🤝 Meet the Team: Rob Fletcher 🤝

In this month's "Meet the Team," we're excited to feature Robert Fletcher , our Machine Learning Lead. Rob’s journey—from studying chemical engineering to managing 100 people in an Amazon warehouse, and now spearheading machine learning projects at Naitive—is a great example of embracing new challenges and following one’s curiosity.

Take a break, grab a coffee, and get to know Rob a little better!

🎓 What is your professional background?

"I've always been drawn to science. I completed my first degree in chemical engineering at Imperial College London, graduating in 2017. After that, I floated around for a few months, trying to figure out my path. I was good at exams but not so great at interviews, so it took a while to land a job. I started temping at an insurance company doing data entry, but when the team leader left after three weeks, I stepped into that role. It gave me some valuable experience, which helped me land my first proper job at Amazon as a Graduate Area Manager. In that role, I worked in operations in the warehouses. It was exciting but intense—I had to manage 100 people, overseeing everything from logistics to daily tasks. After a year in ops, I moved into a corporate data analyst role, where I got into data and machine learning. That piqued my interest in coding, and I wanted to dive deeper, so I returned to university and completed a master's in data science and machine learning at University College London. It was a bit of a risk since I used up all my savings, but I loved it! My dissertation was on computer vision, and that’s how I found Naitive."

💡 Why did you join Naitive?

"I hadn’t heard of Naitive before, but I knew I wanted to work at a company aligned with my values—one that makes a positive impact on the world. That might sound a bit cliché, but it was important to me. I also wanted to work at a smaller company. After being a small cog at Amazon, I wanted to play a bigger role in a company where I could have a direct impact. Naitive was the perfect fit."

📈 How would you describe your role and priorities at Naitive?

"I'm the Machine Learning Lead at Naitive, managing the spine project team. We do a lot of image analysis, building algorithms to analyze X-rays and estimate bone mineral density. Aside from the technical work, I focus on managing the team—removing blockers, ensuring people are working well together, and making their lives easier. It's a mix of technical problem-solving and leadership, which I really enjoy."

🗣️ What advice would you give to your younger self?

"I’d tell myself that it’s okay to make mistakes. I was definitely a perfectionist, especially academically, and I put a lot of pressure on myself. But I’m still reminding myself that in science—and especially here at Naitive—most things won’t work the first time, and that’s okay. It’s about learning from mistakes and moving forward. That’s the best way to grow."

📚 What are you reading at the moment?

"I just finished Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a short Japanese novel recommended by a colleague. It’s about a café where you can time travel, but you only get one chance to have a conversation with someone. It’s really about relationships and cherishing every moment with the people you love because you never know how much time you have with them."

Keep your eyes peeled for our next "Meet the Team" post, where we'll introduce you to more of the amazing people behind Naitive.

#MeetTheTeam #Leadership #HealthTech