Darrin is the General Manager of ENZED and Co-founder of ReHose Solutions. In this interview Darrin reflects on the year that was, his personal and professional journey, achievements, and shares insights into his passion project for reducing supply chain risks.
As the General Manager at ENZED what does this involve? What does your day to day look like?
It’s full on, I’ll be honest! My team are the people you call if you have critical mining machinery down, and often this means the project or production is at a standstill. The dreaded word ‘urgent’ gets thrown around a lot, but rightly so. It’s around the clock and the biggest business of its kind in Australia. I can be sipping coffee checking emails in the morning, and hours later be 100s of KMs away helping a remote client, or 1km underground working on a continuous improvement project. It’s hectic, around the clock and challenging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My favourite parts would be working on preventative maintenance strategies with clients and negotiating large contracts that grow the business and bring our services to a wider client base.
Reflecting on this year, can you share a success story or a particularly memorable achievement for you and your organisation?
We met some hard-set and hard-fought targets when it came to diversification of our supply chain and client base which was years in the making and a source of great pride for me. Recently we also reaped the rewards of significant investments into operational efficiency which see us respond and dispatch around 40% quicker than before, which has had a material positive effect to our clients in break-down situations. This was a team effort and very collaborative from the start, so I’m proud of the team and look forward to seeing the benefits downstream of this in the new year.
What are some notable personal and professional events or initiatives that took place during the year?
It’s been a great year for diversification for me, with a few projects that I’ve poured a lot of heart and soul into coming to fruition and putting the business in a much stronger position risk and revenue wise. However, all that pales in comparison to the welcome of my wife Alecia and I’s first child, a beautiful baby girl by the name of Norah. She joined us in August, so still very new to this whole parent-thing but loving it so far and my wife’s been doing an amazing job, so having a front row seat to that is very special. So yes, 2023 has been a blast professionally and personally.
As an MBA Alumnus from Mount Isa, what is the value of being a part of the MBA Community?
It’s a great MBA Family to be a part of that’s for sure, and to see it rewarded and recognised on a global level warms my heart as I’ve come to know the passionate individuals behind this MBA over the years. Steffi and the team should be very proud of the community they have built and I’m sure the accolades will continue! I’m proud to have done my MBA with the Griffith team. On a personal angle, being from Mount Isa will always make you stand out, as a lot of people have a connection to this diverse mining town – so I make sure I fly the flag with care! Studying a sustainability focused MBA whilst being in the mining industry did raise some eyebrows, I’ll be honest, but I respectfully disagree as I believe the resources and mining sector has a huge and exciting role to play in a new, conscientious economy.
Can you provide a glimpse of your goals and aspirations for the coming year?
Professionally speaking I’m quite passionate about a project I’m working on to reduce supply chain risk and partnering with global suppliers that align with my values, which is equal parts challenging and fascinating. Q1 will have me welcome some new clientele to our operations which I’m really excited about. Personally, I will have my hands full raising our little baby daughter, but hopefully in between that my wife and I have set a goal to have a conversation in French by mid-next year, so I’ll be busy practicing and ensuring she doesn’t get ahead of me!
Can you share an experience where you applied the knowledge and skills you learnt through our values-based MBA?
Practically speaking I really enjoyed the Finance course (thankyou Mirela!). Skills I gained in that course I now use daily, and it gave me increased confidence when assessing statements and gaining insights from financial data. Conceptually the entire program had a sustainability vein throughout, but delivered in such a way that encouraged you as the student to adapt and implement in your own way. Post-MBA I don’t at all see sustainability as a buzzword or something you do to just ‘keep stakeholders happy’, no way. The MBA instilled an entrepreneurial streak in myself that has me now looking for ways to implement successful and profitable sustainability initiatives. A focus on global stewardship can give firms a profitable edge and therefore should be chased down just as hard and passionately as any other measure of value in modern business.
What is one skill you could not live without and why?
Being able to crack an egg one-handed is something I’m far too proud of (haha). But on a serious note, I enjoy being able to connect with people from all walks of life and quickly adapting to any given situation, that’s been the source of some of my proudest moments and coolest conversations.
Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or newsletters that you’d like to recommend to our MBA Community?
I do love my podcasts, so it’s The Jordan Harbinger Show when I want to learn, and it’s the Hamish and Andy Show when I need a good belly-laugh. My wife and I read often, some of my favourites this year would be Dead in the Water by K.Chellel & M.Campbell, an expose of some colourful global shipping stories, Sub-Imperial Power by C.Fernandas which is an interesting read for any geo-political fans out there and Pathogenesis by J.Kennedy was an amazing analysis of how ‘Germs made history” – I did say my reading habits are quite haphazard! Oh and, being a new Dad, Cribsheets by Emily Oster helped me lean on the data in the crazy world of parental advice!
If you have a question for Darrin, we encourage you to connect on LinkedIn.
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