Blair

About me:

Candidate Info :
Hi There, yes I’m an experienced professional with a working class background 🙂 I’m looking for some extra work due to COVID-19 takin away half of my salary/job in my current role. I am looking for some casual work driving trucks (HR) around Northern Melbourne areas or widespread. I’m reliable and professional with a cheery manner and also a fit 52 years old 🙂 !!! – look forward to hearing from someone in the future, Blair.

Experience :
Worked As General Manager – Australia at Separator Technology Solutions from May 2019 to till now
based in Laverton North, also have subsidiaries in California, Mexico, France and Mexico.
STS is a leading technology company and offers innovative processes and systems that can be used in a wide range of production stages and ensures high separation capacity, clarification and production with minimum energy and water savings.
STS currently has a worldwide presence in the world’s leading beverage and production facilities.

May 2019 – present
Responsibilities:

• Implement a structured account management sales call plan.
• Responsible for all P/L budgets
• Responsible for sales throughout Australia and NZ.
• Responsible for Technicians. (x 6)
• Responsible for maintaining the spare parts schedule.

Worked As Project Coordinator at Group Engineering Division
Recent Responsibilities:
Winery Manager – Penfolds
• Ensure the compliance of ISO 9002 Quality Management program and the ISRS occupational health and safety systems were adhered to, and to provide sufficient resources to ensure the continuous improvement of these systems.
• Responsible for Procurement of all Cellar Equipment.

• Prepare and monitor operational and capital budgets.
• Measure performance and set standards for labour and machine efficiencies
• Responsibility for production of commercial labels for export to UK at Penfolds.
• Responsible for overall management of 10 direct reports and 45 cellarhands – and an additional 80 casuals during vintage.
• Introduce “Leading Teams” environments – covering a multitude of cross cultures: Lindemans, Tollana, Penfolds, Leo Buring, Kasier Stuhl.

Project Coordinator – Project Max – major Southcorp Upgrade Project

• Coordinate a 145 million dollar procurement to upgrade Southcorp wineries to handle an enormous growth in tonnages. (mainly red wine production)
• Wineries included: Penfolds, Karadoc, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Rouge Homme, Great Western, Waikerie, Coldstream Hills, Tullochs, Devils Lair.
• Prepared Capital Appropriations for board level on all procurement initiatives.

• Prepare and monitor operational and capital budgets.
• Set up an innovation team to assess fermentation technologies and provide world’s best practice.
• Weekly assessment and evaluation reports to head office in Millers Point, Sydney.
• Coordination of engineering resources through the department – Project Managers, Draftsman etc.
• Coordination of software Primavera P3 to monitor all activities.

Worked As Winery Manager at TAHBILK WINE GROUP from May 2018 to May 2019
The Tahbilk Group – in Nagambie Victoria is Victoria’s oldest winery estate. The role was very rewarding as it was closer to my abode but I missed the sales/ business development nature and this coupled with two knee surgeries I was forced to look back into the corporate stream once again.

May 2018 – May 2019
Responsibilities:

• Responsible for 25 staff.
• Responsible for all Vintage operations – crushing over 13,000 tonnes
• Responsible for all P/L budgets
• Responsible for botting and packaging operations at Ozpak facility.

Career Experience

Worked As National Sales Manager – Australia & New Zealand at DELLA TOFFOLA PACIFIC from May 2013 to September 2018
Della Toffola Pacific is part of the larger Della Toffola Group based in Italy. Della Toffola is a world leader in the design and construction of technologically advanced solutions for every step of the beverage industries. With nine productive units, five branch offices the Della Toffola Group employs over 650 employees on six continents.

May 2013 – September 2018
Responsibilities:
• Implement a structured account management sales call plan – with implementation of Salesforce.
• Responsible for sales throughout Australia, NZ and Indonesia.
• Responsible for Technicians. (x 5)
• Responsible for maintaining the spare parts schedule.
• Conduct trials within the wine and other associated beverage industries with regards to:
➢ Crossflow Filtration at various beverage and non-beverage industries.
➢ Continuous Flotation at Delegat Wine Estates, NZ and TWG, Loxton.
➢ Biothermo Trials at TWE, Yalumba, AVL, Domaine Chandon.
• Set up a forum to present to the IBD (Institute of Brewing and Distilling) to address crossflow filtration with the brewing sectors. This is being implemented for all states across Australia.
• Presentation at the 2014 and 2016, 2017 & 2018 WEA Conferences in McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley on Continuous Flotation, Continuous Tartrate Stabilisation, Biothermo and Crossflow Filtration.

Worked As Director at HANEL CONSULTING from May 2011 to June 2014
In May 2011 I established my own business covering a multitude of facets within the wine industry and set up a warehouse in Tanunda, Barossa Valley to accommodate as a base for the following –

• Sub agency in South Australia for French winery machinery company Bucher Vaslin
• Agency Australia wide for artisan French Bordeaux barrel company Tonnellerie Baron – grew to over 300 barrels.
• Consultancy firm – concentrating on project management, winery layouts & asset utilisation, education & assessment of employees within the wine sector.
• Secondhand winemaking machinery brokerage

Other:
• Freelance writer to Winetitles Publications – Grapegrower & Winemaker Magazine.

Worked As Account Manager, Australia & New Zealand at WORLD COOPERAGE from May 2006 to May 2009
World Cooperage is an international barrel supplier to the wine industry, with its Australian operations based in Tanunda, South Australia. One of the largest suppliers of American, French & eastern European oak to the Australian wine industry, World Cooperage is the leader in innovation and provides customers with a competitive edge.

Account Manager, Australia & New Zealand, May 2006 – May2009
Responsibilities:
• Accountable for sales & marketing throughout SA, NSW, Vic & NZ, including responsibility of over 300 customers ranging from small producers (20 tonne) through to large (over 10,000 tonne)
• Develop the business partnership between World Cooperage and Wineworks based in Napier in the Hawkes Bay region in the North Island of New Zealand
• Coordinate the 2005 World Cooperage International Oak Symposium seminars in Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley & Hawkes Bay (NZ)

Achievements:
• Worked with core customers on developing new “barrel profiling” techniques for some of their more extensive portfolio of products.
• Generated over $1million of new revenue through my extensive networking capabilities
• Instilled a “can-do” culture amongst other colleagues

Worked As SA/WA Technical/Sales Manager at A&G Engineering from March 2001 to May 2006
A&G Engineering is the largest stainless steel fabricator servicing the Australian wine industry. They have major production plants based in Griffith NSW, Irymple VIC and Angaston SA. A&G are the leaders in design, manufacture and have extensive service back up available to all winemaking regions in Australia.

SA/WA Technical/Sales Manager, March 2001 – May 2006

Responsibilities:
• Responsible for the development of the inaugural South Australian division of A&G Engineering.
• Accountable for sales and marketing throughout SA and WA.
• Analyse and prepare a five-year strategic business plan for the SA operations.
• Accountable for all project management – monitoring and supervising project status.
• Implement a servicing department to provide customers with backup services throughout SA.
• Administer and monitor all accounts receivable/payable.
• Manage all procurement for engineering consumables and non-consumables.

• Manage all human resource and OH&S issues for SA operations.

Achievements:
• Built the SA firm from one person to 18 people within three years, including sourcing business premises and employing staff both in the office and factory, with the result being the SA firm able to manufacture equipment rather than rely on interstate sites for this.

Career Experience

Worked As Various roles at Southcorp Wines from September 1986 to January 2001
During my 16 years with Southcorp I was lucky enough to work in a diverse range of operations – from Coonawarra through to the Barossa Valley. My production background enabled me to progress into the Engineering field where I became responsible for the capital spend and coordination of $145m on the Winery upgrades to meet the excessive demand of vineyard supply – this project was called “Project Max”, aptly named after the great Max Schubert.

Worked As Winery Manager at Penfolds Premium Cellars from January 1996 to December 1998

Worked As Cellar Manager – Wynns Coonawarra Estate at Vintage Winemaker from January 1991 to January 1996
Chateau de Coussergues – France, 1998 (whilst on long service leave)

Worked As Cellarhand/Cellar Supervisor at Rouge Homme Winery from September 1985 to January 1991