In the PACE hot seat is Mark Hall, Sales Manager, HMA-POGC.
How did you enter this industry?
After completing my MBA in Engineering & Change Management, it was more a progression into the role. My career background is mechanical and project management within the oil & gas and mining industries.
These are the main industries of focus for HMA. My current role utilises elements of my new qualification and filled some career portfolio gaps.
What's the best business idea you have that you will never use?
Years ago I would often drive around with a map book on my lap and a general sense of direction. Prior to departing I would have to plan your route and remember the main roads you were looking for.
While this is now a dying art due to the GPS, the only thing that was hard to work out from a map book was the overall distance and hence travel time.
I once had the idea, prior to GPS, of a pen sized unit that could be set to the scale of the map book and you draw the route of travel. The pen would then calculate the distance and you could then estimate your travel time. Unfortunately they invented the GPS about a year later and my map reading skills have never been the same since.
What do you see are the biggest opportunities for our industry?
The major gas projects in WA and Queensland, while underway, look set to provide some great ongoing business right through to 2018.
Maintenance and spares contracts for these projects will also be nice continuing business. We are also looking forward to the current mining blip to improve even as early as this year.
From a product point of view we have seen increasing interest with regards our fire and gas protection systems and there with wireless networks in the hazardous areas.
What's the greatest challenge?
The greatest ongoing challenge for my current role is creating company awareness. Many within the industry know HMA-POGC for our products and brands. Part of my role is to educate customers in our other services. I have been involved in the creating a more recognisable brand for us and for what we are associated.
I have also had a great learning experience in social media and how we can use this as another form of marketing.
If you could be anything else, what would it be and why?
Like most males I have passion for sports, in particular soccer and NFL. Like most males I claim to have been quite good at both (in my day). While I probably lack the size and speed to have been a professional athlete, a career in sports would have been a dream.
Email: Mark Hall.