Steve Whitehead

Business Development Manager Romteck Pty Ltd is an Electronic Systems research, development, design, manufacturing and marketing company providing customized telemetry, SCADA, monitoring and control, information technology data and communications solutions. Romteck is also Australia’s largest manufacturer of Automatic Fire Alarm Monitoring systems, provides power distribution network monitoring and control systems for Power and Water Utilities. Provides PLC interface and communication controls, fuel monitoring, tank monitoring and pipeline leak detection throughout the Mining and Oil and Gas industries. Calor Instruments and OSPAT fit for work assessment systems are also part of the Romteck group of companies. Responsibilities: Recruited to take the company into areas and industries not available to them at the time of hiring, predominantly with a focus into the large open cut & underground mining industry, together with the oil and gas industry. Develop sales and marketing strategies focusing on forging new local and overseas markets. Assist major mining, oil and gas companies in managing fluid control, SCADA and telemetry problems. Achievements: Romteck is now one of the main manufacturers of Fire Monitoring Systems and Fluid Distribution and Management Systems in Australia, providing Fire Monitoring and Fluid Management to the vast majority of Australian Cities and Mining companies. Sales and supply, to Woodside Petroleum, Apache Energy, Rio Tinto, BHP and many other Mining and Oil and Gas companies, of SCADA, monitoring and detection equipment. Developed sales into overseas markets predominantly in Middle East, UK, USA, Africa and Korea. Developed the Middle East business working with companies such as Al Jaber, ADNOC, ENOC, Ghantoot, etc. to the extent that I have been working predominantly in the UAE for the last 5 years.

Contract positions on a project basis. Various projects including management of fire drench main on Goodwin “A” Offshore platform, renewal of the hydraulic operations system on North Rankin Offshore platform drill deck and renewal of hydraulic operating systems for various drilling vessels for GS Hydro / Transfield Worley / Clough. Installation and commissioning of Worsley Alumina Crusher Hydraulic circuit for Kvaerner / GS Hydro, sourcing and contract review of gas recovery pumps for Transfield Worley including supply contract in USA. Achievements: Various roles relating to rotating and reciprocating equipment, managing, trouble shooting and diagnostic work along with commissioning management of new equipment, such as Gen Sets, Compressors, Blowers, Drilling Equipment, and Downhole Recovery Pumps etc. Worked with major mining companies like BHP and Rio Tinto etc. to develop innovative solutions on some very interesting projects. Factory training with GS Hydro in Norway and factory training with Griffin sand ingress recovery pumps in Canada.

ZF is one of the largest engineering companies in the world with its head office in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The company is a world leader in the manufacture of transmissions, steering, brakes and axles for cars, trucks, buses, military equipment, earthmoving equipment and marine applications. Responsibilities: Management of WA operation. Sales of ZF product to earthmoving, automotive and marine industries. Advising and consulting to automotive, marine, military and mining companies as to what product to use in particular applications. Commissioning of large projects, predominantly in the marine industry. Trouble shooting complex problems within the oil and gas, marine, military, automotive and mining industries. Consulted with and commissioned Royal Australian Navy vessels on transmission and propulsion problems. Sales and commissioning of marine vessels from 15mtr Cray (fishing) Boats to 100mtr Ro/Ro car ferries. Implementation of product improvement programs to end-users and consulting with ZF Germany and ZF Sydney regarding technical problems. Achievements: Over a four and a half year period was able to lift the profile of ZF dramatically in Western Australia with strong results predominantly in the marine industry. Commissioned transmission and propulsion systems on some amazing vessels including luxury motor yachts and large (100mtr RO/RO) ferries at Oceanfast and Austal shipyards. Involved in specifying, supplying and commissioning geared drives for conveyer systems and crushers on various mining projects. Worked with ADF (Australian Defense Forces) personnel on various projects predominantly with APC’s (Armored Personnel Carriers) and Land Rover Special Vehicles.

Responsible for service, marketing, parts supply and associated customer support through the Caterpillar dealerships in Western Australia and South Australia. Responsible for developing and implementing company policies including pricing, distribution and marketing of company products direct to customers and to the dealerships. Received training in Peoria USA in dealership management and qualified in warehouse logistics and management. Advised and acted as a consultant to Caterpillar of Australia dealers and worked to increase parts and service sales at a profitable margin. Advised companies (Rio Tinto, BHP, Mineral Resources, Woodside, Chevron, Apache and Argyle Diamonds etc.) and consulting engineers (AECOM, BHP, Transfield, Clough, Minproc etc.) on development of equipment and assisted with the design of mine sites (Haul road construction) and set up of workshops to accommodate Caterpillar equipment. Assisted with development projects particularly with Woodside, BHP Iron Ore and Argyle Diamonds. Made regular visits to dealers and end users, reported results formally to senior management in both Australia and USA. Responsible for running payload studies, optimizing equipment operation and implementing preventative maintenance programs, in Oil and Gas Companies and with mining companies in Western Australia and South Australia. Consulted with various Caterpillar facilities worldwide to solve technical problems for major companies in Australia and overseas. Achievements: Assisted Caterpillar gain greater acceptance through dealerships in WA and SA. The relationship between the dealerships and distributor improved and the WA dealership was guided and assisted to a point where it was regarded as being of world-renowned quality and one of the best Caterpillar Dealerships in the world.

Responsible for Sales and Marketing of manufacturing equipment based around steel and aluminum can manufacture and sealing to Containers Ltd, National Can, Rheem, Gadsdens, Tooheys, Penfolds and Precision Valve. Also responsible for sales and marketing of sealants and specialty can manufacturing lubricants to BHP, Gadsdens and Rheem. Developed systems for clients utilising equipment from both W.R. Grace and other manufacturers to form complete manufacturing and production lines. These systems were complete processing plants performing functions from the cropping of steel coil through to the manufacture of the finished container, which could be anything from an aerosol can to a 40 gallon drum. For a period of six months responsible for the implementation and sales of printing blankets to a range of printing houses including can manufacturers, continuous stationery and newspaper printers. This business grew to the point where it was justifiable to employ personnel specifically to handle this market. In addition to sales and administration duties, responsible for inventory control of stock and equipment spares. Responsible for forecasting of on-going production requirements and advising of any changes to Melbourne Manufacturing for production schedules.

Technical Service Engineer Caterpillar dealer for Saudi Arabia, employed on a contract basis to supervise dealership activities. Responsibilities: Trouble shooting and diagnosis of problems on all types of Caterpillar equipment and associated rotating equipment, Compressors, Pumps, Gen Sets, Drilling and Earthmoving equipment. Servicing and maintaining Caterpillar rotating equipment, earthmoving plant and equipment. Drilling rig maintenance and servicing, static and mobile. Fieldwork, servicing earthmoving equipment and drilling equipment. Training of field and workshop personnel both expat and local. Liaising with Caterpillar Geneva personnel with regards to technical problems. Warranty, conflict solving and trouble shooting.  

Responsible for maintaining rotating equipment both in the workshop and on site throughout the United Kingdom and Europe; equipment was predominantly Gen Sets and pumps. Undertook large amounts of work under contract for Shell Oil on offshore installations in North Sea. Also involved in mining operations and worked in several locations throughout Europe maintaining rotating and fixed plant both above and below ground. Trouble shooting and diagnosis of all types of rotating and reciprocating equipment. Periodically contracted out to several engineering organisations of a similar nature, including Coopers Ltd. as Project Manager, managing stress relieving on offshore platforms being built in Stavanger, Norway. Responsible for warranty problems and handling major customer problems.

– Student Apprenticeship Responsibilities: Reads Limited was a manufacturer of steel and aluminum containers ranging from aluminum cans to forty-gallon (212ltr) steel drums. Maintained and manufactured multi-stage press tools. Design and manufacture of jigs and fixtures working to very fine tolerances, utilising blueprints and machine drawings. Experience gained on all types of machine tools from CNC lathes and millers through to precision grinding. Gained experience with end users (food and beverage manufacturers) in their facilities on closing machines and associated equipment. Trained and educated by Reads to degree level and then made redundant on completion of my apprenticeship under the last in first out union policy.