Download - Pnronline.com.au

view form the top
This reminds me how long I have been trying to master the game of golf with a
young Bob Beatie, John Law and I think, Hank Mitedera.
In China meeting clients – where has the hair gone?!
Our regulatory process is proving to be a
hurdle and needs to be better understood in
the near future to avoid it becoming a barrier
to investment into Australia. I believe a better
understanding of the process is ongoing and
Australia will be the better for it in the long term.
Our wages bill and cost of living has become
an issue as a result of the resources boom and
the high Australian dollar. This is a factor most
global companies consider.
What do you think are the major challenges the
oil and gas sector has yet to face a) in the shortterm
and b) long-term?
Public awareness of the industry practices and
projects is becoming a major challenge in the
short and the long term. Projects are at risk of
stalling or being stopped by a misinformed
public sector. This is a challenge that requires a
different thought process at the board level.
The take-over of Fugro’s geoscience division
by CGG Veritas was recently announced. Were
you surprised and do you feel there is reason
for further consolidation in the sector? What
impact do you feel the merger will have on the
Australian sector?
Yes, I was surprised when the take-over was
announced. It took a while to sink in but then
when you think about the reasons it starts to
make sense. With the continual requirement for
research and development in the contracting
seismic business, the recent flurry of contractors
positioning themselves with a “broadband”
product was probably the straw that broke the
camel’s back. Fugro is not a company that enjoys
having a product or service that is not ‘state of the
art’ or close to it. It would not be in their business
model to be 3 rd or 4 th as a service provider.
I do not think it will have much impact on the
Australian sector.
What do you hope to achieve for RPS in your
role running the Energy division?
To grow the RPS services thoughout the
Australia, Asia Pacific region.
Establishing the robust HSE management
system as a frame work for all our activities
will greatly assist us to achieve this. We have
offices in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,
Perth and Brisbane and have been recruiting
local, experienced consultants in each to ensure
we can meet the local requirements for most
tenders being issued.
What have been your greatest rewards and
achievements from pursuing a career in the
resources sector?
It’s definitely the people I have met and
worked with all these years. I have the utmost
admiration for the people that work in our
industry, and it has been a pleasure to go to
work every day.
What has been your biggest challenge during
your career and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is being in my current
position, managing director of RPS Energy AAP.
There are many components to the job,
including management of employees, associate
consultants, client relations and expectations,
growth and P& L.
It’s very demanding, requiring a game of golf at
least once a week to balance the stress!
What do you think the industry can do to make
itself more attractive to today’s youth?
Showing we offer a stable industry is the key to
attracting youth. Historically the industry has
been boom and bust, which has had a negativ e
effect on recruitment. Maybe with $100 oil
for an extended period of time will have a
stabilising effect.
What advice do you have for young professionals
embarking on a career in resources?
Once you make the choice to join the industry
listen to your peers: there is a wealth of
knowledge in the industry which only comes
from experience. Ask many questions, and
when you feel you have a good idea, express it.
There are fewer people in the industry than you
think and your ideas are important and may not
have been thought of before.
When a chance comes along grab it with both
hands.
How do you manage a work/home balance?
That’s easy, I don’t manage that part of my life,
my wife does. I could ask her but I am sur e she
will say that is a mutual management process
that all in the family has to be on-board with.
Work hours, time away from home etc, all has
to be accepted by the family.
What changes would you make (if any) if you
could do it all again?
I can honestly say that I would not change a
thing. It has been a very rewarding career thus
far and I hope to be going for a few more years
yet.
52 | PESA News Resources | December 2012 / January 2013