Unlocking Potential - Fortescue Metals Group Ltd

PROFILE:
Mark Tazewell
Infrastructure Manager,
Infrastructure Services
My background is in Facilities
Management. An electrician
by trade, I spent many years
in the Goldfields before
running my own business
in Perth for 10 years. After
selling the business in 1998 I
pursued a career in Facilities
Management that seemed to
fit with my skill set and gave
me a sense of work that I
enjoyed.
This proved to be a good move and
returned me to the Goldfields and
Gascoyne for a number of years with
Contract and Management Services,
where I enjoyed working with
remote communities and travelling
through outback WA.
I returned to Perth in late 2001
and spent three years on Rottnest
Island as Operations Coordinator for
Transfield Services. A return to the
Pilbara in 2004 working for Pilbara
Iron as a contractor connected me to
the resource industry.
I arrived at Fortescue in February
2007. I was initially based at the
16
Racecourse in Newman, which was
the hub of activity for Fortescue
whilst exploration continued and
construction of Cloudbreak was
under way. I came on a three month
secondment from Pilbara Iron to
manage the Racecourse and get
a development program up and
running.
The Racecourse facilitated a host of
services in and out of site prior to
the aerodrome and T45 construction
works being completed. If it was
going to Cloudbreak it came through
Newman. In those early days of 2007,
we trucked drinking water, mail,
construction and operating materials
and facilitated all personnel going
to site, all while establishing a small
camp at the Racecourse to support
the development of the Pilot Plant
project for Resource Strategy.
I was only on board six weeks when
Cyclone George impacted the
operation and our Newman based
team proved to be instrumental
in relaying information to the
management team in Perth. We
played a major part in tracking
people through the cyclone and
getting them out. I was asked to
fly with Dave Forrest to survey the
project along the rail corridor to
Hedland the morning after the
cyclone had gone through, and
report back to Andrew and the
management team.
We hadn’t slept for a couple of days
but I will always remember how the
adrenalin kicked in when we reached
the heavily impacted area of Camp 1
on the rail corridor and saw the raw
damage that the cyclone had left in
its wake.
George left its indelible impact on
all those who shared the experience.
From that adversity, though, strong
relationships were forged and as
life got back to normal my initial
contract was coming to an end. A
three month extension was offered
and I accepted, as Fortescue was
beginning to feel like home for me.
After that second three months, I was
offered and accepted a permanent
position with Fortescue. Not long
after that I met my wife Yoland, we
married and welcomed our son
Ethan in late 2008. We live on half an
acre in the hills village of Darlington
with a couple of cats, the elusive
bandicoots, several kookaburras and
about another year of renovations to
complete.
In mid 2009 I transferred to the Perth
office to be part of the development
of the Facilities Management team
(now Infrastructure Services) and
from a small group we developed
into a major business unit within
Fortescue, managing an increasing
scope of services and contracts.
My role sees me with interests in
many areas within the business, but
as we head toward 155mtpa my
focus is on the key areas of Diesel
Fuel, Potable and Waste water, minor
works and Special Projects. From
2012 on we will look closely at the
development of waste management
and recycling.
I feel very fortunate over the past
five years to have been a part of
the Fortescue story, the people,
the cut and thrust of how we roll
and the excitement of what lies
ahead. Fortescue isn’t for everyone,
it’s fast, ever evolving and always
changing, but it delivers a challenge
and an environment that keeps us
wondering “how will we do it?”... and
then the satisfaction and pride when
we reach our goals.
Cherish the experience to be a part
of Fortescue if you can. I turn 50 this
year, and have never seen this type
of opportunity or project before in
my career, and wonder if it will ever
be repeated. It really is Australian
history in the making, and how
often do we as individuals get to
make history? As we grow, new faces
emerge and old ones slip away, but
the stories will live on and the pages
of the Fortescue story will be here for
our children and beyond.