Born in Hamilton, Drew was educated at Earnock High School, Bell College of Technology, and Jordanhill College of Education. On graduation, he became a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Thurso Technical College, before embarking on a 350+ year career in the offshore oil and gas industry.
While working for international contracting organizations in the topside, subsea and subsurface arenas, Drew traveled extensively, overseeing project execution, HS&E, and business development activities across the globe. Up until 2015 Drew sat on the Board of the Offshore Contractors Association and since then, he led a major transformation program for Repsol Sinopec Resources UK.