A Day in the Life of… a Zeta Account Manager & Lighting Designer
Paul Utthayanin discusses his career, time at Zeta so far and the exciting opportunities he is developing at the company in his role as Account Manager & Lighting Designer.

What led you into the LED Lighting Industry?
After leaving university I wanted to get involved in sustainability and innovation. At the time LED was still in its infancy and other light sources, such as incandescent and halogen, were running the market. Regardless, energy efficiency and maximising performance was always part of what kept me interested and it was just a matter of time before LED opened up further opportunities for me to explore.
Why did you choose to work at Zeta?
Having been in the industry for nearly 10 years I gained a good understanding of the market and the technology available. I saw the direction the industry was going and the type of products many manufacturers needed to gain a footing in the market. Zeta was and is growing positively and exponentially, so when I was approached for the role of Account Manager here I was extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to develop myself and my own skills as the company does the same!
What does your role entail?
As an Account Manager I divide my time between producing lighting designs, using Lighting Reality, for various projects and meeting clients in order to understand what they require and how we can help them to achieve their desired result. My client base includes major Councils, consultants and developers. One of my first tasks was to complete all the Lighting Design requirements for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a contract which involves the supply of approximately 15,000 street lighting units including our SmartScape Nano.
What do you enjoy most about being an Account Manager and Lighting Designer?
Being involved and interacting with people in all departments within Zeta is something I’m really enjoying, although I think it’s as much to do with the ethos of the company as it is to do with my role! Being able to show customers the effects our solutions will have is an extremely fulfilling part of my job. Not only can we visually represent the improved light output but we can also give our clients tangible, accurate indications of their energy and cost savings through payback calculations.
What are the challenges involved with your role?
Project and time management is key in my role. Many contracts involve numerous parties which can be challenging. But having a clear understanding of each contract, good communication and working closely with the whole team ensures the customer gets what they want, on time, and to the highest standard.
What does the future hold?
We have a lot of exciting projects coming up at Zeta, particularly in the street lighting sector. It’s so satisfying to see projects such as RBWM being rolled out and more and more Zeta products out on the streets. I very much look forward to continuing to build relationships and working with many more customers to help them achieve the energy savings and high performance levels that I mentioned before.