being met. For us to grow to become the market leader in the sector, this was an element that we needed to tackle – and now, nearly five years on, I am happy to say this is something we have succeeded in.

“I guess the secret sauce was correct resourcing, ensuring that we have the right people in the right seats on the bus. Knowing that the major backlog in any testing joinery is in the detail, my first point of call was to bring in dedicated technical surveyors to work alongside the technical officer (project manager) on a one-to-one basis, to ensure that surveys, drawings and technical schedules are produced live as the project developed.

“This method has proven to be successful, with the technical surveyor knowing the job as it is coming into play, giving them the ability to get their drawings complete within two days of the test, thus allowing us to reduce the normal six-month report turnaround to just seven days.

“As we've expanded, we've maintained this ethos. Every time we promote a technical officer, we bring in a technical surveyor to work alongside them.”

Dan on…UKTC's innovative culture

“We have a very flat management structure at UKTC. Everyone's pulling in the same direction, whether you're a technician on the shop floor or a member of the senior leadership team. We're constantly pushing innovation; it’s all about how we can do our work smarter, not necessarily harder.

“We've got colleagues who have come into the business and suggested ways of improving processes, and we're constantly trying to turn those suggestions into real, tangible changes. Whether it be introducing collapsible table trollies to move more efficiently and cut plasterboard safely, to readjusting the P.I.D. settings on the furnace to allow the system to adjust itself during transient events, allowing our technicians to multi-task during tests.”

Dan on…team development and culture

“At the moment, all our training is bespoke and held on a one-to-one basis - there's no magic book that teaches you all things fire. From the first few people we hired, Andrew and I heavily invested in their training and wanted to cover every single aspect. Now that the team's much bigger, we maintain that ‘everyone teaches everyone’ mentality, utilising mentoring and coaching at every step, to ensure all our colleagues have confidence in every activity they undertake.

“We are currently working on a new competency pathway which aligns itself with SOCOTEC’s format, whilst still conforming with the industry terminologies and standards of experience and knowledge.

“Overall, I believe we have a great team here at UKTC. We are all pulling together and putting the growth of the business first, but at the same time still find the opportunity to have a laugh and a joke with one another. I've worked in a few laboratories over the years, and nowhere has been quite like this. I can honestly say I have not enjoyed anywhere as much as I have enjoyed working here.”

Dan on…growing from within

“Due to the business's growth and the niche nature of our work, most team members in senior roles began at lower levels. Only four people within the team have had previous experience working in the fire sector. This has allowed us to keep the culture tight, without the bad habits of other companies influencing it. I believe this is one of the things that makes UKTC so great at what we do. By investing in each other’s development, we are actually investing in the business itself.”

Dan on…advice to the future workforce

“You get out what you put in. If you’d told me years ago that I’d be where I am now, I never would’ve believed it. It wasn’t a leg up or a fancy degree that got me here; it was mindset, persistence, and the drive to keep going. It proves that if you’re willing to put in the effort, anything is possible.”