Focus - Australasia On The Up, Down Under WoRds: Chris Gilson IMAGE: COURteSY Of KIWIRAIL Australasia GIONAL FOCUS RE DER UN WN DO tralia, with a offices in Aus egion has four lasia r ith regional erfleets Austra n caught up w Int d. Chris Gilso ard Catlow to n New Zealan further office i manager Rich and regional Mark Hughes irector down under d ore about life find out m I nterfleets regional offices in Australia and New Zealand are a fair distance from the UK head office to be precise, 10,558 (Derby-Sydney) and 11,625 (Derby-Wellington) miles away. Mark Hughes and Richard Catlow each moved from the UK to head up the Australia and New Zealand regional offices respectively. The roots of Interfleets Australian operation go back to 1997, when the Sydney office was opened the first one outside Derby. Regional Director for Australasia Mark Hughes says: It rapidly became a spearhead of competence, gaining a solid reputation for delivering complicated projects on time and on-budget. The Sydney office has since been joined by three more Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne effectively creating a solid presence from the east to the west of the country. Each office offers our prime rolling stock engineering capabilities, says Mark proudly. Application of rail engineering skills with an operational know-how is our fort although its not our only strength. I think what sets us apart from our competitors is that we offer the full range of technical and strategic services as a one-stop shop with unrivalled international experience to call upon. You would think that the sheer size of Australia would present considerable difficulties, but Mark is quick to point out this isnt the case: Having skills in close proximity can be hard sometimes, especially if a person or team based in the south for example Melbourne is needed in Brisbane further north, but we have a good track record of being flexible and getting closer to our clients, and the success that goes with that. Were used to being mobile, he says. Its a standard pattern across the region. Its often the case that Interfleets Australian personnel provide services to other countries as well. Mark currently has staff working in China, Malaysia and Japan, with significant project support deployed in India to advise on the quality control of new-build rolling stock. Light Rail in Melbourne keeping it light Since taking on the role of Regional Director in January this year, Marks team of 70 across Australia and New Zealand is being kept busy. A range of projects are in full swing, including the prestigious Sydney Light Rail (SLR) scheme where Interfleet provided significant input into the operational planning and procurement in support of Transport for New South Wales, and subsequently is providing independent certification support. A further key project for the region is managing the design, assurance and testing of new rolling stock for the Queensland governments Next Generation Rollingstock investment in new trains manufactured by Bombardier. New projects are on the horizon, with Interfleet strengthening its presence in Victoria, where the market is positive. I asked Mark what else he feels is key to his operations success: We pride ourselves on having clientfocused teams, he says. It depends on whats needed, and we place great emphasis on listening to our clients and learning about their business, trying to become less transactional in the way we offer our support and far more partnering-oriented. Thats why we have now introduced a clear focus for our operational and commercial teams, who must work closely together to map the client need with the quality of what we deliver. Its a system that is working for us and our clients. Where does Mark see the region heading in the future? Id like to expand the rail control systems (RCS) aspect of the business, he says. That would involve developing eight to10 dedicated RCS staff with excellent capability across signalling, control and communication systems and integrating them into the operation. This region has a huge need for investment in this area of new technology. Interfleet has already built a world-class team in the UK. We want to bring that to Australia and help our clients enhance their safety, capacity and performance as a result. Id also like to see greater use of our Interfleet Transport Advisory (ITA) service offering. We have already provided a variety of commercial, procurement, business case and benchmarking support to a range of clients across all three eastern states, and now we have enhanced our transport planning capability with softer skills around customer experience, demand and revenue analysis and project sponsorship/bid leadership skills. Through our strengthening relationship with our parent company, in particular our mining division, we are also able to offer infrastructure and project support to their client base in Australia and further abroad. One thing to watch though, he says, is the political landscape. Its ever-changing in Australia, and you need to remain agile and roll with that. Certainties today may not be certainties tomorrow, and having a strategy to deal with changes both of political parties and the people is key. They may be on the other side of the globe, but Mark and his dedicated team have got their collective eye firmly on the ball. Even in a competitive market they remain at the top of their game. small, but perfectly formed Members of the leadership team in Australia Light Rail in Adelaide What sets us apart from our competitors is that we offer the full range of technical and strategic services as a one-stop shop Mark Hughes Richard Catlow, regional manager for Interfleet New Zealand, is a happy man. His may be one of the smallest operations run by Interfleet, with just seven members of staff, but it is proving to be a successful one with a great future ahead of it. Based in Wellington, near the majority of its clients, the New Zealand office was created following the decision to expand into the New Zealand market in light of unprecedented rail investment. It is currently managed by Richard, who has been in the job since September 2013. We have a high proportion of specialists here, many of whom (like me) worked for Interfleet in the UK, then came over to New Zealand to work, says Richard. Like Australia, the New Zealand office, which had a further two members of staff join last year, has also seen personnel outbased in locations such as China and neighbouring Australia. Were always prepared to travel, says Richard, and were already widely travelled. Whereas the focus in Australia is rolling stock, Richards team also specialises in infrastructure projects, which generate half the revenue for the region. A further area of expertise is vehicle dynamics. Like its larger neighbour, the New Zealand office isnt short of projects both small and large. Small projects are just as important here because the market place is so compact and competitive, says Richard, as he explains a small-scale scheme for Greater Wellington Regional Council. With a compact market here, we have to be totally focused on client satisfaction. As well as the smaller projects, Richards team is currently working on the last stages of KiwiRails Auckland electrification scheme, which has involved Interfleet both managing the commissioning of the routes infrastructure and assisting with Auckland Transports procurement of the CAF-built electric multiple units (EMU) that accompany it. Another major client is KiwiRails infrastructure division, for whom Interfleet New Zealand is developing a new suite of codes and standards. We cant rest on our laurels though, says Richard. The New Zealand market, especially around Wellington and Auckland, is full of competitors waiting to fill any spaces that we might make. It doesnt stop me going out with my toolkit and getting my hands dirty. Looking to the future, Richard also plans to introduce an RCS capability in order to improve his teams flexibility further. To date, the New Zealand office has had an extremely good run of results and, incredibly, has doubled its profit forecast no mean feat for a small operation. Like its larger sister, good things lie ahead, despite the relatively diminutive size of the local market. They may be far away from the UK head office, but Interfleets Australasian Mark Hughes leads subsidiaries are a vital part of its structure. Australasia as Down under, but on the up Regional Director n For more information, go here www.interfleetgroup.com