trunkline - Woodside

Looking forward: Executive project manager for Browse onshore Maurice Merzian takes a few moments to reflect on the challenge ahead.
Browse team
Imagine thousands of
people lining up for an endurance race
knowing they must all cross the finish
line at the same time.
In fact, they should be striving to keep
pace with one another every step of
the way.
This is how Maurice Merzian,
executive project manager for Browse
onshore, describes the task ahead of
the Browse LNG Development team.
And he should know.
Maurice has spent most of his working
life, including 36 years with Shell,
overseeing the downstream component
of hydrocarbon projects worldwide. He
has worked everywhere from Oman to
Malaysia, Holland to Japan.
The Eygptian-born engineer with
Armenian and French background, who
began his career in Canada, says the
opportunity to join the Browse team
was too good to pass up.
He is fond of Australia. He made it
his home 32 years ago. His two sons
were born here and he has spent many
steps up to challenge
years in the country working on varied
projects, including involvement in
some way on each of the Karratha Gas
Plant’s five trains.
And he admires Woodside’s pool of
talent.
“Browse marks something new
for Woodside,” Maurice says. “So
we are not only building assets, we
are building capability. That is very
attractive to me.
“I want to contribute to people’s
development, sharing knowledge and
experience I have gained in a career
that has treated me well.
“That said, we are not doing Browse to
learn but to create an environment of
excellence.”
Maurice says he enjoys projects; that
atmosphere of working together to
create something special.
“Teamwork lifts you up,” he says. “It
energises you.”
As the leader of Browse’s onshore
team, he strives to provide clear focus
and direction and build pathways to
success.
His experience allows him to spot
stumbling blocks well before the team
reaches them and to provide the support
and latitude needed for the team to find
effective ways to avoid them.
This, he says, is important for nurturing
talent and delivering creative solutions.
Maurice and his offshore counterpart
Jacobus Nieuwenhuijze are looking
forward to executing the front-end
engineering and design phase of
Browse.
They have a good collaborative working
relationship and are committed to
keeping their teams well paced with
one another.
“When the project is delivered,
when we have put it all together and
reliable, safe, steady production has
been achieved, it will be rewarding for
everyone involved to say I was here; I
helped do that,” Maurice says.
“That is the legacy we want to leave;
that is the joy of projects.”
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