Braus book oct2017

DTS FOOD ASSURANCE | PRYSMIAN AUSTRALIA | MARITIME CONSTRUCTION

w w w.businessreviewaustralia.com

TOP10

Australian workplaces

SINORBIS

How Aussie brands can break into China

Exclusive interview with Whirlpool’s new Managing Director for Oceania, Silvia del Vitto

October 2017

The source of value

Procurement executives across the globe continue to see the potential they can unlock throughout the supply chain. They understand that business today is about engaging, collaborating, adapting instantly to evolving needs, and finding new sources of value. Getting that value, however, can prove a challenge.

FOREWORD WELCOME TO THE October issue of Business Review Australia.

Our cover story this month is an in-depth interview with the new CEO of Whirlpool Oceania Silvia Del Vitto.

The domestic appliance and white goods specialist has bold expansion plans for the region – Niki Waldegrave finds out more about how Del Vitto plans to execute these targets.

Many Australian businesses are targeting the lucrative Chinese market, not least through the likes of Alibaba. One company is helping Australian companies prepare their own websites for entry into the country – Business Review Australia

businessreviewaustralia.com

talks to CEO of Sinorbis Nicolas Chu about how to break into the Asian economic powerhouse.

This month’s top 10 stays closer to home with a look at the best businesses to work for in Australia.

From accounting to groceries, many industries are represented.

Finally, a nod to our other exclusive insights from companies spanning energy, food, construction and education sectors. Find out what projects the likes of DTS Food Assurance, Prysmian Australia, Maritime Construction and Curtin University are currently undertaking.

Enjoy the read!

bizclikmedia.com 3

CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S INSIGHT

06 Sinorbis - how Aussie brands can break into China TECHNOLOGY

14

48 Prysmian Australia

Interview with MD of Whirlpool Oceania TOP 10 LIST

24 00

Headline for the article

Top 10 Australian workplaces

60 Maritime Construction

34

DTS Food Assurance

C O M PA N Y PROFILES FOOD & DRINK 34 DTS Food Assurance 42 Allergen Bureau Association

ENERGY 48 Prysmian Australia

CONSTRUCTION 60 Maritime Construction

EDUCATION 70 Curtin University Australia

70

Curtin University Australia

42

Allergen Bureau Association

INSIGHT

CHINESE WHISPERS China’s consumer market is one of the largest in the world.

Sinorbis CEO Nicolas Chu tells Niki Waldegrave how Australian brands need to “understand, invest and adapt” to crack it Wr i t t e n by : N I K I WA L D E G R AV E

CHINESE WHISPERS

AS A CHILD, Sinorbis CEO and co-founder, Nicolas Chu, wanted to be a gardener so he could grow his own food and wouldn’t have to work.

The global digital thought-leader recently raised $3.9mn for his start-up, Sinorbis – which helps Australian brands enter China – and he’s so passionate about it, one could argue that he has fulfilled his early dream, whilst proving that money does, in fact, grow on trees.

In June, Chu and his Sinorbis co-founder, successful online entrepreneur, Allen Qu, launched their innovative Cloudbased marketing platform – which allows companies to do digital marketing in China – at the Access China summit.

“Access China really covers the full spectrum, from big companies to SMEs, start-ups, universities and higher education entities,” says Chu. “We tried to cover all the different aspects of digital space in China, whether it is just introduction, analytics, e-commerce.

“By the end of the Access China summit everyone had a really good understanding of the ecosystem.

Not just that it’s a big market but also what it takes to be a success there. It’s not impossible to crack it, but you need to know what to do and how to do it.”

China is Australia’s biggest trade partner and represents approximately 23 percent of the world’s internet population, but runs on a completely different ecosystem to western countries. It has no Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube or Twitter – instead each search engine in has its own Baike, which is the Chinese equivalent of Wikipedia.

For Australian companies to navigate all this, they

7

INSIGHT

Sinorbis team - left to right - Dhruv Parashar, Dandan Cheng, Allen Qu, Nicolas Chu

must relearn how to do digital marketing from scratch, including changing the way they browse, understanding what can and can’t be done and adapting their message, as most likely, their websites aren’t even visible from China.

“Chinese consumers have become 8

October 2017

extremely important for businesses in Australia,” Chu explains. “The last few years has seen an explosion of demand from overseas products and services in China, driven by the explosion of the upper middle classes.

“It used to be just luxury and fashion, now it’s every single vertical.

CHINESE WHISPERS

For example, in education, 27 percent of international students in Australia are from China.

“In 2050, it could reach up to $5.4 billion, funding more than 35,000 jobs in Australia. With travel, they spend $9.2 billion dollars in one year, which is more than the

Americans and the British.

“But if you use Google or Facebook to promote your brand or sell product online, you’re missing this opportunity.

You can’t just translate your website to Chinese and think it will be adapted.”

As a result, Sinorbis has developed a cloud-based marketing platform 9

INSIGHT that allows companies to do digital marketing in China without any knowledge of those channels.

“We’ve built a tool that allows companies and agencies to do it, and it’s fully optimised with the search engines in China,” he explains. “The only way you can do it is to work with local partners on the ground, so we give out these tools.

“An element of why we’ve been able to grow so significantly is to have a strong product where we

27 PERCENT

PROPORTION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA THAT ARE FROM CHINA

become the demand. And I also think we have a very strong team.”

Chu says the three main steps to crack the Chinese market are, “to understand what needs to be done, adapt the model and invest”. And he warns it can take anywhere from six months to a year to start seeing some results.

“Again, you need to start from the basics – if you don’t have a website in Chinese, you need to have a website in Chinese,” he adds. “It sounds obvious but not only a Chinese website designed for Chinese consumers, but host it in a way so it’s visible out of China.

“Some clients came to me and said, ‘We have a Chinese website,’ but it was hosted as if it was in the US and not visible from China.

“It was taking more than 30 seconds to load the page.

And you need to optimise your website to be visible in China.”

In e-commerce, the Chinese market share is dominated by three players – Taobao, Kimo and JD.com. Taobao is more like eBay, while Kimo is similar to Amazon – and for maximum exposure, companies need to be on those sites.

“PayPal and Visa are almost

CHINESE WHISPERS

“Everything related to natural, organic and pure has a very good reputation in China, especially when it’s coming from another country” – Nicolas Chu , CEO at Sinorbis

non-existent in China, which has its own version of everything, including different forms of payment,” adds Chu. “You can still have your e-commerce website but you’ll need to adapt the form of payment.”

Brands currently smashing it include Blackmores, Swisse, Ugg, Tourism Australia and the University of Tasmania, and Chu says that Chinese consumers, in general, don’t trust Chinese products.

There have been several food scandals in China over the last few

years, including the use of melamine in ‘fake’ baby milk powder in 2008, which killed six babies and made 300,000 ill.

“When the general population are looking for high-quality products, they look to Australia,” he adds.

“Everything related to natural, organic and pure has a very good reputation in China, especially when it’s coming from another country.”

He claims Chinese consumers are also much more tolerant to advertising than their Australian counterparts, so businesses can easily monetise 11

INSIGHT

Sinorbis - China Digital Marketing 12

October 2017

CHINESE WHISPERS

products through advertising.

“It doesn’t mean that a subscription is not going to work in China,” he says. “It just means that in general, Chinese consumers are not big fans of subscription models where they have to pay every month for a service.

“So, if your whole business model relies on subscription, we recommend other ways to monetise.”

It’s certainly worth listening to Chu’s recommendations. A digital specialist for 20 years, he was also Expedia’s Managing Director and Global President for HotelClub and eBookers, managing 30 different markets and turning over $2.5 billion dollars.

He claims that while we understand China’s market, businesses now need to understand what they need to do for longevity there.

“In 18 months, I see a situation where you will have more and more SMEs – not just big brands – in China,” he adds. “And I hope Sinorbis will continue opening it to major suppliers like Alibaba, who are here, and their target is really to open the door to web search in China.

“We hope we’ll continue to do this in spurts so smaller companies to penetrate this market too, because what is difficult and different is not impossible if you have the right tools and you know how to do it” – Nicolas Chu , CEO at Sinorbis

13

INTERVIEW

With a career spanning 18 years with the company, Silvia Del Vitto, Whirlpool’s new managing director for Oceania, tells Niki Waldegrave about the company’s plans for growth.

INTERVIEW

THEY SAY “ALL good things come to those who wait”, but Silvia Del Vitto, Managing Director for Whirlpool Corporation and its integrated Oceania business, is proof that the opposite is 16

October 2017

true – you’ve got to go out and get it.

After 18 years working for the home appliance company, she landed the top job in February and has relocated from Singapore – where she was

STRIVING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

market director, Far East, – to Melbourne, with a sharp focus on growing Whirlpool and its cooking brands, Ariston and Indesit, across Asia-Pacific and Oceania.

“One thing great about Whirlpool,” she says, “is that if you’re ambitious and you want to grow, and you’re clear what your potential and your

aspirations are – and, of course – you deliver results, they give you opportunities.

“When I left university with a degree in marketing I was looking for an experience in an international environment with a B2C consumer goods products, and Whirlpool was the number one global company in appliances. It’s worked out pretty well!”

She started as a marketing assistant for the microwave category in 1999 at Whirlpool HQ EMEA (Europe, Middle 17

INTERVIEW

“The last couple of years have been fantastic but it’s time to take it to that next level” – Silvia Del Vitto, Managing Director for Whirlpool Corporation, Oceania

18

October

2017

STRIVING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

East and Africa) in Italy, and has changed roles every couple of years.

With an illustrious career spanning three continents, Del Vitto has worked in all the company’s product categories, as well as various roles in commercial, marketing and development.

Most recently, she led the Asia Pacific operation with full P&L accountability for Ariston and Indesit, which Whirlpool purchased from the Italian Merloni family in 2014.

“At the time, I was based in Italy,” she says, “and there was the opportunity to go to Singapore and run that part of the world. They wanted to send somebody from Europe because all the product that Indesit and Ariston sold overseas was European-based.”

Italian Del Vitto, a long-term Whirlpool employee, was the perfect choice.

“I always wanted an international career,” she reveals. “But also, within the family we always said to each other, ‘if we move, it should be something big’, not to pack everything up and move 500 kilometres to Germany or elsewhere in Europe.

“We’ve always looked to combine professional and personal experience with something really interesting for all of us, so this was the perfect fit.”

For the next 18 months Whirlpool is focused on driving the brand locally around three key pillars: healthy cooking, simple to use and family. Affordability combined with innovation will determine the product range a new cooking product range set to launch early 2018.

“It’s reigniting the actual Whirlpool brand,” she adds, “and there’s a large investment from Whirlpool Corporation globally in this market, which makes it a hugely exciting time.”

Inspirations One of very few senior female executives in this industry – and the only female head of business in the top 10 major appliances brands in Australia – Del Vitto will play an important thought leadership role in the industry.

And she hopes to emulate the success of current Whirlpool president, the Italian-based Esther Berrozpe EMEA. “Esther is a very strongly driven lady,” she says. “She also started off in Whirlpool in brand and product marketing and grew quite quickly to being president of the region. Esther was, for me, a very key reference person and an inspiration for my career itself.”

19

INTERVIEW

AKT799IXL Supreme Rangehood Whirlpool Induction Oven

20

October 2017

Del Vitto also reveals current Maserati CEO, Roberto Ronchi, played a significant part in her early career.

“When you start, the company assigns you a mentor,” she adds.

“It’s part of the tools the company provides to people who can grow in the company; that you’re accompanied and supported in your steps by somebody more senior.

“In about 2001 when I was very much a junior, Roberto Ronchi was my MD and he made a huge impact. He was strategic, straightforward and gave me a lot of advice, and that was when I understood what I really wanted to do – to grow within the company.

“He was a reference for me in that sense, meaning I said, ‘okay one day I would like to do a job like this guy’.”

Room for manoeuvre While Whirlpool’s annual turnover is $28.18bn, Del Vitto says there is room to grow, especially in the cooking and healthy eating categories.

“For the last few years, Whirlpool as a brand has been really working hard in Kitchen and Cooking,” she explains, “and we’re making a concerted push with it, as well as expanding Refrigeration and Laundry,

“For the last few years, Whirlpool as a brand has been

really working hard

in Kitchen and Cooking”

– Silvia Del Vitto, Managing Director for Whirlpool Corporation, Oceania

which are iconic areas in terms of Australians growing up with the Whirlpool brand.

“Over the last 12 months there’s been a redefinition of the strategy in terms of distribution, which we relaunched with The Good Guys. It’s a great partnership and works very well. It gives us also the opportunity to be very present in terms of coverage in the market.

We’ve got a great partner that’s very strong and recognised by consumers.

“Same for Ariston, which is a premium cooking brand with a strong Italian heritage. It stands for quality and cooking expertise. We’re very well established in Harvey Norman but there is space to grow further.

We also want to work on expanding the range.

“Then if we look at potential future opportunities, we also have great brands like KitchenAid, which is huge in the US. “It’s all about growth and continuing to offer compelling products and support the brand, support the distribution and we’re already working on the next wave of new cooking products to be available beginning of next year.”

She reveals induction technology is getting more and more important as perceived by the consumers, because it’s about energy saving and, therefore, much better performance.

21

INTERVIEW

Whirlpool Brand Ambassador Scott Gooding

“We have already one of the best ranges in the market and will continue development on those trends,” Del Vitto adds. “Consumers want innovative products at affordable prices.”

And as a working mother herself – with a five-year-old son and a baby due in August – Del Vitto is exactly the demographic the company is targeting.

“We’re continually developing features that are about simplicity, time

22

October 2017

management and great results,” she continues. “And providing the right products and solutions that deliver you the best performance for your family in a simple way, so you can take care of your family, and also have time to enjoy quality time with them, instead of spending too much time on chores.”

Whirlpool is also extending in the healthy eating space and in March appointed its first ever brand ambassador, TV chef Scott Gooding. The former My Kitchen Rules chef educates Australians on the simplicity of cooking wholesome meals in the kitchen via his website, Scott Gooding Project.

“It’s a great thing between us and Scott,” Del Vitto explains, “because he’s all about delivering healthy food and the right products that provide the best performance for your family in a simple way. These are really important pillars.

“The innovation and the products that we bring in, and the partners Whirlpool works with, are all going to be based on those pillars. It will really resonate with Australians. The last couple of years have been fantastic but it’s time to take it to that next level.”

STRIVING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

“In about 2001 when I was very much a junior, Roberto Ronchi was my MD and he made a huge impact. He was strategic, straightforward and gave me a lot of advice, and that was when I understood what I really wanted to do” – Silvia Del Vitto, Managing Director for Whirlpool Corporation, Oceania

23

TOP 10

TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES Writ ten by: ANDREW WOODS

When it comes to worker satisfaction, pay alone is never enough. Employees don’t just want to earn a good living; they also want to enjoy the work they do while connecting with coworkers and enjoying flexible working hours that allow them to spend time with their families and hobbies. The following ten companies support their workers on all these fronts, offering enriching, rewarding work to employees throughout Australia‌

TOP 10

10 SAS AUSTRALIA This analytics software company offers the pay, benefits and scheduling flexibility that is common in the IT industry, but goes a step further with its focus on employees’ wellbeing. SAS organises a comprehensive health program known as “SAS Healthy Lifestyle,” which includes seminars on nutrition, stress management advice and exercise opportunities both inside and outside the workplace. The company also offers 40 weeks of maternity leave, making it easier for employees to balance family and career goals.

09 COLES This chain of supermarkets supports its employees’ interests on every front. The company offers equal opportunities to Australians of all backgrounds, and makes a concerted effort to hire those who have disabilities and/or are of indigenous descent. Once hired, employees have access to a wide range of discounts at Coles stores, as well as ample leisure time. Coles also helps its workers learn new skills and advance their careers.

TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES

08 ATLASSIAN This IT company believes that employees are most productive if they start out relaxed, which is why it has developed the ‘Holiday before you start’ initiative. This programme involves giving each new hire a stipend that they can spend on travel before their first day of work. Once their trips are over, new employees have the chance to publish a post on the company’s “Welcome Blog,” where they describe themselves, their interests, and what motivates them.

This encourages close connections and understanding among employees, while setting the stage for a harmonious work environment.

07 ANZ BANK This company has gone above and beyond in the fight for equality, offering employees of all identities and backgrounds opportunity and recognition. ANZ has made gender equality a central part of its mission, notably by including 12 weeks of paid parental leave to employees regardless of the length of time they’ve worked there. The company has also sought to employ indigenous Australians and those with disabilities in large numbers. All employees are offered fair pay, flexible scheduling, training and advancement opportunities, and a low-pressure environment.

27

06 SUMMIT HOMES GROUP This Australian real estate and construction company makes recognising employees’ skills and contributions a central part of its culture. Whenever an individual or the firm as a whole achieves an important goal, the company draws attention to that achievement and the people who made it possible through the My Summit story program.

Employees are free to publish each other’s stories through this program at any time. Whenever someone logs onto a company computer, they are immediately directed to the latest My Summit stories, which puts each individual’s contribution front-and-centre at the beginning of every workday.

05 VODAFONE Vodafone has earned widespread praise for its commitment to giving employees ample opportunities to advance their careers. Workers report being able to move up quickly through the ranks, while promptly rewarded for their hard work with more authority and greater responsibilities. The telecommunications company has also invested heavily in sustainable energy, as well as into efforts to promote women’s literacy and improve public health across the globe.

03 SALESFORCE 04 STRYKER As a health care and medical distribution company, Stryker seeks to emphasise the positive role that its employees play, not only in their bottom line, but in the health of Australian society. The company encourages the physicians that it sells to, as well as their patients, to talk publicly about how they have used its products. Stryker also helps employees who do not work in sales to attend operating theatres and see their products put to practical use.

This gives workers confirmation that their hard work is making a positive difference.

Employees want to feel that they are making a positive difference in their communities and Salesforce gives them ample opportunities to do just this. The company invests 1% of its human, technological, and other resources in local nonprofits, ensuring that if employees work hard, their contribution will be felt beyond the company’s bottom line. Salesforce is also committed to encouraging more women to take part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, and offers “Hour of Code� classes in Sydney and Melbourne to accomplish this. Combined with its supportive work environment and emphasis on teamwork, the company ensures that its employees feel proud to go into work each morning.

29

TOP 10

30

October 2017

02 WESTPAC BANKING CORP Westpac consistently ranks near the top among both Australian and global companies, and it’s not hard to see why. The bank invests heavily in its employees, offering them the opportunity to attend graduate programs on financial subjects and build the skills for successful

careers. It is also one of the most sustainable companies on the market, and has consistently strived to lower its contribution to climate change and other environmental threats. Combined with its commitment to diversity in leadership, Westpac is a company that Australians of all backgrounds can be proud to work for.

31

TOP 10

01 PWC AUSTRALIA The Australian branch of PwC is committed to offering its employees a flexible working environment.

Instead of setting a schedule for workers to adapt to, the company allows each member of its staff to decide for themselves what schedule and arrangements will work best.

Managers must then make these arrangements fit their needs, and can only reject an employee’s request if they can prove that it is unworkable.

Such a flexible environment gives employees the freedom to balance work with recreational pursuits, leading to a higher quality of life both inside and outside the office.

32

October 2017

TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES

33

Put ting

TRUST FOOD back into

SAFETY

Written by: Laura Mullan Produced by: Justin Nelson

DTS FOOD ASSURANCE

When the stakes are high for food safety, no company is trusted more than DTS Food Assurance. Paul Bellchambers, Commercial Director, tells us how the company has established itself as Australia’s market leader through its proven-track record and scientific prowess

W

hether it’s nutritional values, allergens, insecticides or pesticides, people are increasingly conscious of what could be in their food.

Transparency in the food and beverage industry is more important than ever and, as a market leader, DTS Food Assurance has established itself as a name that both food manufacturers and retailers can trust.

Buying food is a basic act of trust – a trust that what you are eating is both authentic and safe. Paul Bellchambers, Commercial Director at DTS Food Assurance, is acutely aware of the faith that consumers place in the company, and the food industry as a whole. “Consumers are more educated about what they want and what they need,” notes Bellchambers. “At the end of the day, it’s not only the manufacturer’s brand at stake. Reputations can be burned very quickly and so, from a

36

October 2017

regulatory perspective, we always make sure standards are met.

“Our purpose is to safeguard food integrity through comprehensive assurance solutions and our vision is to lead the market in food assurance services.”

New ownership, new growth

Previously, the Australian company only tested dairy and food products, operating under the name DTS Food Laboratories. However, in June 2016, it was acquired in a joint venture by Bureau Veritas Group and AsureQuality. Through the acquisition the company has not only changed its name, it has also widened the range of services it offers, providing testing, inspection and certification services to the wider food industry.

“We now have the most comprehensive range of services in the market,” says Bellchambers,

DTS has a comprehensive quality management system that operates across all of our business units and sites.

Paul Bellchambers

Commercial Director Visionary, inspirational and results focused Sales and Marketing senior executive with 20 plus years experience in Food ingredients, Manufacturing and Analytical Services with a passion for service.

so

m

ls

DTS FOOD ASSURANCE

at ic c e l

ba

cteria

BacSomatic™ RAPID HYGIENE TESTS FOR EVERYONE See how it works at www.fossanalytics.com/bacsomatic

“We now have the most comprehensive range of services in the market” – Paul Bellchambers, Commercial Director

38

October 2017

“and, from a testing perspective, we are the market leader by quite a long margin. I think that gives us a unique position in the market. It just makes the whole risk equation easier to deal with when you can work with one whole provider from end to end. It’s a unique benefit to be fully traceable the whole way through.”

Indicative of its scientific expertise, the company’s state of the art laboratories are NATA accredited and have 5 Quarantine Approved Premises.

Reducing risks

As a member of the Allergen Bureau, DTS Food Assurance also works closely with the food industry to manage the risk of allergens. It is a collaborative organisation that benefits both consumers, manufacturers, and retailers alike, says Bellchambers. “We’ve been a part of the Allergen Bureau for about 10 years and I think it’s a very strong industry organisation to be a part of.

“In Australia, allergen crosscontamination is one of the main reasons for product recall. It

FOOD & DRINK

DTS Food Assurance has been a proud partner to the food industry for over 60 years, supporting businesses across its supply chain from behind farm gate through to the consumer.

can not only be damaging to the consumer if someone is sick but it can also be damaging to the brand, manufacturer, and the reputation of the industry.

Therefore, it’s very important for us to offer our support.”

Speed of service

Keen to grow and evolve as a company, DTS Food Assurance hopes to expand into more geographic regions, diversify into more services, and innovate to remain a market leader.

Reporting a contamination concern or giving the go-ahead to release a product into the market is beneficial only if done both swiftly and safety. Therefore, ‘speed and accuracy of service’ is an area of utmost importance to both the company and the industry at large.

Therefore, reducing turnaround time is another area of investment for the company, explains Bellchambers.

“Customers send us a sample, we test it, and we send them back the results, so any way that we can reduce the turnaround time will

businessreviewaustralia.com

39

DTS FOOD ASSURANCE

“We think that a diversity of experience, both professional and personal, is what makes DTS successful” – Paul Bellchambers, Commercial Director

really help our clients,” he says. “As a result, we are heavily investing in automation, data and warehousing management, and recruiting talent.”

In a complex work environment where precision is paramount, DTS Food Assurance has only the best talent and expertise on board.

With a dedicated workforce of 450 staff at the company nationally, teamwork is a core value of the firm. But when scientific expertise is in high demand, how does the company attract talent?

“I think the main thing is having the right work culture,” reflects Bellchambers. “At DTS Food Assurance it almost feels like you’re working for a family business, even though it’s not. This is because we have strong company values which our employees really embrace such as safety, quality, performance,

40

October 2017

teamwork and customer focus. We believe in creating development opportunities, creating leadership, and ultimately having the right people on our team because we think that a diversity of experience, both professional and personal, is what makes DTS successful.”

The road ahead

DTS Food Assurance has established itself as a market leader for food assurance in Australia.

However, the company also has its sights set further afield. “We want to enhance and widen the potential of exporters here in Australia,” notes Bellchambers. “Therefore, from a testing perspective, we are looking at becoming internationally approved for some countries which are seen as promising markets to exporters. This would make it

FOOD & DRINK

easier for our customers when they enter those markets as well.�

As people become increasingly aware of what’s in their food, transparency in the food industry is vital. Testing and analysis will always be a crucial component of the food industry, but thanks to its scientific expertise and trustworthy brand, it seems that DTS Food Assurance has established itself as a market leader for years to come.

DTS Food Assurance provides a number of services that are undertaken by its consultants as natural extensions to its core work.

businessreviewaustralia.com

41

MEMBERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTER OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY Written by: Ray Murphy

43

ALLERGEN BUREAU

The key is to success is members working together precompetitively for the betterment of the food industry The Allergen Bureau is a wonderful example of cooperation amongst competitors in the food industry, with national and multi-national food manufacturing and marketing companies, suppliers, importers, exporters, retailers and consumer groups sharing information on managing the risks of food allergens in industry in the interests of consumers.

The Members of the Allergen Bureau include icons of the food industry in Australia and New Zealand – and globally - who have given the Allergen Bureau the strong foundation upon which it has built its reputation with business, food industry groups and government food authorities. However, food allergen issues have to be managed as an industry and it is very important for small to medium food manufacturing and retailing businesses to add their voice to the Allergen Bureau.

Small to medium businesses and other large businesses in the food

44

October 2017

industry involved in manufacturing, supply or sales involving food allergens, are encouraged to join the Allergen Bureau.

See our list of Full and Associate Members HERE. The Allergen Bureau Working Groups provide a collaborative approach to addressing allergen issues at the pre-competitive stage.

Following on from the success of the Allergen Labelling Exemptions Working Group, several Working Groups have been identified to help take forward key areas of development. These Working Groups, and the responsible Allergen Bureau Director, are: • VITAL Phase 1 – Risk Review (Kirsten Grinter, Nestle Australia Ltd) • VITAL Phase 2 – Risk Communication (Labelling) (Julie Newlands, Unilever Australia Ltd) • VITAL Phase 3 – Certification (Robin Sherlock, DTS-FACTa) • Cross-contact risk review anomalies (Kirsten Grinter, Nestle Australia Ltd)

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Kirsten Grinter President

Kirsten has been involved with the Allergen Bureau since its inception in 2005. Kirsten’s experience with allergen issues from manufacturing, regulation and through to contact with consumer groups gives her a unique perspective with regard to the needs of the food industry and the allergic community. Kirsten considers that working in partnership for a whole of industry approach is the key to driving allergen management initiatives and key for the industry to remain a competitive and successful food industry globally. Her current role is as Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Manager Nestlé where she has responsibility for a team of people who together manage regulatory and scientific affairs across the vast Oceania Business.

Robin Sherlock

VP & Honorary Treasurer

Rob has a background in medical laboratory science and has more than 25 years’ experience in clinical microbiology and food science. She has had extensive experience in the area of food allergen analysis and brings a broad knowledge of the food industry – as well as the analytical issues – to her role as a Director. Her role within The Allergen Bureau includes collaborating with the VITAL Scientific Expert Panel to further ensure that key allergen management decisions within the Allergen Bureau are shaped and supported by the best available science. Rob is Technical Manager of FACTA (DTS Food Laboratories), a NATA accredited allergen testing facility which provides analysis, allergen management training, risk assessment tools and consultation around allergen control within food manufacturing, food service and associated supply industries.

businessreviewusa.com

45

ALLERGEN BUREAU

Dr. Tom Lewis Chief Executive

Tom was part of the initial industry working group that conceived the idea for a pre-competitive industry group to address food allergen management issues in Australia and New Zealand that was to become the Allergen Bureau. Tom was central to the establishment of Allergen Bureau, which called on his communication, project management and facilitation skills combined with his knowledge and understanding of the Australian food industry. Through his consultancy business, RDS Partners, Tom has provided executive services to the Allergen Bureau since it was first formed in 2005. Tom is drawn to roles that involve assisting organisations and industry sectors work together to imagine and achieve shared objectives – with a particular interest in working alongside regional food producers and manufacturers.

Georgina Christensen VITAL Coordinator

Georgina Christensen is the VITAL Coordinator for the Allergen Bureau and has been in this part-time role for nine years. This position was created to meet the increasing demand for information and support for the VITAL Program managed by the Allergen Bureau. In this role, Georgina answers enquiries from the local and international food industry about implementing the VITAL Program and develops support materials for the VITAL Program. Georgina has extensive experience in the food industry, including in food regulations and also in product development and quality assurance positions with multi-national food companies. Georgina is passionate about clear and consistent allergen labelling on food products to assist those with a food allergy to make informed food choices.

46

October 2017

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Allergen Bureau Working Groups are resourced and lead

by Allergen Bureau member company volunteers and an Allergen Bureau director provides support to each Working Group.

Participation on a Working Group links you in with a range of enthusiastic, diverse and passionate food industry people from across our broad stakeholder groups.

Global influence and growth The growth in the incidence of food allergens is an international phenomena. The Allergen Bureau draws on and disseminates information from all over the world on food regulations and the latest scientific research on food allergens including emerging food allergens.

While originally an organisation

representing the ANZ food industry, international promotion and acceptance of Allergen Bureau initiatives has seen a number of international organisations support us through membership.

In addition, the VITAL Program, VITAL Online and the science of the VSEP has seen even greater international collaboration and utilisation of Allergen Bureau resources.

VITAL Training Providers provide another link to the global food industry.

businessreviewusa.com

47

P RYS M I A N G R O U P :

Co n n e c t i n g A u s t ra l i a

Written by: Catherine Sturman Produced by: Josef Smith

P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

Chief Executive Officer Frederick Persson discusses how Prysmian Group’s manufacturing capabilities continue to support the growing number of infrastructure projects across Australia

F

rom Brazil and Turkey, to Germany and China, Prysmian Group has become a leader provider of energy and telecoms cables, serving customers all over the world. With sales reaching over €7.5bn in 2016 alone, the Group continues to develop its existing products to support new and emerging markets. Its exponential

50

October 2017

growth, reflected in the high volume of infrastructure projects within Australia at present, has seen Prysmian Group house two factories within Sydney – one for its telecommunication cables, the other for its energy division.

“We are in a great location, and are a short distance from Sydney CBD, so this makes a big difference for customers who

ENERGY

want to ensure that their cables are produced and delivered on time, sometimes at extra cost – I think that’s a big selling point,” explains Frederick Persson, the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Significant investment has been placed in the development of the two factories within the last five years, with a long-term goal to deliver a personalised touch whilst providing a global presence.

Such is the Group’s success, it has been the sole supplier of not only Telstra’s telecommunication cables for the last 15 years, but it

is also the major cable supplier of the National Broadband Network’s (NBN) government-funded, fibre network project across Australia.

Set to complete in 2020, the Group is continually manufacturing all the required cables for successful deployment of the NBN rollout.

One stop shop Striving for customer satisfaction has seen Prysmian Group become well respected throughout Australia, something which Persson notes with pride.

Proactively responding to any

1st underwater optical fibre cable laid in Sydney Harbour 2015

businessreviewaustralia.com

51

How do you help to reliably connect people?

You start with two industry leaders. Dow and Prysmian cables. We have been working together for over 15 years designing and delivering cables for power and telecommunications infrastructure that last for decades.

Our strategic collaboration and technology enable us to widely support Australia’s National Broadband Network (nbn). Approximately 70 percent of the cables that connect homes and businesses to high speed broadband are supplied by Prysmian Australia, using DOW AXELERON™ polyethylene compounds.

So, the next time you connect with your loved ones through the internet, you know your broadband connection and speed is of high quality because of the high-performance materials used.

Dow and Prysmian … Together, the elements of science and the human element can solve anything.

Read more about our solutions at:

dow.com/electrical prysmiancable.com.au

™®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

ENERGY

spikes in demand, he explains that this has granted the Group an award at the NBN Supplier Summit for three consecutive years. “This is on the back of our very high ability to predict possible changes and flexibility to produce any cable at short notice,” he says.

The Group therefore embeds a high level of quality control, guaranteeing high standards across the board. “With some production lines, we have speeds of up to 900 meters per minute and these are monitored automatically,” comments Persson. “If we encounter any problems with the cables, we are immediately alerted and work to make sure that this doesn’t impact the customer in any way.

“We’re a global company, so I think our name carries some weight. We support customers on the cable management side, so we take care of the delivery and also give a lot of technical support when clients define their projects. I feel that we are quite competitive overall.”

• Sales reached over €7.5bn in 2016 • Two factories within Sydney – one for its telecommunication cables, the other for its energy division.

• The major supplier of cables to the National Broadband Network’s (NBN) government funded, fibre network project across Australia.

• Some production lines run at speeds of up to 900 meters per minute and these are monitored automatically

Increased competition The Group’s ongoing work has seen it garner positive relationships with suppliers – but even a good reputation has not removed it from common challenges within the Australian market. Utilising local suppliers has enabled reduction in any bottlenecks within its supply chain.

Proximity is a significant driver, delivering potential cost savings.

Consequently, the company

businessreviewaustralia.com

53

P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

$35 Million

Prysmian Group - Australia and New Zealand Annual Revenue

has strong local relationships with Dow Chemical and Metrod Holdings, amongst many others in the delivery of its cables.

“We have been able to position ourselves as a quality product manufacturer and I think we have very few problems with regards to the quality of the cables we are putting on the Australian market,” adds Persson. “Do people prefer to pay for this? Not always, but to a larger extent we are able to support those customers that can see the value on the products we are making.”

Additionally, despite ongoing growth potential, the Group also continues to tackle ongoing international challenges, especially with regards to importing products with varying levels of quality, and even compliance.

“Often we find we are competing against suppliers with a very different set of standards and we have had a couple of very high issues here in Australia. We are sometimes competing with products made under fewer regulations or fewer standards which we are obliged to apply under Australian laws.

Being a local manufacturer sometimes makes

54

October 2017

ENERGY

Copper wire bins in the stranding machine

“If we encounter any problems with the cables, we are immediately alerted and work to make sure that this doesn’t impact the customer in any way” – Frederick Persson, Chief Executive Officer

businessreviewaustralia.com

55

Delivering values beyond copper LEADING COPPER PRODUCER FROM MALAYSIA SERVICING OVER 15 COUNTRIES ACROSS ASIA PACIFIC.

MAGNET WIRE

CABLES

AUTOMOTIVE

TRANSFORMERS

Metrod’s high quality copper has wide range of use in magnetic coils inside motors, generators, alternators, transformers, ballast and automotive applications.

Metrod’s copper is extensively used for production of high, medium, low voltage cables, wire harnesses and solar wires.

Metrod’s oxygen free copper is being supplied in cutting edge technology – Electric Vehicles & Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

With Metrod’s extensive knowledge and experience, its insulated conductors are a preferred choice of large power and distribution transformer manufacturers.

Casting technology: DIPFORM, UPCAST® & SCR®

RECTANGULAR WIRE • COPPER ROD • COPPER WIRE • EARTHING STRIP • INSULATED STRIP

Metrod Holdings Berhad No. 3, Lengkuk Keluli 2, Bukit Raja Prime Industrial Park, 41720 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Tel.: +603-3361 3422 Fax.: +603-3341 5318 Email: marketing@metrod.com www.metrod.com

ENERGY

Frederick Persson Chief Executive Officer

Frederick Persson was appointed, CEO of Prysmian Australia & New Zealand on 1st March 2014. He commenced employment with Prysmian Group, as CEO to Sweden in 2010.

Frederick has a degree in Bachelor of Science in Logistics, studied in Vaxjoe Sweden, in 1996.

He started his career with a Swedish steel manufacturer, SSAB. Persson held various positions mainly in sales and progressed to CEO of SSAB, Canada.

He moved to the stainless steel industry becoming the MD of the French wholesaler company, IMS in Sweden.

this hard,” Persson says.

Wishing for a level playing field, Persson adds: “We work to make sure that we are efficient, and whatever we lose in terms of having a more expensive workforce here in Australia, we will therefore compensate by creating smarter solutions or advanced machines – in the end we have to be able to compete in a global arena.”

Future developments The use and subsequent loss of energy is something which Prysmian Group is working on reducing throughout the development of its cables in a bid to better serve its customers.

Increased energy prices in Australia and the need to become more sustainable are two key areas where the Group is allocating resources in order to provide efficient solutions and the design of cables efficiencies to the whole network.

Additionally, not content to just better its existing technologies, the Group is working at supplying connectorised cables, which will support the delivery of a complete system, rather than sole parts, in order to further extend its services.

“Our new invention, Prycam, is where customers will be able to monitor the cable whilst it is live and be alerted if there is a fault,”

businessreviewaustralia.com

57

P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

“We are a global supplier with the ability to supply high quality cables worldwide” – Frederick Persson, Chief Executive Officer

58

October 2017

Persson says. “This is something that people are asking for – to predict potential black outs.”

“We are slowly moving towards a smart grid, where energy is injected into the grid depending on peak usage times. It is becoming more intellectual. We are trying to move from just a transactional cable supplier to offering the complete solution.”

Delving into the renewable energy market will also open up further doors for Prysmian Group.

ENERGY

Extruder machine A steady demand for wind and solar farms is emerging within Australia, where the Group aims to deliver the cables for such projects.

Adopting a proactive approach and responding to customer needs has enabled Prysmian Group to continue developing its services across Australia, whilst maintaining the focus on a personalised touch.

“We are a global supplier with the ability to supply high quality cables worldwide,” concludes Persson.

“Although being a corporate

organisation can sometimes be very hard for the customer to get through, I can confidently say that our customers can trust our ability to combine local capabilities and industry expertise with a global ability to source cables and solutions from any part of the world. All of it with one goal: maintaining our position as a supplier of choice.”

businessreviewaustralia.com

59

RIDING OUT the

storm

Maritime Constructions emerges stronger from period of recession Written by: Niki Waldegrave Produced by: Jeff Debicki

Refurbishment of a timber jetty at Port Victoria, South Australia for the Yorke Peninsula Council in June 2017

MARITIME CONSTRUCTIONS

I

t’s been a rough couple of years for Australian construction contractors, but a market leader in marine infrastructure services, Maritime Constructions, has ridden the storm.

Thanks to a few tweaks such as branching out overseas, cutting costs and becoming a major EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor, the award-winning Port Adelaidebased business is booming.

Its main divisions are Maritime Constructions, which does major projects, Dredging and Port Development, and Harbours and Marine making up the Maritime group.

Major projects in the pipeline include building the Onslow Marine Support Base (OMSB) at Beadon Creek in Western Australia, a long-term EPC contract with Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers (KIPT) to develop a bulk load-out facility, and dredging the mouth of the Murray River.

“We’re coming out of a big recession as far as South and

62

October 2017

Western Australia are concerned,” says GM – Western Region, Imran Lambay. “The last 24 months have been pretty bad for contractors and the fact we’re still here is testimony to us reacting to the market conditions.

We adjusted across the business to and ride out the storm.”

As part of the consolidation initiatives, the fabrication workshop was closed and the business – which operates in South Australia, Western Australia, and Northern Territory – also began to look overseas.

The company recently installed three new sewerage ocean outfalls as part of an on-going water treatment project in the Pacific Ocean island of Kiribati for its government’s Public Works and Utilities Department.

“Given what’s happened in the last 18 months in Australia, we decided to expand out of the country,” Lambay adds. “And we certainly see the Pacific region as a new emerging market.”

The business is particularly targeting jobs that are funded by the Asian Development

CONSTRUCTION

Reconstruction of bulk loading facility at Klein Point, South Australia for Adelaide Brighton Cement in October 2009

businessreviewaustralia.com

63

THE PREMIUM STEELPIPES SPECIALIST SUPPLYING MARINE & CIVIL PILING, FABRICATION & CONSTRUCTION, MINING SECTORS ❍ National Distributor of Large Diameter/Heavy Wall steel pipes ❍ Diverse and Independent sourcing – locally and abroad ❍ Certified to Australian Standards ❍ Delivery to anywhere in Australia ❍ Buy/Sell Project Surplus stocks

CONTACT US TODAY Ph: 1300 127 196

Australian Owned & Operated

| E: sales@steelpipes.com.au

www.steelpipes.com.au

GN Marine, a specialist in Commercial Marine Design, Survey, Construction and Certification operating throughout Australia and South East Asia. Our vision is to be a respectable one-stop shop for all marine survey, design and construction needs. > LEARN MORE

Adelaide Office

Tenancy 7B Marina Adelaide 1 - 25 George Robertson Drive, Largs North SA 5016 Perth Office

4A Sultan Way, North Fremantle WA 6159

08 8341 6535 info@gnmarine.com.au www.gnmarine.com.au

CONSTRUCTION

Bank (ADB) that’s spending a lot of money in the area.

“There’s dredging to be done, sea walls to be built, sewage treatment plants to be done for world health reasons, and we’re tendering for everything we can there,” he adds, explaining that 99% of jobs come by open tender.

“We have to be pre-qualified and meet certain qualifications in terms of turnover, in terms of experience and our ability to actually do the job. ADB is very strict about this.

“If we win the tender, we’re then handed over to the local government to execute the jobs.”

Thanks to the Kiribati project and an onslaught of new long and shortterm projects, the last year has been much more fruitful that previous 12 months, netting an annual turnover has increased considerably.

“We’ve had a lot of tenders coming up from government,” adds Lambay, “and fairly major projects, like KIPT and OMSB, but at the same time our bread and butter contracts, like with the Department of Transport in South Australia, have kicked off.

“We have long-term dredging contracts, and long-term construction contracts with the SA State Government maintaining jetties and harbours. Thankfully the last 12 months – the last six months especially – have been fantastic.

“We’re looking positive in terms of Australia.”

Lambay says that in his nine years with Maritime Constructions, which currently has about 105 staff, he’s proud of being a part of taking the company to the next level – of being an engineering contractor.

“What we’ve now achieved

“Thankfully the last 12 months – the last six months especially – have been fantastic.

We’re looking positive in terms of Australia” – Imran Lambay, GM – Western Region

businessreviewaustralia.com

65

MARITIME CONSTRUCTIONS

is selling ourselves as an EPC contractor,” he smiles.

“We bring smarts to the job – we’re not just there to pour concrete or tighten a bolt. “, do the drawings, and provide the client with a turnkey solution and tell them what the design needs to be to last its lifetime, or to cope with the weather patterns and condition of a particular site.”

Maritime Constructions is one of the few companies to attain a Class 1 Demolition Licence from SafeWork WA (Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) to undertake demolition activities in Western Australia.

This allows it to deconstruct, refurbish and demolish any marine infrastructure, including jetties and wharves. It’s also one of the only contractors to do both dredging and construction, like at the marine support base at Onslow. The project consists of a 200m wharf, a 36m wide landing craft ramp and a 700ton heavy lift crane pad for servicing the offshore oil and gas industry.

“That job required a lot of

66

October 2017

“We want to design the job, do the drawings, and provide the client with a turnkey solution and tell them what the design needs to be to last its lifetime, or to cope with the weather patterns and condition of a particular site” – Imran Lambay, GM – Western Region

dredging and construction,” explains Lambay. “That’s what sets us apart, along with the fact we self-perform most of our work.

The Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers (KIPT) project at Smith Bay is also a key long-term EPC project for the company – and the island, as its multimillion dollar wharf will be used to export logs to the world market.

Now that the business has

CONSTRUCTION

Design and construction of a new jetty for tourist vessels at Monkey Mia, Western Australia for the Shire of Shark Bay in December 2014

businessreviewaustralia.com

67

MARITIME CONSTRUCTIONS

Design and Construction of marine support base for servicing the oil and gas industry at Onslow, Western Australia for Onslow Marine Support Base Pty Ltd in September 2017

“Everybody within the company is accessible, and everybody has a say” – Imran Lambay, GM – Western Region

68

October 2017

weathered the storm, Imran says the biggest challenge is keeping skilled staff in the marine world, claiming: “If there aren’t any interesting projects, workers gravitate away to find something more interesting.”

Workers battle their fair share of challenging environmental conditions, like the tropical monsoon conditions experienced at Wyndham when the company was building the Anthon Landing Jetty and Berthing Pontoon.

The same project had workers

CONSTRUCTION

constantly battling significant 9m tides and strong currents and. in spite of these challenges, the professionalism of the workers meant that this jetty project won the 2012 WA Engineering Excellence Award for Engineering in a Regional Community.

“One of the exciting things that attracts labourers and skilled people to Maritime Constructions,” Lambay confides, “is that all our jobs are so different, in so many different areas.

“And we remain a very family-

oriented company, with a management style that’s very inclusive, so when we’re bidding for a project, it’s not uncommon for everyone to be involved with helping us bid or plan it.

“Everybody within the company is accessible, and everybody has a say.”

businessreviewaustralia.com

69

Curtin University

Education Transformed

Written by Niki Waldegrave Produced by Andy Turner

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

Curtin University’s CIO Chris Rasmussen tells Niki Waldegrave how its multi-million dollar Digital Futures programme is transforming and empowering the global organisation

C

urtin University has campuses in Australia, Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia, partnerships in Vietnam, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, and Aberdeen (Scotland) and more than 30% of its students are from overseas.

Obviously, IT is critical for the university, which is currently is celebrating ‘50 years of innovation’ and has an annual digital budget of $57mn.

When Chief Information Officer Chris Rasmussen joined in February 2013 he was tasked with transforming the organisation’s digital capabilities and offerings - no mean feat considering it boasts 4,160 staff (FTE) and 58,216 students.

“We had strong support from the COO, Ian Callahan, and looked at the organisation from an ‘outside in’ perspective,” he says, “and it was obvious we needed to be more agile, more flexible and have certain capabilities, some of which we’d have to work on as we go.”

A programme called Transforming Curtin IT - later renamed Digital Futures - was born. It looked at what wasn’t working across the whole of the university, and heavily leveraged Gartner’s advisory services.

72

October 2017

E D U C AT I O N

Resources & Chemistry Precinct Building

businessreviewaustralia.com

73

Australia and New Zealand’s Largest Gathering of CIOs and Senior IT Executives 30 October – 2 November 2017 Gold Coast, Australia

Expert advice

Guaranteed inspiration

Peer perspectives

Practical solutions

#GartnerSYM

It's all here. 1,500+ CIOs and senior IT executives will gain a strategic view of the emerging trends shaping IT and business.

Through a powerful mix of Gartner analysts, industry experts, IT and business leaders and cutting edge solution providers, you’ll uncover new ways to approach critical challenges, confidently make impactful decisions and increase your effectiveness as a business leader.

gartner.com/au/symposium

E D U C AT I O N

“There is some very interesting technology out there. It just has to align with our strategy and where we need to get to” – Chris Rasmussen, CIO

“Gartner has been really key to shape out the programme, especially their expertise in the higher education space,” Rasmussen says. “We don’t just read the research and look at the magic quadrants and those sorts of things. We actually talk to their analysts and then make an informed decision in what we’re going to do.”

Digital Futures also employed someone with psychology skills to interview new students. ‘Stephanie’ was the result - a profile of a firstyear student showcasing ‘her’ first

4,160

Number of employees at Curtin University

17 weeks’ experience at Curtin.

“It was a holistic experience, not just IT focused.” explains Rasmussen. “We wanted to

businessreviewaustralia.com

75

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

Seque rest volorum aute velestio intem illibus es qui ut alit et, sita iuntur? Click here Electrical and Computing Engineering students approach it from the point of view, of ‘you’re a new student here, these are your first weeks, and, how is it?

What are the touchpoints, what’s working for you? What’s not?”’

A biggie was the number of systems students used - around 10 they’d log into four-to-five times a day, so around 50 log ins daily. Troubleshooting this, Transforming Curtin IT Portfolio of Work was developed, building profiles not just for new students but second year students, researchers and general staff.

76

October 2017

One of the key projects that came out of that was the ‘Elsie’ app. A tribute to the wife of John Curtin, who was the Prime Minister of Australia in World War II and who the university is named after, it ties these log-ins and systems together.

The IT team built it on two platforms, one for iPhone and one for Google Android, and it launched last year. Now, it’s got almost 100% utilisation with new students.

“Students find it much easier to navigate a lot of what they need to do now,” Rasmussen

E D U C AT I O N

explains, “like getting to classes on time, communicating, and logging in to the systems.”

About 14 other projects made up this portfolio some for research, some for teaching and some for central areas -and at a cost of $48mn over four years, it’s the biggest non­capital works piece of work that’s ever been approved at the university.

Running parallel to this, Rasmussen was also responsible for transforming Curtin IT Services (CITS), providing many new capabilities for efficient integration between applications.

He also restructured the 300-strong team into four directorates: Operations & Projects, IT Planning Governance & Security, Architecture & Innovation and Service Delivery -with the four heads reporting to him directly.

“Service Delivery is a bit of a misnomer,” he says, “but it oversees the services and makes sure the rest of the team is delivering services

Ian Callahan, COO the client is looking for. And it has a great procurement team.

“When I started, we had a good contract management team but we weren’t managing the vendors like partners, and there weren’t any KPls to hold them to, so we’ve changed that and renegotiated a lot of agreements. The team has been very effective.”

It certainly has - the Service Delivery team saved the university approximately $18mn last year, through strong negotiation and contract management.

The CITS team also enlisted the help of consultant companies Braestone and DSBS, who also helped with planning and the

businessreviewaustralia.com

77

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

coordination in the workshops the ago and the global IT leader recently university did around Digital Futures established its ninth innovation as a programme, as well as providing centre at the Perth campus with essential skills along the way. another partner, Woodside.

“For example, even the “It’s a big feather in Curtin’s cap to development on the phones for have that here,” adds Rasmussen. the Elsie app was not a capability “We’ve had about 180 companies that we had before, so we come through that innovation started putting in a lot centre since it’s opened. of new capabilities “Cisco provides a other functionalities lot of the technical to make us more horsepower behind efficient and get it and some staffing better integration resources, and Number of students between systems,” Curtin provides at Curtin University he adds. the research and “We installed a academic brains. cloud-based industry “The commercial service bus tool for organisations come in and integration called MuleSoft. We they provide the problem and the are also reshaping the IT teams subject matter expertise. It’s like to get the right skills in place this little incubator, and by getting for when this starts delivering the three together it actually over the next few years.” puts you in a very powerful Curtin is a long-standing Cisco position to look at ways of customer and runs the biggest solving real-world problems.” wireless network in WA on a single He says the biggest site, in the southern hemisphere. challenge for IT is doing more The university forged a strategic with less money, and that’s partnership with Cisco two years another reason why partners

58,216

78

October 2017

E D U C AT I O N

like Gartner are so important, because they provide critical advice and guidance, while partnerships like the one with Tech Mahindra provide extra skills, giving the university the ability to scale and flex when needed to meet the business demands.

“That’s part of the agility, about us not trying to be everything,” Rasmussen adds. “And from a team point of view, we’re getting skilled up in Design Thinking.

JourneyOne is helping us with this.

“With Design Thinking, you park

“Students find it much easier to navigate a lot of what they need to do now… like getting to classes on time, communicating, and logging in to the systems” – Chris Rasmussen, CIO

Science and Engineering student

Click here

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

80

October 2017

E D U C AT I O N

Cisco Internet of Everything Innovation Centre building

any solutions at the door. You walk into a room and you have a diverse mix of people in there - someone to lead the discussion, a solutionist who can look at ways of capturing a problem, and a mix of different people at different times.

“The idea is to getto the core of the problem before you look at solutions, and we’re trying to build that into the DNA of how we operate.”

For the next few years, Rasmussen will continue to work with all the stakeholders to shape and focus the digital strategy and spend, whether it’s an upgrade to a major system or new apps for students or research, to make sure it ends up on the agreed roadmap somewhere.

“There are some immediate things we must do next year, just to keep the lights on,” he says, “but there is some very interesting technology out there.

It just has to align with our strategy and where we need to get to.”

businessreviewaustralia.com

81