Stuart joined XL Pools in 2019 and became one of our most trusted and knowledgeable pool technicians. In January 2026, Stuart was diagnosed with cancer and sadly passed away in June. We wanted to nominate him in recognition of the contribution he made to XL Pools, our customers and the industry. He was an exceptional engineer, a brilliant colleague and, above all, a genuinely lovely man who is greatly missed.

Stuart deserves this recognition because he represented everything we believe a great pool technician should be.He was technically excellent, dependable and incredibly thorough, but what really set Stuart apart was how much he cared. If a customer had a problem, he wanted to solve it properly. If another engineer needed help, he shared his knowledge. Nothing was ever too much trouble.Following Stuart's passing in June 2026, the number of messages we received from customers showed us just how much of an impression he had made. Customers spoke not only about his knowledge and professionalism, but his patience, kindness and willingness to help.Stuart gave an enormous amount to XL Pools during his time with us, and his absence is still felt throughout the company.Winning this award would be a fitting recognition of an exceptional pool technician, colleague and friend who made a genuine difference to the customers and people around him.

Stuart approached his work with an incredible amount of pride. He was highly regimented, thorough and determined, and if there was a difficult technical problem, he was often the engineer we turned to. What made Stuart particularly special was the combination of his technical ability and the way he dealt with people. He communicated extremely well with customers, explained problems clearly and cared about finding the right solution rather than simply completing the job and moving on. Over the years, he built relationships with many of our long-standing customers, who trusted his judgement and regularly requested him personally. He was equally generous with his knowledge internally. Other engineers could speak to Stuart when they needed advice, and his experience became an important resource for the wider team. When Stuart became unwell in January 2026, losing him from the team was incredibly difficult. His contribution to XL Pools went far beyond the number of pools he maintained or faults he repaired. He represented the standard of engineer and person we want our company to be known for.

Stuart brought considerable swimming pool and spa experience to XL Pools and developed that knowledge further throughout his time with us. He became particularly strong in fault-finding and diagnosing problems across circulation, filtration, heating, water treatment and associated pool equipment. His methodical approach meant he rarely jumped to conclusions; he investigated the problem properly and took pride in getting to the root cause. As swimming pool technology evolved, Stuart continued learning and adapting. He worked confidently with traditional pool systems alongside increasingly automated equipment and undertook additional manufacturer and industry training. That technical knowledge made him one of the people we trusted with more complicated call-outs and problems. However, technical ability only tells half the story. Stuart understood that entering someone's home or property as an engineer also meant representing XL Pools. He was professional, respectful and exceptionally good with customers. That combination of knowledge, experience and character made Stuart an outstanding pool technician and an incredibly difficult person for our team to replace.

XL Pools Ltd