From Electrician to CEO: 1974-2019 by Dirk van de Meerssche

FROM ELECTRICIAN TO CEO 1974 – 2019 Dirk Van de Meerssche

FROM ELECTRICIAN TO CEO 1974 – 2019

Author: Dirk Van de Meerssche

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Preface

I dedicate this book to my 3 children, Filip, Natalie and Sofie; with whom I didn’t spend enough time with while I was working and building my career. Hopefully, this book gives them an idea of what I was doing when I was travelling and wasn’t at home to take care of them. I hope they will understand and forgive me for my periods of absence. Somebody once told me that it’s not the amount of time you are together, but the intensity of the time together that counts.

Special thanks to my wife Afsaneh, who always supported me.

And in memory Anita Mary and Lisette Mommaerts.

Thanks to all the people who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to prove myself and grow. In chronological order: • Freddy Hernou – Service Director 3M Belgium • Bernard Marchant – Service Director Olivetti Belgium • Bob Coombs – Chairman and Managing Director of Getronics Australia and NZ • Tom Walker – Senior Vice President and Managing Director Cubic Transportation Systems APAC

People that influenced my career, in no order at all:

• Jimi Hendrix for his statements “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens” and “You need to know the rules, before you can break them.”

• Camillo Olivetti, for founding Olivetti in 1908.

• Adriano Olivetti for his human approach and whose entrepreneurial activity thrived on the idea that profit should be reinvested for the benefits of the whole society.

• Carlo de Benedetti who in 1978 became CEO of Olivetti, where he remained until his resignation in 1996. As president of Olivetti, from 1983, he quickly reorganized the company, switching its focus from mechanical typewriters to computers.

• Elvis Presley for his cover of the song “My Way”.

Special thanks to my good friend David Bonn, who reviewed, edited and turned my Flemish-English into proper Scottish-English.

Cover: © Dmytro Denysov | Dreamstime.com

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Table of contents Contents Introduction. ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career...................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2 - Lerco Friesland Belgium 1976 – 1979, the ice-cream years.............................................. 12 Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned. ................................... 15 Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life. ............ 21 Chapter 5 - There is life after Olivetti.......................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 6 - Leighton Contractors ANZ 2010 – 2013. ......................................................................................... 51 Chapter 7 - SLS Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. Australia 2006 – 2021.............................................. 57 Chapter 8 - Cubic Transportation Systems APAC 2014-2019..................................................................... 68 Chapter 9 - Silicon Billabong – 2019 - ….. ................................................................................................................. 89 Chapter 10 Conclusion and advice for future entrepreneurs. .................................................................. 91 Chapter 11 Epilogue – Semi-retirement 2020. ........................................................................................................ 93 Sources.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 96 Abbreviations................................................................................................................................................................................... 97

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Introduction I wrote this book because I am proud of where I started and where I finished in my career and because I had a lot of satisfaction in my work and I enjoyed my achievements.

Of course, I had some negative moments, problems and challenges; however, they are too few to mention.

In this book you will read about my success stories and positive achievements.

Do I have regrets? No, I don’t, because we cannot go back in time and redo.

Could I have done things better? Probably yes.

Would I do it differently if I could start all over again? No. I didn’t want to write all the details of my 45 years of working, or it would end up as a 20000 pages book that nobody would read. So, I focused on the highlights in a chronologic order of events.

I worked for a few companies that have been taking over by others. The sad thing about acquisitions is that company B that takes over company A mostly re-writes history and sadly the history of company A disappears. That’s why, in this book, I elaborate a bit more on the histories of the original companies.

At a certain moment while writing this book I thought about inserting my love life into the book. I didn’t because that’s worth another book, maybe the next one ….

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Chapter 1 – The early seeds of my career My dad was an adventurer, he migrated to The Congo at the beginning of the fifties and returned to Belgium in 1960; the independence year of Congo.

I probably inherited my travelling blood from my father as later on in life I travelled a lot eventually migrating to Australia but it didn’t even finish there. You can’t tie a good man down!

In 1957 I was born in Congo, at that time a Belgium colony and the only one.

Belgium Congo was actually the private property of the Belgium King Leopold II since 1885 and he was forced to hand it over to the Belgian government in 1908.

My parents we’re there with my 2 sisters, Agnes and Hilda, 10 and 11 years older than me.

My brother Willem was born in 1960, the year when Congo became an independent state and we all went back to Belgium.

My parents brought me up with the ethos that if you want something in life you need to work for it. So I did a lot of summer holidays jobs, to be able to buy my first bicycle and my first stereo. Perhaps these early years were instrumental in instilling a culture of working to achieve as I have done all my working life.

On the 8th of February 1969, when I turned 12 years young, my dad asked me what I want to be, to do in life.

Without hesitation and with confidence I replied that I want to be an entrepreneur, make a difference, to lead and motivate people. Even as a kid I was always the leader of the pack …

He said I wouldn’t be good at that because I’m too direct, too honest, not diplomatic enough and always defending the weak.

My response was, if I need to do it any other way than my way; I would prefer not to do it.

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Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career

My dad and me in 1969

After that conversation with my father and with the same burning ambition inside me I went to college and chose to study Industrial Science, because I was very interested in technology.

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Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career

VTI – Vrij Technish Instituut Aalst

The next 5 years, even if I say so myself, I was a brilliant student, most of the years I was top of the class, only a couple of times did I slip into second place.

I then changed my direction into electricity.

I grew up in the sixties with Che Guevara pictures in my room. At the age of 17, my rebellious/revolutionary traits bubbled up and this was the disco seventies after all. I discovered the pleasures of going out dancing, doing my John Travolta imitation and chasing beautiful girls. I was supposed to go to university but didn’t, I stopped after college and wanted to go to work. It took up to 1984 before I picked up and finished my studies in Computer Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels attending evening and Saturday courses.

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Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career

The street in Aalst where I used to go out.

Needless to say, my dad was very disappointed; he told me if you want to work, I will get you a job.

He knew very well the Managing Director of a company called Auxeltra, who he knew from his days in The Congo.

Auxeltra was an electrical company installing lights on highways.

He told the MD “give Dirk the dirtiest job you can something like digging holes on the highways; so he gets tired of it and goes back to university”.

So, in 1974 I started my first working day in my career at 65BEF per hour (about 1.5 Euros).

Auxeltra was awarded a project to install lights on the highway from Brussels to Oostende.

When I arrived at the site the local supervisor asked me what my knowledge was; I said I’m an electrician.

He said ok, you can do the connections for the lights above the highway.

So there I was on top of a big crane, high above the highway connecting the lights, happy days.

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Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career

One day we had to install special lights on a strip of the highway that was close to an airport. My senior electrician said we need to put them with the lights shining upwards, so the planes can see them. I said, I think it’s the opposite, the purpose is to light that part of the highway so the planes can see it. He challenged me about how dare I question a senior when I was only a youngster. I followed his orders. Later that day, our supervisor came by and started screaming; you idiots have installed them upside-down! So we had to redo everything. From that day onwards, that senior electrician always asked my opinion before we started a job.

It quickly became apparent that I was about twice as fast as the existing electricians completing my work so they put me on the ground to do the cabling at the bottom of the poles.

It didn’t take long before they put me into the high voltage road cabins for the final cabling and connections. For me this was great as I was inside, not hanging on a crane or in the middle of the road with traffic passing both ways. On top of that, being inside meant it was warm in the winter.

Today people are complaining about the challenges of commuting and talk about MaaS as being the solution to everything.

MaaS in the seventies was waking up early in the morning or as I called it, in the middle of the night. Walk ½ hour to the railway station, catch the 06:11 train from Aalst to Brussels, arrive in Brussels about an hour later, take a tram for 15 minutes and walk again another 15 minutes to the workplace. No integrated anything in those days, we just got on with it but at least I was a multi modal traveler even if I didn’t recognize it as such then. Perhaps this helped put me in tune with the travelling public when I became more involved in the transport domain.

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Chapter 1 - The early seeds of my career

Auxeltra merged with another company specializing in building electrical works and became ETS (Electrification et Travaux Speciaux), very soon after that I moved to the building department and was cabling office and apartment buildings. A bit later they changed their name to Gazel.

As a side job I was installing electrical cabling in private houses during the weekends, to earn more money. That entrepreneurial spirit in me just couldn’t be kept at bay.

By this time I was 18. I then got the letter in the mailbox I knew would come at some point, I had to do my compulsory military service, 12 months in Belgium or 10 if I volunteered to go to Germany. I choose Germany and it was a total waste of time, but I had a lot of fun.

During my term in military service I did a lot of thinking and decided I don’t want to continue putting cables and wires in buildings, I was ambitious and wanted to further my career. It was 1976 when I started looking for another job once I got back to Belgium.

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Chapter 2 – Lerco Friesland Belgium 1976 – 1979, the ice-cream years.

One advertisement from a company called Lerco-Friesland attracted me. They were looking for an electrician with aspirations to become a Service Technician in their after-sales service department.

Lerco Friesland was a national sales and service company for ice cream equipment, display cabinets, and bar counters for ice cream parlours, restaurants, bars, hotels and cafés.

It was actually two companies, managed by two Dutch guys’, father and son Eerdmans.

Eerdmans senior was running a company called Diafarm and Eerdmans junior a company Lerco-Friesland. Diafarm was selling ingredient products to make bread, ice cream to bakeries. Lerco was selling the machines that used these ingredients, Italian machines made

by Carpigiani. The duo Eerdmans bought an old building in Vilvoorde and the plan was to renovate the building completely. So my job and that of my fellow colleague Guldentops, was to design and fit out the building with a new electrical distribution network. We rewired everything from the offices to the laboratory, warehouse, workshops and the two adjoining apartments. Quite impressive for two youngsters even if I say so myself.

I have always had a passion for cars, every chapter in this book will have a note on the cars I was driving at that point in my life.

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Chapter 2 – Lerco-Friesland Belgium 1976 – 1979, the ice-cream years

My first car was an Opel Record from 1964, which my dad kept in his garage. I had to put two bags of 50 kilos of cement in the trunk to keep it straight on the road.

Guldentops left after we finished the cabling of the building and I became one of the aftersales repair technicians of the ice-creams machines. I didn’t eat ice cream anymore for many years …

One of the things I enjoined very much as service technician was the customer facing part of the job.

You go to people who have a problem and are unhappy/angry; then you bring a solution to their problem and you make them happy again. It was also a good lesson on how to interact with people.

While some of the problems were challenging, they were also rewarding and drove me on to look forward to the next one. This gave me a lot of job satisfaction and probably why I always stayed in service companies.

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Chapter 2 – Lerco-Friesland Belgium 1976 – 1979, the ice-cream years

Carpigiani Soft Ice Machine

And my first company car was a Renault 4 station wagon.

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Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned.

3M History “Here, our history inspires your future.

More than a century ago, 3M started as a small-scale mining venture in Northern Minnesota, then named Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Now a global powerhouse, our products improve the daily lives of people around the world.

But our success and longevity were not apparent from the start. We tried. We failed. We tried something new. Repeat cycle. Innovation and perseverance drove our founders, and it continues to drive 3Mers today.

From Humble Beginnings to Fortune 500 When 3M began in 1902, our five founders had a simple goal: to mine for corundum, a mineral ideal for making sandpaper and grinding wheels. Turns out, what they thought was corundum was really another low-grade mineral called anorthosite.

Discovering the poor-quality mineral could have caused an early end to our fledgling company, but our founders persisted. Why? Because something more important was born that first year: the spirit of innovation and collaboration that forms the foundation of 3M today. So instead of calling it quits, we turned to different materials, applied them to other products, gained the trust of important investors and built up sales little by little.

Scientific, technical and marketing innovations produced success upon success over the years, eventually making 3M a constant name on the Fortune 500 list. Today, more than 60,000 3M products are used in homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and other industries. One third of our sales come from products invented within the past five years, thanks to innovations from the thousands of researchers and scientists we employ around the world.

With corporate operations in 70 countries and sales in 200, we are committed to creating the technology and products that advance every company, enhance every home and improve every life.”

My career strategy was such that after having worked for a few small companies, I felt it was time to move to big multinationals with more opportunities and after considering a number of options I joined 3M Belgium in 1979. I bought into the vision the company portrayed in its marketing material.

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Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned

“In those days 3M was known as a global innovation company that never stops inventing. Over the years, our innovations have improved daily life for hundreds of millions of people all over the world.

We have made driving at night easier, made buildings safer, and made consumer electronics lighter, less energy-intensive and less harmful to the environment. We even helped put a man on the moon.

Every day at 3M, one idea always leads to the next, igniting momentum to make progress possible around the world.”

One of the big differences from my previous company Lerco where everybody addressed colleagues with “Mister” was at 3M everybody used a person’s first name; even up to the Managing Director. This was a refreshing change for me.

I started as a Junior Field Service Technician; they had very long titles that filled up half of your business card. My role was repairing fax and copy machines.

From there I moved very quickly through the different levels of Field Service Technician, Senior Field Service Technician to the top level of Master Field Service Technician.

3M was an American company with a lot of processes and procedures, the opposite compared to Olivetti that was the Italian spaghetti without rules and regulations. This experience of a process and procedure driven culture was very useful in later years when Olivetti was bought by the American company Wang.

Today training is completed in a couple of hours or a day; in those days training was several weeks. That’s the reason I spend a lot of time in Paris where the European training center was.

The next step for me in 3M was as a Product and Training Specialist and thanks to my manager at that time, Freddy Hernou, who gave me the opportunity to grow, I became a Product Specialist in the latest copying machines. Now I had the added responsibility of 16

Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned

training the field technicians in the new copying products and supporting them in the field to solve the more complex problems they encountered.

After a successful period in this role, I realized this was the top of a technical career in 3M at that time and if I wanted to move further up, I had to move to a management function. I was 26 years old at this point.

When one of the three supervisors moved to another department, I applied for his job and got it.

I was now Administration and Field Service Supervisor, which consisted of running the administration team of the Service Department, the dispatching team and managing the stock levels in the spare parts warehouse.

In this role I was now responsible for an after sales team of 20 people (call receiving and dispatching, administration, warehousing and service technicians), reporting to the Field Service Operation Manager.

The Volkswagen Passat was the standard company car (station wagon for the technicians and sedan for the supervisors), so over my period in this role I had three of them.

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Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned

By then, my Opel was falling apart and I bought my first new car, a Citroen 2PK, for 69900 BEF (equivalent of 1700 Euros).

Internally, 3M was using big IBM mainframes and with the displays you had the choice between green or green text …

However, Freddy, the Field Service Operation Manager, was the only person in the company who had a desktop computer, an Olivetti M20, the first desktop computer in the world (ahead of IBM).

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Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned

The Olivetti M20

At no time did I think that 6 years later I would be working for Olivetti.

I was fascinated by this new computer technology and undertook training courses at VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) in programming at my own expenses, because I wanted to understand how computers work.

For me 3M was one of my best practical schools preparing me well for the challenges that lay ahead. With 3M I learned a lot that would serve me well in later life.

It is important what kind of company you work for; especially that the company values align with yourself. But more importantly are the people you work with. What I learned was that relationships in a working environment are key to enjoying work and they need to be worked on as much as they do in life outside work.

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Chapter 3 - The 3M Belgium period 1979 – 1985, management beckoned

3M aligned with my working culture and it inspired my management style in later years.

As a result of my boss the Field Service Operation Manager being quite young and relatively new in his position, I thought if I want to speed up my career progression I needed to look outside and so the search for the next chapter in my career was underway.

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Chapter 4 – The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

Olivetti – Wang Global – Getronics

Olivetti: a story of innovation and growth Olivetti was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti.

The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti.

Established to manufacture typewriters, over the years Olivetti has undergone a series of transformations, displaying an impressive ability to adapt to continuous change in technology and on the information and communication markets.

Olivetti has moved successfully from mechanics to electronics, from office products to computers, IT systems and services and telecommunications.

Industry observers in Italy and worldwide have always admired Olivetti for its distinctive corporate style: a style based on technological excellence, innovation, quality and design, a strong focus on the market, as well as a keen interest in culture and the arts, attention to social issues and a commitment to continuous improvement in relations with employees and the territory.

At its peak in the 1970s, the company had 73,283 workers worldwide.

In other words, Olivetti successfully combines technology and culture, efficiency and social responsibility, innovation and design.

In 1978 Carlo De Benedetti bought a stake in the company and took over its management. The completion of the conversion to electronics, a stronger focus on new product development and a financial recovery achieved through a recapitalisation program and improved management efficiency put Olivetti on a solid footing for a new cycle of growth.

During the 1980s, Olivetti stepped up its growth with international acquisitions, agreements and alliances, as well as a number of venture capital operations. A key alliance was formed with the American company AT&T at the end of 1983.

With its move into information technology, Olivetti introduced a succession of systems lines and also expanded into the IT services business. Its solutions were based on the principle of standard open systems - a policy that was subsequently adopted by all the top players in the international IT arena.

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

Palazzo Uffici 1 (PU1) in Ivrea (Italy), head office of Olivetti SpA

I was drawn to a role advertised in Olivetti that met my ambitions for career progression. I applied and got the Service Manager position in Olivetti Belgium.

On the day I had my third interview where I had to present to the interview panel how I would run a service organization, as usual I arrived early and met Raf VerEecke who was the right-hand man of the Service Director and someone who later became a good friend.

To prepare for all eventualities, as I thought, I’d prepared my presentation in Flemish, French and English. When I asked Raf what the preferred language was, he told me very cool Italian ….

For a couple of minutes I was speechless as I didn’t speak one word of Italian at that time.

When the interviewing panel entered the room, I met Rene Piat (Service Director), Eric VanderElst (Sales Director at that time and Managing Director later), Walter Jaspers (HR Director) and thankfully they all spoke French and I felt more comfortable.

The presentation and interview went extremely well and I got the job!

When I started my boss, Rene Piat, told me “I will give you only two objectives; a revenue and profit figure for your region, all the rest is up to you”. With these words I embarked on my next chapter.

I was responsible for the operational and financial results of the after sales support region in the north of Belgium, the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg, being responsible for a team of 30 people.

My colleague Andre Billiet was running the other part of the Flanders, Oost and West Vlaanderen.

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

While the role was not without its challenges, in 5 years I was able to increase both the revenue and profit of the region: Revenue: From 80 million BF (1985) to 176 million BF (1991) Profit:

From 41 million BF (1985) to 105 million BF (1991)

In undertaking this role the main tasks and responsibilities included: • Managed SLA and contractual service delivery. To ensure successful delivery as agreed and perceived by the customer. Met with customers regularly to discuss Service Delivery, SLA and contractual issues.

• Managed service delivery staff. To ensure sufficient and adequately trained and experienced resources were available to meet the contractual requirements and customer expectations.

• Monitored service delivery and service delivery targets. To ensure that contractual obligations were met and customers were happy with the service provided.

My two big wins that brought immense satisfaction were Makro and Anhyp Bank in Antwerpen. I will always remember how I signed the Anhyp contract in a pub on the back of a beer coaster with Jan Floren – Anhyp’s IT Network Manager then.

Due to our massive growth, we needed more space and we built a new office location of 1500m2 in Aartselaar. My office was 60m2 and the biggest I had in my career.

The Olivetti hardware sales people at that time had their incentives for selling hardware/ software/products, so they were not very interested in selling service contracts.

So to increase revenue and profit figures I started looking for alternative revenue sources and was the first organization in Belgium to sell TPM (Third Party Maintenance) contracts successfully, together with Marc Malfroidt – Third Party Manager.

During my time with Olivetti I had two Renault 25, a Safrane and two Rovers (620 and 75) as company cars.

Renault 25, my preferred company car at Olivetti

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

Earlier I spoke about the importance of company values and the people you work with.

Olivetti was more than this; Olivetti was also a family and the best company I ever worked for.

I loved working for Olivetti.

However, I always wanted to own my own company, over the years I had 3 attempts, of which the last one was very successful.

While at Olivetti, something was niggling in the back of my mind encouraging me to start my own business. Over time, this feeling grew stronger and I decided to pay more attention to the opportunities it could present. That entrepreneurial spirit was definitely still alive and growing in me and wanted out.

With a small group of likeminded people we explored the options available and opted to start a mobile training company.

In those days, IT training was in very high demand, with few suppliers operating in that market space. We thought we had identified a sure fire winner. The idea was to fit out a bus as a training room and go to companies delivering the courses on-site.

The bright idea was stopped in its tracks as we started realizing the massive investment required to get the venture off the ground and as we didn’t have access to the necessary funds the idea was taken no further. Our idea wasn’t a bad one as can be seen by the number of product supplier who to this day use a bus to take their product demonstrations to company premises as part of their sales promotions.

In the meantime, my boss Rene moved to a new position in France and was replaced by Bernard Marchant. In 1991 I was asked by Bernard to set up a focused Sales Team within the Service Division.

I did accept that challenge and as Sales Manager delivered the following: • Started up a sales department within the Managed Services line of business.

Identified the market trends and customer service requirements.

• Promoted (internally and externally), developing and obtaining new service business (e.g. Facilities Management and Outsourcing).

• Defined the offer and sales strategies of services.

• Proposed new service offering and plans for the evolution of the current offer.

• Provided periodic updates of sales forecasts; monitored the negotiations in progress and the results obtained.

• Sales Management. Direct manager of all national services sales staff.

• Managed team of 10 account managers.

Under my guidance we expanded the business greatly from a low new business revenue (startup position) to a positive level twenty times higher: • Total revenue 2.100 million BF • Increased the new service business revenue from 30 million BF (1991) to 564 million (1996).

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

During that period my biggest success story was the CERA Bank in Leuven.

During my twenty years with Olivetti, I attended a lot of company training courses, too many to list. However, a few of them are worthy of mention here: • Eric Krauthammer – Sales Management Training and Time Management Training. I still remember the statement that “in life you don’t have time, you make time”.

• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) Manager for Distributed Computing - Gartner Group • Solution Selling - Eurosem

Olivetti was the best company I ever worked for, it was more than a company, it was a family. Maybe that is why I gave it twenty years of my life and regretted none of them.

Olivetti people that influenced my career are Camillo Olivetti, for founding Olivetti in 1908, his son Adriano for his human approach and whose entrepreneurial activity thrived on the idea that profit should be reinvested for the benefits of the whole society.

Also, Carlo de Benedetti who in 1978 became CEO of Olivetti, where he remained until his resignation in 1996. As president of Olivetti, appointed in 1983, he quickly reorganized the company, switching its focus from mechanical typewriters to computers.

I had no intention of leaving Olivetti, but at the same time I wanted to make my dreams come true.

So, I did the two at the same time, another reason why I was not often home with my family.

DI ORO

On a side note, I still had the ambition of starting my own company and eventually did. At the age of 30, I signed a contract with SAIER, a German replica car builder and Alexander Saier was also famous racer. SAIER was building buggies and replicas of the Lamborghini Countach and BMW M1. Alex Saier and I made a deal that my company, Di Oro, was the exclusive dealer for Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg) and Spain. Firstly, I wanted to call the company Diamond, but Mitsubishi had already taken out a patent on that name for their service division. So in the end I went for Di Oro as the company name, which is from “gold” in Italian.

Of course, in the longer term my plan was to build our own cars. The first model planned was based on the Minerva, The Goddess of Automobile, and a legendary Belgian car.

Minerva was in the early 20th century a Belgian motorcycle, bicycle and car brand that had kings and movie stars among its clients. It was founded in 1897. Minerva was the Belgium equivalent of Rolls-Royce and was used by a lot of Royal Families.

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

The entrepreneur in me wrote a letter to the King of Belgium, who was King Boudewijn the 1st at that time asking for his support. He (or probably one of his staff) replied stating that my idea was tremendous, he unfortunately could not be directly involved with his status as the king. I kept that letter for many years as a treasured possession.

It was a legal requirement that we had to get the cars certified as being road worthy in Belgium and although they were TUV certified in German, we had to go through the crash tests. We had to deliver up to three cars of each model to be smashed into a wall.

I couldn’t reconcile myself to do that as the thought of destroying three cars broke my heart and I sold my company.

Down but not out it was time to identify the next chapter in my life.

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

It has been a long time coming, but Wang Laboratories Inc has finally signed an agreement with Ing C Olivetti SpA to merge with the Italian company’s Olsy systems and services division, making a $3.6bn network and desktop services company. It becomes number four worldwide and instantly joins the hallowed ranks of the Fortune 500.

Wang Laboratories has agreed to buy Olivetti S.p.A. information technology unit in a $390 million deal that will make the Italian company Wangs largest shareholder with an 18.6 per cent stake, the two companies said Monday. The combined business will generate over $3.6 billion in annual revenues and employ 20,000. Under the agreement, Wang will buy from Olivetti 100 per cent of the Olsy Group in exchange for 8.75 million stock equivalents, 5 million stock appreciation rights, cash of $70 million and an earn out of $56 million payable in 2000.

About Wang Global - February 16, 1999 Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, Wang Global is a leading international networked technology services and solutions company providing a comprehensive range of information technology services for today’s network-centric business environments. With annualized revenues of approximately $3.6 billion, Wang Global designs, installs, operates and maintains global computing

and telecommunications networks for some of the world’s largest multinational companies. Services include systems architecture design, installation, warranty, help desk, maintenance, software support, and management of enterprise networks to the desktop.

Wang Global integration services provide business solutions primarily for the banking industry as well as defense and civilian government agencies. Wang Global employs approximately 20,000 professionals and has subsidiaries and affiliates in over 40 countries.

In 1998 Wang took over Olivetti Services and Solutions and we became Wang Global.

The geographical match was perfect, Olivetti very strong in Europe and Wang in the USA. The cultural fit was more challenging, Olivetti the spaghetti Italiano with few rules and Wang the American way with a lot of processes and procedures.

I had the advantage of having worked in both cultures and seen both the good and bad aspects of both approaches.

Wang’s European headquarters was in London and soon after the takeover in 1998 I joined the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) team as Marketing and Business Development Manager EMEA for NDOS (Network and Desktop Outsourcing Services).

In taking this role I found myself responsible for the budget and results of the Managed Services business throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa, both in financial as well as in operational and quality /customer satisfaction terms. My main objective was to help the

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Chapter 4 - The Olivetti chapter 1985 – 2005 or a bit more than 20 years of my life…

countries grow new services business through the implementation of a series of specific business development programs.

• My Mission: ◦

Contribute to the achievement of MS financial goals through the consolidation of our service revenues and sustainability of our margins.

◦

Service Business Development: Help countries grow profitable “new services” business by defining and running with them a series of focused service business programs.

◦

Service offer promotion and evolution: Promoted our service offering by supporting effective country sales and delivery implementation. Contributed to our offer evolution and competitiveness.

◦

Marketing: Organising and running seminars, Road Shows, open-days.

As I didn’t want to sit at a desk in the European HQ in London, I started travelling to all the different subsidiaries (mainly Europe) to help the local BD organizations win new business.

I supported them by talking with their customers and prospects, delivering presentations, answering tenders and writing bids. Every week in another country and waking up in the morning asking myself: where am I?

Getronics buys Wang Global Services firm Wang Global says it has agreed to be bought by Dutch computer services firm Getronics for about $2 billion.

Combined, the companies will have revenues of about $6.9 billion, 33,000 employees, and operations in more than 44 countries.

Getronics NV last week said it has completed its previously announced purchase of Wang Global.

The Amsterdam-based company has obtained stocks and stock warrants representing just over 90 per cent of Wang Global’s outstanding common shares, the company said in a statement.

Getronics, which does three-quarters of its business in the Netherlands and Belgium, last month offered to buy all of Wang Global’s outstanding shares for $US29.95 each, or a total purchase price of about $2 billion.

Getronics, whose main business is systems integration and consulting, has sought to buy an international services company for some time. Ironically, it had previously considered buying OlsySpA - the services arm of the Italian company Olivetti SpA - but Wang Global signed a deal to acquire Olsy last year.

Wang Global will be renamed Getronics throughout Northern and Central Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, the company said, while in North America the company will be known as GetronicsWang. In Italy, the company will be known as GetronicsOlivetti, reflecting Wang Global’s acquisition of Olsy.

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Getronics Getronics is one of the world’s leading providers of vendor independent solutions and services to professional users of ICT. Through consulting, integrating, implementing and managing Infrastructure Solutions and Business Solutions.

With 33,000 employees in 44 countries, we work with many of the world’s largest companies to maximise the value of their technology investment.

We maintain alliances with the leaders in hardware, software and communications technology which gives us access to the latest solutions and helps us plan for your future needs.

At the same time we maintain our independence, giving us the freedom to plan and deploy the right solution for you.

Our Heritage 

2003

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2000

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1999

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1998

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1997

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1985 1887

A €6.9 billion global ICT company, direct presence in over 44 countries and 33,000 employees focused on end to end solutions Building Futures, Creation of a global brand, a global offer and a global company - Getronics acquires Wang Global & achieves Worldwide coverage

TM

- Wang acquires Olsy, Olivetti Solutions and Services arm and becomes Wang Global

Grupo Cp

- Getronics acquires GrupoCP, expansion into Spain & Latin America

- Listing on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange - Groeneveld Van der Poll & Co becomes Groenpol

Through NetWorkPlace, Getronics can ensure that your ICT infrastructure will enable you to achieve your business goals, however ambitious they may be.

Getronics’ headquarters is in Amsterdam, with regional head offices in Boston, Singapore and Washington DC. Getronics’ shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam (‘GTN’).

Probably Wang overdid themselves with the acquisition of Olivetti and a year later a Dutch company Getronics took over Wang Global.

A lot of Olivetti people we’re worried about the marriage with Wang, but in my opinion the Getronics acquisition was much more challenging.

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Getronics was a big and successful company in the Netherlands, but was lacking the experience of doing business on an international level.

The headquarters were in Amsterdam and I moved from a European position to a Global one, resulting in twice as much travel including the Americas now.

The challenges of this new role included: ◦

Global Business Development responsible for Outsourcing.

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Designed and implemented the worldwide Getronics Outsourcing Structured Approach (GOSA).

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Development, launch, implementation and achievement of an Outsourcing sales and delivery methodology: GOSA Getronics Outsourcing Structured Approach

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GOSA training: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA took part in a ‘Train the Trainer’ workshop in Amsterdam where they learned how to prospect, bid, contract and deliver outsourcing deals using the GOSA framework.

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Country activities: sales and presales support (presentations, bid and proposals)

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Responsible for international outsourcing bids.

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Enhanced revenue through increased sales.

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Managed several successful complex outsourcing bids with very tight deadlines, involving greater than 120 countries, for major outsourcing accounts.

To get more standardization between the different geographies and 3 very different ways of working (Olivetti, Wang, Getronics) I came up with GOSA the Getronics Outsourcing Structured Approach.

People in all the parts of the world liked the methodology, because it gave them a consistent structure how to approach Outsourcing opportunities from pre-sales cycle till the delivery stage. After I left, Getronics continued with this methodology. Enhanced it and aligned it with the ITIL principles.

Still today after all these years when I talk to ex-colleagues, they are still using this methodology. That gives me a very warm feeling!

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Sales & Delivery Tool Kit

Phase Description Sales Process Main Roles

GOSA – Getronics Outsourcing Structured Approach

$

Account Offer Management Consultancy

Commercial Make aware Client Pain & Reason Visualize & Sell Solution

Business Consultancy

Project/Interim Management

Service Management

Delivery

Due Diligence

Transition

Accurate quantification & “ AS IS “ agreement with customer

From “As Is” to “To Be” SMIT

On-going Manage & Maintain Client’s ICT

Marketing

Deep Understanding

Project Initiation

Manage and Maintain

Pre-Sales

Baseline set-up

Execution

Continuous Improvement

Sales

Final Contract

Hand Over

Implement agreed Improvement proposals

Cost of Sales

Invoice of Transition

Invoice of DD

Invoice of Delivery Invoice of Improvement

I remain proud to this day that I was instrumental in the development of a methodology on how to bid, win, implement and deliver outsourcing deals in a structured way, at an international level and involving multiple countries around the world.

Training wise, I achieved the Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (ITIL) - ISEB (Information Systems Examinations Board).

One of the main wins then, was Shell which was achieved by following the methodology.

GETRONICS WINS PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN GLOBAL ICT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SHELL • New common operating and support environment will provide a new ICT infrastructure capability for the Royal Dutch/Shell Group worldwide • Contract worth initially approx. €75 million • 90,000 workstations, 1,000 locations, over 135 countries Shell Services International (SSI), the IT-services arm of the global energy company, has awarded Getronics a multi-million Euro partnership to create and maintain a common unified desktop computer and server environment across the worldwide operations of the Royal Dutch /Shell Group (Shell). Shell’s Global Infrastructure (GI) project covers 90,000 workstations at over 1,000 sites in over 135 countries. Shell’s IT-infrastructure is one of the broadest in the world. Getronics has been

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contracted to install the new common environment and provide the necessary maintenance and support. The three-year contract is worth initially approx. €75 million.

The services provided for Shell are those included in Getronics’ recently launched NetWorkPlace - a comprehensive portfolio of services to support the ICT infrastructure of any organisation.

In addition, Getronics will supply Cisco products to enable the upgrade of the network to the standard and future requirements of the global infrastructure.

“Shell will be breaking new ground with this GI project. We are the first major company to undertake a full migration of this technical depth and global breadth,” said Harry Roels, Managing Director of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies. “By implementing a Group infrastructure, standardised throughout the world, we are taking a critical next step in preparing our organisation to compete successfully in the future. It will improve the stability and performance of our desktop computing and telecommunications systems while lowering the Group’s total cost of ownership. The result will be a platform that enables better ways of doing business globally.”

An initiative of this scale requires an excellent interface between the client and supplier as well as high quality processes. Getronics and SSI have paid particular attention to the effective coordination of their complementary resources in the preparation for this work. SSI will use its in depth knowledge of how best to apply technology to its parent company’s business while Getronics offers its global reach and experience in delivery and support.

“We are very proud to have been awarded this exciting contract to deliver global services on behalf of Shell, to enable it to execute its business development more rapidly,” said Cees van Luijk, President and CEO of Getronics. “Shell has been one of our major clients for the past 30 years and this engagement demonstrates the strength of our relationship. It is based upon their confidence with Getronics and it demonstrates our position in the market as a major, vendor independent supplier of global services.”

After a successful implementation of the methodology in Europe and USA, the next target was APAC (Asia Pacific).

So my journey took me in 2002 to Sydney as Sales Strategy Manager Australia, more challenging than the previous markets.

At that time my 3 kids have moved out of the house and started their own families. Also I was single at that moment, so the decision to move to the other side of the world was easy.

I had built up a massive network of connections in my previous area but I didn’t know anybody in Australia and it took me a while starting from scratch to build those kind of relationships down under, but never the less succeeded again.

I started by visiting and meeting the existing customers and did cold calling with new prospects. And off course met a lot of people outside business hours for drinks and diners.

So my contacts where expanding rapidly, especially when you meet a new person, he introduces you to another one and so on. Later when I worked for Thales and got into the ITS Australia organization, my network connections grew rocket fast.

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When I arrived the local Getronics people kept their distance as they thought I was the HQ guy coming to check on them. Once they realized I came to help them win new business and with wins like Energy Australia (Provision of Integrated Desktop Services) it changed 180 degrees.

Sales Strategy Manager Australia 2002 – 2005 ◦

Design and implement the Opportunity Management Process, based on GOSA but now for all available services and focused on the sales stage within Getronics Australia.

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Lead the sales force through strategic advice in order to acquire new outsourcing customers.

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Building and aligning the services offer with local market requirements.

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Transforming latent opportunities into active opportunities by stimulating interest, defining customer pains and critical business issues, and creating the vision of a Getronics-based solution.

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Successful negotiations with EDS to sign an Asia Pacific Master Services partner agreement with Getronics.

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Responsible for the performance and management of the sales support team and for maximising the business opportunities available to achieve the financial, contractual, technical and administrative targets.

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Developed and implemented the bid management process in order to achieve optimal use of internal resources and best match with sales and services needs and requirements.

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Responsible for the bids and proposal process and the National Sales Support team.

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Responsible for building and aligning the NDOS offer with market requirements, and the Getronics global offer. Ensured the sales team has the “tool kit” they required to confidently present the NDOS offer at CxO level.

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Worked closely with the delivery team to ensure our capability matched our offer, and identified improvements where required.

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Designed the solution of qualified accounts, building the account specific offer, and assisted with the closing of the opportunity.

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Project managed the entire bid process and resources of opportunities that have been qualified and passed through the bid/no bid review.

During my time with Getronics I was instrumental in winning many major new customers including Energy Australia, FaCS, Tabcorp, DITR and EDS. My company car in Australia was a Holden Special Vehicle HSV Grange.

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In the past 20 years I have had the following private cars: Renault 15, Matra Simca Bagheera, Mercedes 280 CE, Volkswagen Buggy, BMW M1, Lamborghini Countach, Jaguar XJ6, Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, Daimler Double Six, and Jaguar XJ8 Supercharger.

One of my preferred ones the Daimler Double Six

In 2005 I received the Effective Leadership Award, an award I was pleased to receive but recognize the contribution the other team members made in my receiving the award for which I am grateful.

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I had already made my decision not to go back to Belgium after my expat period was over so I opted to stay in Australia, in 2006 I left Getronics/Wang Global/Olivetti after a bit more than 20 very happy years.

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Chapter 5 - There is life after Olivetti Time to look for another job. In Belgium, most companies advertise their vacant positions directly.

In Australia, most of the companies use recruitment agencies, in my opinion a waste of money as the companies don’t reduce their HR department and then pay those agencies to do part of the recruitment process resulting in a more involved process with little or no perceived benefits.

After a couple of interviews with recruitment agencies, specifically some 20 year old youngsters who didn’t understand the needs of the company they were recruiting for and or the candidate; I’ve realized this was going nowhere.

That’s when I started my own company, SLS Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. Specialist in Interim Management and Consulting. A new chapter has started.

SLS Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. Australia - Chief Executive Officer SLS are specialist in Interim Management and Independent Consulting with more than 40 years’ experience in project/bid management, sales, marketing, operations, finance, people, processes, crisis and IT areas, and we apply the KISS (Keep It Simple) principle in everything we do.

We have a high level of international expertise having worked around the globe in Europe, US and Asia Pacific with people from wide ranging cultural backgrounds. Our international understanding allows us to effectively deliver multilingual services in English, Dutch, Flemish and French.

Since 2002 our main worldwide headquarters are based in Sydney Australia.

We follow the defacto world best practises and are ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), Solution Selling and TRACE Certified.

We: Listen – Think – Solve • Listen: to the client’s problems and assist them with our consultative approach to visualize their needs • Think: design and build the most cost effective solution using our innovative approach • Solve: ensure that the solution is managed using Best Practice and the KISS principle In 2006 I signed my first contract with ADI Australian Defence Industries (50% owned by Thales and 50% by Transfield, becoming Thales Australia when Thales took 100%) for a contracting role as Senior Bid Manager.

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Thales Australia - ADI Australian Defence Industries - Senior Bid Manager - 2006 – 2010

Australian Defence Industries (ADI) In May 1989, Australian Defence Industries (ADI) was created as a government-owned corporation to take over the major defense industry facilities still in government ownership. Australian Defence Industries (ADI) superseded the Office of Defence Production which had been established within the Department of Defence to improve the competitiveness of government owned dockyards and defense establishments. The Defence Minister explained that the launching of ADI was part of broader process to ‘step away from the bureaucracy and politics’ and make government factories and dockyards ‘an integral part of Australian industry’.

Its four operating divisions were naval engineering at the Garden Island dockyard, ammunition and missiles, weapons and engineering and military clothing. As a prime contractor in the Australian naval shipbuilding market, ADI’s main projects were the build of six minehunter vessels and the ongoing upgrade of the FFG-7 Adelaide class frigates.

The Defence Minister detailed the government’s approach of managed competition in the naval shipbuilding sector: “Defence, like the economy at large, is best served by an industry structure that can hold its own in the world market…We have not abandoned the idea of nurturing particular capabilities in special circumstances, but government support of that kind is no longer an easy way out for firms unable to compete in the commercial area… Our objective is to foster Australian prime contractors able to achieve high levels of local content without subsidies. The ship building, ship repair and engineering industries exemplify this approach.”

ADI’s large site in St Mary’s in western Sydney was being progressively being repatriated for residential development with their munitions capability being consolidated in Benalla, Victoria and their testing facilities being sold to Vipac Engineers and Scientists. ADI manufactured the Steyr AUG based, F88Austeyr assault rifle at Lithgow Small Arms Factory. ADI also produced a variety of smokeless powders for reloading rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges, production of Australian armoured vehicles, such as the Bushmaster and producing Australian specific modifications to imported military vehicles.

On 14 June 2001 the Australian government announced its decision to select the company Transfield Thomson-CSF Joint Venture for the acquisition of Australian Defence Industries (ADI), as part of the ADI privatization process. ADI was Australia’s leading defense contractor, with revenues of approximately $A550 million (335 million euros) and 2800 employees. Its ongoing contracts included the production of the Huon class minehunters for the Royal Australian Navy, and the Australian government recently also selected the company for the FFG frigate upgrade program. Furthermore, ADI is the Australian leader for Command and Control systems, communications and munitions.

The decision to select Transfield Thomson-CSF Joint Venture’s bid was the first step in the sale, with transfer of ownership expected to be effective at the end of September 1999. Through the acquisition, Transfield and Thomson-CSF intend to strengthen ADI’s technology expertise and system integration

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capabilities, consolidating the company’s leadership position in the Australian defense market.

For Transfield, which is Australia’s leading developer of public infrastructure and has extensive experience in privatization, the acquisition of ADI is a strategic investment to increase its role in regional defense and high technology industries. Transfield is one of Australia’s largest engineering and infrastructure companies, generating approximately $A1.7 billion (1,04 billion euros) with 7,000 employees.

Thomson-CSF’s acquisition of ADI was fully in line with the Group’s ongoing strategy of alliances and partnerships: A “multi-domestic” and international strategy, in Europe and outside Europe, which enables Thomson-CSF to operate a global network while pursuing the development of a strong local presence, and to diversify its centers of excellence geographically; A strategy aiming to reinforce systems capabilities: ADI has also a systems integration experience in naval program; A strategy aiming to reinforce service provision: ADI will bring valuable activities in managing concessions for the Australian Defense Ministry.

There would be opportunities for synergies between Thomson-CSF and ADI in naval combat systems, surveillance systems, communications, and simulation and training. Thomson-CSF had been established for 35 years in Australia and already employed 700 people. With local subsidiaries specialising in sonar systems and air traffic control, the company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the development of Australian industry. Thomson-CSF is a global leader in professional electronics for civil and defense markets. With some 50,000 employees and sales of 6.2 billion euros in 1998, the company develops and supports advanced electronic equipment and systems, with a broad portfolio of businesses ranging from components to large-scale systems.

In October 2006, the French military company Thales increased its 50 per cent share in Australian Defence Industries (ADI) to full ownership. Getting the US to agree to the takeover was the biggest hurdle, given ADI’s involvement in military projects involving US-sourced technology. The bid by Thales in 2002 to acquire the 50 percent stake in ADI held by Transfield was dropped after it became clear the US opposed the takeover. The new company, to be known as Thales Australia, employed 3500 people and had a turnover of about $1 billion.

ADI Limited and Thales Australia ADI Limited, trading as Thales Australia, is Australia’s leading defence systems and engineering company operating in six business groups; Naval, Land, Joint Systems, Defence Services and Aerospace, Civil and Air Systems. ADI’s origin can be traced back over 120 years to the Colonial Ammunition Company founded in Melbourne in the 1880s. After over 100 years of colonial ownership, ADI was incorporated in 1989 as a Government Business Enterprise with the merger of various Defence manufacturing assets. The company was subsequently privatised in 1999 following sale to Transfield Holdings and Thales. In October 2006, Thales obtained 100% ownership of ADI and ADI subsequently commenced trading as Thales Australia. The evolution of ADI to Thales Australia is shown below.

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Thales is a global electronics company serving Aerospace, Defence, Transport and Security markets.

Thales’s expertise in its core markets spans the entire value chain, providing all the capabilities its customers require, from equipment and systems to comprehensive support services, and including prime contracting on large-scale programs. Thales’s leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group’s civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 52 countries with revenues in 2007 of AUD21.5 billion.

The international dimension of Thales is one of its major strengths. Worldwide, in Australia, France, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, Thales is recognised as a fully-fledged local industry player. The sheer number of countries in which Thales is leading a key role on major programs, testifies to the success of the company’s “multi-domestic” strategy.

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Thales Australia Leading the way in Aerospace, Defence, Transport and Security.

Thales in Australia is a leading security and defence systems engineering company. Thales is present in industry sectors ranging from transport, government, energy, air traffic management and other mission-critical markets. Employing 3,900 people in 37 sites around the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues in 2007 amounting to A$1.6 billion.

We trace our origins in Australia back to the 1890s and are a premier provider of systems, products and services in both commercial and defence areas.

Our expertise ranges across protected mobility vehicles, naval support services and integrated communications solutions for defence through to air traffic management systems, cyber security solutions and transport systems for the commercial sector. Thales in Australia capabilities are recognised by customers who not only require superior equipment, but the systems integration, prime contracting and through life support expertise that boost their competitive edge Thales is one of the Australian Defence Force’s most trusted partners and is one of Australia’s leaders in research and development. We have strong affiliations with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as well as leading tertiary institutions in Australia. Research and development is our company’s lifeblood, and we build on that to create, manufacture and support a wide range of truly innovative products.

Thales has access to local skills and resources and a global reach to a parent company with vast international capabilities. At every step of the value chain, Thales plays a pivotal role in making the world a safer place.

A global leader in smart transportation Thales develops intelligent and high-value solutions for the public transport and road transport markets. Activities include ticketing, supervision and control, communication and security systems, traffic management, fleet management and passenger information systems, electronic road toll collection, urban traffic management and public car park management. Thales offers a comprehensive range of integrated, modular solutions for the safe transportation of people and goods covering all forms of transport: from bus, ferry, metro, tramway and regional train networks to mainline (highspeed) links and road transport.

Specialising in ground transportation, we work closely with state and local governments as well as transport operators worldwide to meet the challenges of rapid urbanisation and the changing demand for mobility. Our integrated expertise in voice and data communications, command and control, rail signaling and security underpins safe, efficient, sustainable and more connected journeys for passengers and freight.

Transforming Australia’s infrastructure In Australia, Thales has a total workforce of 3,700 people, including a dedicated team of more than 180 transportation specialists. Our local expertise is backed by a global workforce of 8,000 transport specialists worldwide. No matter how challenging the project, we’ll get you and your passengers where you need to be, safely – whatever it takes.

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Thales is a key player in the largest transport infrastructure investment drive in Australian history.

We are actively involved in several landmark projects such as Sydney Metro, Parramatta Light Rail and Transport for NSW Digital Systems Program.

The office of Thales in Garden Island Sydney

This is the time in my career that I moved from IT to Transportation Systems.

The person who took me on board was Michael Jenkins – GM Services, who was actually my first boss at Getronics Australia.

As Senior Bid Manager my responsibilities included: • Building and aligning the Integration and Outsourcing Services offer with market requirements for the non-defence market.

• Building a tangible presentation support document framework to be used during bid / tendering response process (Project Alpine).

• Bid Management, Solution Architecture, Business Consultancy and Marketing.

• Budgeting and forecasting of future orders for all markets in the Transport, Security and Aerospace division and management of the development of all Tender Responses, Quotes, Expressions of Interest and any other forms of Offer (both government and enterprise Customers).

• Manage proposal production personnel, facilities, equipment and materials.

• Development of proposal win themes and designs with account, engineering and functional managers.

• Perform analysis of opportunities and provide bid/no bid advice.

• Coordinate bid/no bid and all review meetings.

• Sales Support and Bid Management.

• Services Solution Architect.

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Early wins: • Woolworths - Thales Australia installed an advanced completely integrated security system for the new headquarters of Woolworths’ Bella Vista, Norwest Support Facility comprising Closed Circuit TeleVision (CCTV), Cameras, Digital Video Recorders, Access Control, Asset Tracking, Biometric Readers, Intercom and ancillary systems and has fully maintained this system.

The site is accessed daily by 4000 people, including 1,000 visitors and numerous motor vehicles. Security comprises a complex mix of technologies including CCTV, digital video recorders, security controlled doors and fast entry turnstiles, infrared beam detectors guarding ground floor windows, and iris scanners controlling access to sensitive areas. All personnel and critical assets are tracked throughout the buildings in real-time. This sophisticated operation is so low key that most people going about their business at this site are barely aware of it. This is the future of security—powerful and comprehensive, yet discreet with a low impact on people’s day-to-day activities.

• APEC 2007 – In 2006 Thales Australia was engaged by the Commonwealth of Australia as Prime System Integrator to design, build, integrate and operate an Accreditation and Security Access Control System (ASACS) for APEC Australia 2007.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is an inter-governmental forum facilitating economic growth and prosperity, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC Australia 2007 operated from January to September 2007 and during this period Australia hosted a series of APEC ministerial, officials level and business-group meetings across the country. The APEC Australia 2007 year culminated with the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in early September, the most significant international gathering of an economic kind that Australia has hosted.

The Thales ASACS delivered by Thales Australia accredited over 60,000 people attending 18 ministerial meetings in Canberra, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns and Sydney. APEC’s concluding Leaders meetings alone were attended by 10,000 senior officials, delegates and world leaders from twenty-one APEC countries, 3,000 media and 9,000 hospitality and security personnel.

The system used fixed and wireless internet, WAN (Wide Area Network) and VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology to provide a secure environment that is rated to a security level of ‘IN-CONFIDENCE’, as governed by the Australian Government Information Security Manual ACSI33 published by DSD (Defence Signals Directorate). Two separate data centers were established, a Data Hosting Centre for data storage and management and a Data Processing and Monitoring Centre for registration, credential production and encoding.

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One of the most interesting bids I worked on was AIR 9000 Phase 8 CoA, systems integration (IT, Communications, Radar, Sonar, Flight Control) and services outsourcing with equipment availability SLA (guarantee # flying hours). Bid Team 27 people, value > $200M. Thales Australia understands the operational criticality of Naval Aviation combat capability for the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Defence Force. Embarked helicopters are critical components of the capability of naval surface vessels as they greatly extend the reach of the ship’s sensors and weapons. They can conduct anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions with missiles and torpedoes, move personnel and stores ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore and conduct search and rescue activities. They are considered to be an essential part of the ship’s information collection capability and ability to deploy offensive power.

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My two main wins in that period that gave me the most satisfaction are: ◦

Sydney Ferries, Passenger Information System (I remember, we signed on Christmas eve)

◦

Queensland Motorways, Free-Flow Tolling project

Sydney Ferries’ customers to benefit from new travel information system

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Thales has been awarded a contract to provide Sydney Ferries with a new Ferry Operations and Communications Information System (FOCIS) – a user-friendly passenger information system designed to enhance the travelling experience.

Sydney Ferries’ customers will have access to real-time ferry service information, on the wharf, on vessels, over the internet, on mobile phones and PDAs. Customers will be able to see what time a ferry is expected to arrive or depart, as well as its location on the harbour.

FOCIS also provides real-time information to staff, including a passenger counting system to enable the allocation of additional vessels to busy routes at peak times and improve the management of vessel operations.

A pilot program will begin the FOCIS rollout across Sydney Ferries’ vessels and wharves, with full implementation scheduled for mid-2010.

FOCIS at a glance: • Multiple channels for customers to access ferry information including information boards, the web, mobile phones and PDAs. • Designed to interface with NSW buses linking with ferries, with potential to link with other NSW public transport systems.

• Potential to enhance passenger experience through the provision of news, information about specific locations, tourism hotspots and attractions.

• Adaptability and scalability to meet current and future requirements.

• Proven system in use around the world across a range of public transport.

• Equal information for visually and hearing impaired customers.

Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s managing director, said: “Thales is pleased to be working with the NSW Government to enhance Sydney’s public transport system.”

“Thales’s local capability and expertise ensures local deployment and ongoing support of FOCIS, and a close working relationship with Sydney Ferries.

“FOCIS leverages Thales’s passenger information systems and technologies currently in place across multiple public transport modes around the world.”

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QML Queensland Motorways Free Flow Tolling System for Brisbane 14 February 2008 Thales wins major ground transportation contract in Australia

Thales, the world’s leading supplier of security solutions and services, has been awarded the contract for the design and implementation of the road side Free-Flow Tolling project by Queensland Motorways Limited. This multi-million dollar project will see automatic tolls implemented across Brisbane’s Logan Motorway, Gateway Extension and Gateway Bridge.

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Free-Flow Tolling is a cashless, fully electronic, non-stop tolling system that improves travel times, reduces congestion, enhances safety, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is set to speed up trips for Brisbane motorists from 2009 “The implementation of Free-Flow Tolling will see a removal of cash lanes and toll booths, with all tolls instead being paid electronically, said Phil Mumford, Chief Executive Officer, Queensland Motorways. “ These systems are state-of-the-art and ensure we will be well equipped to deliver costeffective tolling services and products to our customer now and into the future.”

With current annual traffic volume across the Gateway and Logan Motorways estimated at approximately 69 million vehicles, the transition to Free-Flow Tolling on the Logan Motorway, the Gateway Extension and the Gateway Bridge will significantly improve the operation of the toll road in Queensland, providing Brisbane motorists with substantial improvements in travel reliability.

Queensland Motorways Limited delivers major road and bridge infrastructure throughout Queensland, and owns and operates the Gateway Bridge toll road, the Logan and Gateway Extension Motorway toll roads, and the Port of Brisbane Motorway.

The Free-Flow Tolling concept enables motorists to pay their toll at all speeds, from stand-still to 110 km/h, through an electronic device attached to their vehicle’s windscreen. The tolling equipment will be mounted on a single gantry above the road without the need for additional structures or markings in the road surface.

The Thales road-side Free-Flow Tolling system uses innovative technology, and specialised image processing developed with German company Vitronics, a leading supplier of tolling and traffic enforcement technology used in Germany and throughout the world. Key advantages of the Thales Free-Flow Tolling systems are the single gantry requirement and the classification sub-systems.

Thales will locally deploy and support the solutions and a significant part of the software configuration and development will be done by Thales in Australia.

“This contract firmly positions Thales as a leading, global player in the tolling market. It also illustrates the impact of the recent investment and development Thales has made, ensuring Thales continues to be ahead in the Electronic Tolling business” commented Olivier Houssin, Executive VP Thales, who attended the contract signing.

The Free-Flow Tolling system itself consists of: • A single gantry which supports communication equipment, • A classification sub-system to determine the vehicle class, for example car, truck, bus etc.

• An image processing sub-system which captures the registration number of vehicles, and • A centralized sub-system which monitors and controls the tolling gantries “This project confirms Thales’ commitment to investing in local industry, technology and people,” says Pierre Maciejowski, Thales Security Solution and Services Division Country Director for Australia.

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Chapter 5 - There is life after Olivetti

Thales offered me a permanent role, which I accepted. I didn’t close down SLS but kept it asleep as I knew deep down one day I would go back to my own company.

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Chapter 6 - Leighton Contractors ANZ 2010 – 2013

Formed in Australia in 1949 by Englishman Stanley Leighton, Leighton Contractors was listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange in 1962.

After early work, including on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme, the company expanded its presence during the 1970s and 1980s through key contracts such as the redevelopment of Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Its growth continued into the 1990s and 2000s, designing and constructing major civil engineering and building projects across Australasia.

Leighton Contractors is one of Australia’s most recognised, diverse and established industry leaders. We have more than 14,000 people providing services to the infrastructure, mining, telecommunications, civil construction, industrial, energy, health and services sectors.

Following the merger of Leighton Contractors Services division, Thiess Services, and Visionstream in 2015, we’ve combined more than 30 years’ of industry knowledge and know-how in the creation of Ventia.

We provide long-term operation, maintenance, and management of critical public and private assets and infrastructure across telecommunications, transport, local government, water, power generation, electricity, gas, healthcare, education, resources and defence industries.

Our strong commitment and approach to emerging technology allows us to craft solutions for our clients that are reliable, forward-thinking and show how passionate we are about what we do.

We believe we contribute to stronger communities by making them safer and more sustainable.

We have an exciting future, building on the capabilities of 4,500 employees and extensive subcontractor team, delivering for clients and the community who know they can count on us to get the job done.

Leighton Contractors Service Division was looking for a senior bid manager to response to an RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) tender for the operation and maintenance of the M5 East in Sydney. I applied and got the job.

As Senior Bid Manager Services Division Australia and New Zealand my first challenge was to tender for: M5 East Operations and Maintenance outsourcing; including the total incident management (Traffic Control Room) and all systems maintenance (ITS Intelligent Transport System, Security, Air Quality Control, Safety, Environmental, and Risk Systems) with high level availability to keep the tunnel and motorway open for road users. The contract value was greater than $70M. With a small tendering team of 5 contractors with myself as the only employee; we bid and won the tender.

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This was one of the best teams I was ever a part of, 3 of them became very good friends, Andrew Gebicki, Paul Oakes and Andrew Balak.

I’m quite good in evaluating people, 95% of the cases I’m right. I was wrong with one of the 5, whom I trusted and got him into Cubic later. Unfortunately, he didn’t keep his word and that was it for me, our relationship was broken from that point onwards.

This was the first win for Leighton without a D&B (Design and Build) element. Their traditional business was for the DBOM (Design, Build, Operate & Maintain) of roads, tunnels and bridges.

10 August 2011 SYDNEY Leighton Contractors awarded M5 East Freeway operations and maintenance contract Leighton Contractors has been awarded an operations and maintenance contract by the RTA for the M5 East Freeway (M5 East) in Sydney.

The five-year contract is worth $70 million and includes an option for the RTA to extend the term by up to an additional five years.

Peter Hicks, Executive General Manager of Leighton Contractors’ Investment and Facility Management Division, said the contract cemented the Company’s position as one of the largest private motorway and tunnel operations and maintenance providers in Australia.

“We’re delighted to be working for the RTA to deliver operations and maintenance services for the M5 East,” said Mr. Hicks.

“For the past decade, we have successfully delivered similar services to the adjoining Eastern Distributor,” he said.

The contract for the overall management of the operation and maintenance of the M5 East includes improvement services, support for network operations, operational asset management and associated project management.

Project mobilisation starts on 9 September with full services commencing 9 December 2011. The M5 East links the M5 Motorway at Beverly Hills with General Holmes Drive at Sydney Airport and on to the Eastern Distributor.

It provides motorway conditions for road-users from the south-western suburbs of Sydney to Port Botany, Sydney Airport, Sydney CBD and Sydney’s eastern and northern suburbs. The M5 East is dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction.

The M5 East is toll free and provides ramp access at King Georges Road, Kingsgrove Road, Bexley Road, Princes Highway and Marsh Street. The M5 East also incorporates crossings for road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

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The M5 East is one of the busiest motorways in Australia and is a key arterial road for Sydney commuters, transporting close to 150,000 vehicle journeys per day.

Leighton Contractors has operated and maintained the M5 East Motorway on behalf of the NSW Government Authority Roads and Maritime Services (Roads and Maritime) since 2011. Forming part of the Sydney orbital road network, the motorway is 10km long, includes two major tunnels and is also a critical passageway for Sydney’s international trade freight.

Our M5 East operations are managed centrally through the Motorway Control Centre (MCC) located in Sydney’s south west. We deliver comprehensive maintenance services and respond to all incidents quickly and efficiently, to make sure we keep all lanes flowing freely and safely.

Our services include: • asset management and asset life cycle cost management • 24/7 control room management • environmental monitoring • fire and life safety system management • closure management • incident response.

I really enjoined winning the M5 tender and the team I was working with, however Leighton was the weirdest organization I’ve worked for, probably because I was used to IT or systems companies. This was a construction company at its heart, although I was part of the services arm.

After the M5 win, we developed and delivered more winning tender submissions for Infrastructure Services projects. ◦

Road Maintenance Contestability Reform Program – RMS, Sydney

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Road Asset Management Contract – TMR, Brisbane

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East West Link - Victorian Government, Melbourne

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North West Rail Link – Transport for NSW, Sydney

But the two other major wins that followed after the M5 success were: Airportlink M7 in Brisbane and Transmission Gully State Highway in Auckland, New Zealand: 53

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From 2012 to 2018, Leighton provided operations and maintenance services to Brisbane’s AirportlinkM7. The AirportlinkM7 includes 6.7km of twin tunnels, forming part of the M7 Motorway, connecting Brisbane’s central business district and the Clem7 to the East-West Arterial Road, leading to Brisbane Airport.

The services we provided included: • Project management • Traffic and incident management • Emergency management • Safety, health and environment management • Quality training • Asset maintenance in accordance with Code of Maintenance Standards • Subcontractor management • Legislative compliance • Administration and finance management • Stakeholder engagement • 24/7 traffic control room operations

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Transmission Gully is one of the most significant new infrastructure developments in New Zealand’s North Island. As well as being the first roading Public Private Partnership (PPP) in New Zealand, it is intended to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable journey for road users and be a catalyst for growth in the region.

In July 2014 the NZ Transport Agency signed a PPP contract with WGP to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the $850m, 27km Transmission Gully motorway.

Leighton Contractors Infrastructure Services team are proud to be providing Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services to Wellington Gateway Partnership for the 25-year concession period of the Transmission Gully project.

The project comprises a 27km four lane motorway connected to the existing roading network by four new interchanges and two new link roads. The project includes 23 new bridge structures of varying size, approx. 100 transverse culverts of varying length, 70km of open drainage swales, 90km of traffic barriers, approx. 900 traffic signs and some 600ha of planted areas for the Leighton team to maintain.

Leighton’s O&M services will include asset management, proactive and preventative maintenance and inspections, corridor management and traffic control, structural maintenance and management, seismic monitoring and management, incident response, data collection and systems monitoring, and environmental management.

Thousands of vehicles, including hundreds of heavy vehicles, pass through coastal communities like Mana, Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton every day. The Transmission Gully motorway is intended to divert vehicle traffic away from these communities, with the number of vehicles using the existing coastal SH1 route expected to reduce significantly. This means those communities can look ahead to creating more liveable environments, with safer, more user-friendly facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

Leighton decided to follow the Shipley approach for winning business. So I followed this valuable training from Shipley: Winning Proposal Strategies.

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It’s interesting to know that companies I worked for before and after like Thales and Cubic also adapted the Shipley methodology.

However, Leighton’s ethics didn’t align with mine and the South African who was head of the department had completely different values from mine. Continued employment in this environment was not something I could sustain no matter how good the team environment was and it was good. This was definitely an example of the often quoted expression “people leave managers not companies”.

So one of the best things I did in my career was to leave Leighton.

Driving a Porsche 911 Targa at that time.

In Australia you can get personalised number plates (if you pay for it), so the number plate of all my cars there was DIRK

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Chapter 7 – SLS Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. Australia 2006 – 2021

Chief Executive Officer – President – Chairman

A new chapter begins and it’s time to wake up my own company again. I decided not to work as a permanent employee anymore; I would only do contracting roles. The good thing about doing contracting roles is that you get to know a lot of different companies and cultures. Also, you’re not seen as a threat to people looking to take over their job, you going you deliver the work and move on to the next challenge. Most of all, you don’t get involved in the politics of the company.

Here follows a description overview of the services that my company SLS delivers: Interim Management Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change within an organisation. In this situation, a permanent role may be unnecessary or impossible to find on short notice. Additionally, there may be nobody internally who is suitable for, or available to take up, the position in question.

Interim management may be described as “the rapid hands-on resolution of business problems by highly experienced senior executives hired on a short-term basis “. An interim manager on the other hand may be described as “an all-in-one project manager, consultant, and senior executive working at or near board level”.

Our high profile Interim Managers are available at short notice to assume responsibility during those critical periods of your company’s development. These critical periods may occur during the implementation of new technologies or while transitioning to new management structures. An Interim Manager allows you to establish stability and structure while consolidating the position of your company prior to formalising key management appointments.

Typically an Interim Manager engagement could occupy a one to twelve month term. During this period the Interim Manager may also play an active role in documenting his/her position and also assist in the recruitment of a permanent replacement.

The pressure on business to deliver results, and to simultaneously operate at ever increasing efficiencies, has never been greater. Headcount reductions, hiring freezes, outsourcing and reorganisations are everyday occurrences, as are corporate change programmes aimed at delivering strategic business transformation or even just short-term improvements to net profit. In this cost- and results- oriented business climate, the question of optimal resourcing is never far from the surface.

Organisations typically choose interim managers either to fill roles that are temporary or to fill critical staffing gaps when a permanent employee cannot be found quickly enough.

The benefits of an Interim Manager are many and varied. Benefits are obvious in the access you receive to very high-calibre management and leadership skills.

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Interim Managers: • Start working with your organisation at short notice, with minimum recruitment and termination formalities • Bring vast and wide ranging experience to address your business issues • Deliver consistently and quickly • Can transfer skills, contacts and experience to your team, which will remain with your organisation long after they have left • Have sensitivity to your company’s ethos but not constrained by its politics, personalities, or protocols • Help to keep the head count of permanent staff low • Can be given a critical task on which to focus • Highly cost-effective

Consulting Our professional consultants provide timely expertise in two main areas: • Sales (pre-sales, bids and proposals, business development, marketing) • IT (services and outsourcing) Our consulting services are advisory services to help companies analyse and improve the efficacy of sales operations and IT services strategies.

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Sales Consulting Our sales consulting services include sales process transformation, sales process redesign or reengineering, as well as sales performance improvement.

IT Consulting IT consulting services are advisory services that help clients assess different IT Services strategies and, in doing so, align their IT Services strategies with their business or process strategies. These IT consulting services include services process transformation, services process redesign or reengineering, services performance improvement, governance and sourcing advisory services.

No, this was not the SLS building ...

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Driving a Holden Caprice at that time:

So during 2013 – 2014, I did 3 short term contracts, before Cubic (5 years).

I left Leighton on a Friday and picked up my first contract the Tuesday after and that was only because Monday was a public holiday. This was for Downey as the Sales and Marketing Director to tender for the air-conditioning and ventilation systems for the TTE Byron Bay tunnel.

Downey Group Services – 2013 - 2014

“Downey Group Services provide 24/7 maintenance and repair services for critical infrastructure projects. We protect your assets through a proactive approach to maintenance and ensure a safe and clean work environment to give you total peace of mind.

Ambitious and highly experienced with foundations built on strong engineering and project management skills in HVAC construction, I have always been an entrepreneur with ability in identifying and qualifying opportunities with new and existing customers. Highly experienced in developing and managing sales, developing proposals, presenting offers and negotiating contracts, my business management skills are well balanced with a strong background in technical and sales.

My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them ... from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full. In recent years, I formed

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Downey Group Services, specializing in air conditioning, fire and engineering services in a range of complex environments.

The company’s success has been attributed to the exceptional quality of work delivered as well as consistently surpassing client’s expectations – two core values of our brand. My solid reputation, credibility and commitment to quality are attributes that have gained Downey Group Services contracts with many top-tier companies, including: M5 East Motorway, Lane Cove Tunnel, Cross City Tunnel, Eastern Distributor, Epping to Chatswood Rail Link, M2 Tunnel, M5 Motorway, State Rail, NSW Police, Telstra, Multiplex, Australian Red Cross, P&O Shipping, Austral Land, Westfield Complex and Ku Children Services.” – Wayne Downey – Chief Executive Officer at Downey Group Services

As the Sales and Marketing Director for Downey (2013-2014) I managed the complete tender submission for the Pacific Highway Upgrade – Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Project for the Supply and Installation of Mechanical Ventilation Air Conditioning (MVAC).

This short term assignment was exactly as I describe in the Interim Management services of SLS: as “the rapid hands-on resolution of business problems by highly experienced senior executives hired on a short-term basis “. Get in, get the job done and get out. It felt a bit strange working for a small company again, after being with big enterprises for more than 30 years. But the good thing is that decisions we’re made on the spot immediately with the owner and CEO of Downey, without the need of getting approvals from multiple management levels.

The other very pleasant part was that I worked again with Andrew Gebicki, who actually introduced me to Wayne Downey.

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Transport for NSW, sometimes abbreviated to TfNSW, and pronounced as Transport for New South Wales, is an agency of the New South Wales Government created on 1 November 2011, and is the leading transport and roads agency in New South Wales, Australia.

Sydney Trains is the operator of rail services across the metropolitan Sydney area, bounded by Berowra, Emu Plains, Macarthur and Waterfall.

Sydney Trains also operate the Rail Operations Centre and are responsible for the maintenance of assets including tracks, trains, signals, overhead wiring, stations and facilities. Sydney Trains also maintains trains and a large proportion of the infrastructure used by NSW TrainLink.

In 2011, Sydney Trains developed a Condition Monitoring Strategy for the period 2012-2017.

The strategy encompassed both train (infrastructure to train) and infrastructure (infrastructure to infrastructure) condition monitoring. The development of the Strategy outcomes were based off rigorous review process which included current CM practices, maturity assessment of Sydney Trains’ existing condition monitoring systems, extensive stakeholder engagement and a thorough examination of Sydney Trains’ incident history. Sydney Trains’ high level business requirements were established for asset condition monitoring systems in consultation with stakeholders.

Examination and analysis of best practice was conducted as part of the Condition Monitoring Strategy Project. Parsons Brinckerhoff produced a Condition Monitoring Strategy Best Practice Report outlining a series of recommendations and rail industry contacts. The Best Practice Report provides Sydney Trains with an initial basis to conduct further investigations and establish networking with other operators to meet business needs whilst capitalising on efficiencies identified by other operators through research and development, system trials and experiences.

To capitalise on potential benefits and value efficiencies, the Strategy recommends the need for the formal establishment of a Condition Monitoring Program governance structure. The governance structure, comprising of a Steering Committee and Working Party will ensure the commitment and leadership of Senior Management and operational staff to realise the forecasted benefits and drive the required step changes needed to ensure all the maximisation of all identified benefits.

That’s where I did a 6 month contract for Transport for NSW / Sydney Trains as a Senior Project Manager preparing to go out for tender for the Points and Track Circuit Monitoring Project within Sydney Trains. Responsible and accountable for the design, tender, contract negotiations and procurement of an integrated real time electric points and track monitoring solution, with the objective of providing points and track maintainers with predictive information on conditional failure based on known degradation signatures.

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Points and Track Circuit monitoring During this assignment my given objective was to deliver the following scope of work: Scope: Develop a plan that includes the implementation of electric current monitoring on critical points and track circuits. Establish a procurement framework based on an open standard telemetry interface integrated into an intelligence and analytics layer that provides proactive alerts and alarms to maintenance stakeholders. Develop specifications and procure the first batch of systems. Develop a business process framework to align with condition based alerts response. It was expected that we would analyse five to ten years points and track circuit incident data to establish a baseline. Quantify benefits and prepare an economic evaluation towards a roll out plan business case. Prepare a framework to monitor, sustain and improve realised benefits in the future.

What this contract position provided me with was extremely good experience working on the other side of the fence where I had to put myself in the customer’s shoes when making decisions.

This was a great experience! People often say that working for a government department is not really work. I can state for sure that there are a lot of hard working and motivated people within Sydney Trains and TfNSW.

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VITRONIC’s core competency in the traffic technology sector is the monitoring of vehicles in moving traffic. With our POLISCAN family of products, we offer national agencies and private service providers systems for speed enforcement, red light enforcement and number plate recognition. Toll system operators use our TOLLCHECKER system to automate toll collection and toll enforcement.

All VITRONIC traffic enforcement systems are based on laser scanner measurement technology (LIDAR, Light Detection and Ranging). This innovation enables high-precision measurements over several lanes of traffic and eliminates the need to integrate equipment into the road surface. Thanks to the benefits offered by LIDAR technology, more than 5,000 VITRONIC laser scanners are currently used in traffic enforcement across the globe.

Continuing on, my next contract was with VITRONIC Machine Vision in Melbourne, Australia as the Bid Director in 2014 for mobile cameras for the Department of Justice.

In this role I was responsible for managing the complete Vitronic tender submission for the Mobile Traffic Camera Project for the Victorian Department of Justice.

This was a very short but extremely positive experience, working again with Richard Middelmann – Managing Director Vitronic Australia. In the past, I’ve worked with Richard on the successful QML bid, he for Vitronic and me for Thales.

Richard and me where getting along very well, used to work together. And at that point in time he didn’t had the in-house skills that I brought to this submission. Also the employees knew that I came there temporary to help out and wasn’t a treat for them. They’ve accepted me and we’ve worked together as one team.

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The opportunity The Victorian Government has identified speed management and speed enforcement as key priorities in the effort towards reducing death and serious injury on Victoria’s roads.

In order for the State to maintain the existing level of road safety and road-safety enforcement, a functioning fleet of mobile cameras needs to be available for deployment across Victoria.

There is a positive correlation between road-safety cameras and saving lives. Enforcing speed-related offences increases road safety and reduces the road toll.

Victoria’s road-safety camera system comprises both mobile and fixed cameras working in tandem to ensure that speed enforcement coverage is maximised across all Victorian roads. Mobile road safety aims to generate general deterrence across the entire road network via an ‘anywhere, anytime’ operational mode employed in over 2000 locations.

An opportunity exists to refresh components of Victoria’s current, mobile digital road-safety camera, as defined in the Road Safety (General) Regulations 2009.

The Mobile Camera Replacement (MCR) Project has been established to procure a replacement mobile digital road-safety camera technology: the mobile camera system.

The mobile camera system includes the camera, the speed detection device and the software to operate the camera and speed detection device. The mobile camera system may include associated components, such as camera flash and integrated, secondary speed verification system.

The MCR Project is managed by the Major Programs and Projects Office (MPPO), on behalf of the Infringement Management and Enforcement Services (IMES) business unit.

IMES is responsible for managing the end-to-end infringements system in Victoria, including delivering and monitoring the road-safety camera program.

MPPO is responsible for planning, managing and supporting projects on behalf of Department of Justice portfolio clients.

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Chapter 8 – Cubic Transportation Systems APAC 2014-2019

About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries’ effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation.

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is an industry-leading integrator of payment and information solutions and related services for intelligent travel applications. CTS delivers integrated systems for transportation and traffic management, delivering tools for travelers to choose the smartest and easiest way to travel and pay for their journeys, and enabling transportation authorities and agencies to manage demand across the entire transportation network.

Sales and Marketing Director (2014 – 2019) While I was working for Sydney Trains/Transport for NSW, my boss Pascal Labouze had a catch-up with Tom Walker (Managing Director Asia-Pacific and Senior Vice-President for Cubic Transportation Systems). Tom asked Pascal if he knew somebody with ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) and Tolling knowledge/experience. Pascal said I’ve got somebody

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working for me with that background, but don’t take him away from me before he finishes my project. That person was me and the same week I met Tom for the first time, we had a very friendly chat and it clicked immediately between us. Tom indicated to me that he would call me when I finished working for Pascal. The last week I was at Vitronic, Tom indeed called and we had our second meeting on Friday. I started with Cubic the Monday after.

I started very quickly, but it took a long time before we signed the contract between Cubic and me ; because my company Senior Level Services needed to be TRACE (Transparent Agents and Contracting Entities) certified. And I had to renew this every year.

TRACE membership and due diligence services are designed to help companies spend less while maintaining a dynamic anti-bribery compliance program. Over the last two decades, TRACE has worked with thousands of multinational companies and small and mediumsized enterprises worldwide to establish widely accepted best practices.

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One person I need to mention here is Bob Langridge. I hired Bob as a Solution Architect when I was at Getronics; he went to Thales before me and was already at Cubic when I arrived. So we have actually worked together in 3 different companies.

Cubic was a very well known leading international company for public transport fare collection systems, like the Opal card in Sydney and the Oyster card in London.

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My mission was to develop the business for the new services portfolio in ITS and Tolling systems in Asia Pacific.

When I told people in the beginning that I worked for Cubic; their first reaction was: ah the ticketing company. It took us a number of years to change this image/perception and to also get Cubic known as “the master of the universe in ITS and Tolling Systems”, but we eventually succeed.

One of the other things I wanted to achieve was sitting on a Board of Directors. So, in 2015 I was admitted as member of ACID, the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Being a MACID Member Australian Institute of Company Directors was the start of my Board career.

Cubic became one of the two Platinum members of ITS Australianin 2016 and I was able to secure a board position in the organization, representing Cubic as a Director of the Board. On top of that, I was the Chair of the MarCom Committee.

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Me and Soren Tellegen – Executive Vice President and Managing Director APAC for Kapsch

ITS Australia Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia is the peak body for advanced transport technology in Australia. Formed in 1992, we have partnered with government, industry, and academia to shape future transport for more than 25 years. Australia is a global leader in intelligent transport, and ITS Australia works on behalf of more than 125 member organisations to promote the development and deployment of technologies that enable all Australians to move more safely, efficiently, and sustainably through the nation’s transport networks.

ITS Australia is an independent not-for-profit incorporated membership organisation. Affiliated with peak ITS organisations around the world, ITS Australia is a major contributor to the development of the industry across all public and private transportation modes: air, sea, road, and rail.

Our key activities include convening national and international conferences, facilitating dialogue between transport modes and across government jurisdictions, promoting research and development, and supporting the export of Australian technologies.

ITS Australia advocates the application of communication, data processing, and electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and mode-to-mode systems to increase transportation safety and sustainability, reduce congestion, and improve the performance and competitiveness of Australia’s networks.

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CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | JANUARY 10TH 2017

Cubic Executive Appointed to ITS Australia Board of Directors Cubic Transportation Systems to support advancements in the regional transportation industry with new appointment SAN DIEGO – January 10, 2017 – Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB), today announced that Dirk Van de Meerssche, Sales and Marketing Director of intelligent transport systems and tolling for Asia Pacific at CTS, has been appointed to the board of directors for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia.

Representing more than 100 member organizations across government, industry and academia, ITS Australia plays a critical role in promoting, debating and advancing opportunities for the adoption of intelligent transport solutions nationwide across all public and private modes.

Cubic is an active part of ITS in Australia, making positive contributions across a broad range of areas from public transportation to traffic management as well as cutting-edge research and pilot programs, all helping to make our transportation networks smarter,” said ITS Australia CEO Susan Harris. “Dirk is a key leader of these activities and I look forward to his contribution as a director of the ITS board and as we work to advance the opportunities for transportation technology in the region.”

“It is an absolute privilege to sit on the ITS Australia board of directors alongside such a prestigious group of thought leaders in the industry,” said Van de Meerssche. “I welcome the opportunity to play a part in making travel smarter, safer and more efficient and look forward to working with the board to achieve this vision.”

Building on my excellent relationship with the University of Melbourne, Cubic became one of the three founding members of AIMES - Australian Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem, Melbourne. In 2016, I secured a position on the Executive Committee, and the Transport Executive Forum (TEF) of the University of Melbourne representing Cubic.

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Dirk Van de Meerssche and Majid Sarvi, professor in Transport for Smart Cities in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne agreed on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

UoM University of Melbourne, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES) AIMES is a world-first living laboratory based on the streets of Melbourne, established to test highly integrated transport technology with a goal of delivering safer, cleaner and more sustainable urban transport outcomes.

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Cubic’s central management system developed for the AIMES project. (screenshot courtesy of Cubic/AIMES)

CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | OCTOBER 13TH 2016 Cubic and University of Melbourne to Deliver World’s First ‘Urban Laboratory’ National Connected Multimodal Transport Test Bed to look at large-scale implementation of new technologies for stressed urban infrastructure SAN DIEGO – October 13, 2016 – Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), and the University of Melbourne today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to partner on the development of a National Connected Multimodal Transport (NCMT) Test Bed, which will deliver the first implementation of Cubic’s Surface Transport Management Solution worldwide.

The NCMT Test Bed will be the world’s first urban laboratory capable of large-scale testing and implementation of emerging technologies in complex urban environments. The testing will explore ways to relieve pressures created by population growth and traffic increases by using data from traffic, public transportation and parking. The NCMT Test Bed will also focus on multimodal transportation systems consisting of connected vehicles, roadways, freight, city logistics, public transportation, smart stations, pedestrians and cyclists.

“Our transportation infrastructure is under severe pressure and this is only going to increase.

Governments need to make operations more efficient, while allowing customers to easily connect with all the services and infrastructure we have created,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director, CTS Asia-Pacific. “To achieve this, cities need to take advantage of the massive

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amounts of data currently at their fingertips and realize new opportunities to connect different systems and create a level of higher intelligence about the system as a whole.”

Cubic’s Surface Transport Management Solution forms the core of the NCMT Test Bed by providing an enhanced system for data usage and analysis by transportation planners. Through its cloud-based platform and unique multimodal integration capabilities, Cubic’s solution can connect different systems and data sets to provide planners with a holistic real-time view of travel across the entire network.

This integration of public, private, freight and active transportation information is essential in guiding strategic decisions to improve traffic patterns, reduce congestion and revolutionize city planning. It will also enhance customer experience through providing a higher quality of information to travellers about all transportation modes from one personalized account.

“We are keen to establish long-term partnerships with leading transport engineering solutions providers, and working with Cubic on the NCMT Test Bed will allow testing and implementation of connected transport in a real-world and dynamic environment,” said Professor Majid Sarvi, professor in Transport for Smart Cities in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne. “The NCMT is an integrated platform connecting tools and enablers, which will empower governments and wider industry to examine different mobilities and transport scenarios in preparing for future smart cities.”

CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | AUGUST 10TH 2017 Cubic and Partners Recognized for Innovative and Disruptive Use of Technology in Melbourne Cubic Transportation Systems and partners receive “OpenGov Asia Recognition of Excellence” award for Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem

SAN DIEGO – Aug. 10, 2017 – Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB), the University of Melbourne and its project partners received the “OpenGov Recognition of Excellence” award from OpenGov Asia for the development of the Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES), formerly known as the National Connected Multimodal Transport Test Bed. AIMES is Australia’s first large-scale, live ecosystem for implementing and testing connected transport technologies. The award recognizes innovative and disruptive use of technology in the public sector and highlights the use of information communication technology to make government smarter, more agile, efficient and transparent.

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Cubic is delighted that OpenGov Asia recognized the merits and promise of the AIMES test bed and wishes to congratulate the University of Melbourne and all our project partners on a job well done.”

“Cubic is delighted that OpenGov Asia recognized the merits and promise of the AIMES test bed and wishes to congratulate the University of Melbourne and all our project partners on a job well done,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director, CTS Asia-Pacific. “AIMES is a vital ecosystem for testing new connective technologies and it has been providing tangible benefits to all stakeholders from the day it was first implemented.”

Since going live in April 2017, the test bed has been collecting data on public, private, freight and active transportation to support the strategic decision making in improving traffic planning, public transport efficiency and pedestrian flows, while paving the way for the introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles. Using thousands of intelligent sensors positioned on roads and transportation infrastructure across 6-square-kilometers in central Melbourne, the AIMES test bed will provide unprecedented insight of users on various ways to manage transport systems and road networks more efficiently.

Cubic signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Melbourne in October 2016 to deliver the project. Cubic’s transport management platform sits at the core of the test bed, providing an enhanced system for data usage and analysis by transportation planners.

The award was accepted by Majid Sarvi, professor in transport for smart cities, on behalf of the University of Melbourne and various AIMES partners.

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Majid Sarvi and me celebrating our award.

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CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | NOVEMBER 27TH 2017 Cubic Wins ITS Australia Research Award for Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem Test Bed for Transportation Cubic Transportation Systems’ Transport Management Platform serves as main integration hub for work of 37 industry and government partners in Melbourne

SAN DIEGO – Nov. 27, 2017 – Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division won a major transport industry award in Australia for the world’s largest transport management test bed, Australian Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem (AIMES), in which Cubic plays a major role. The “Research Award” was presented to Cubic at the ITS Australia National Awards at The Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne on November 23. The award recognizes organizations for their contribution to research activity that significantly adds to the development and deployment of ITS technology in Australia.

The AIMES in Melbourne is implemented and maintained by 37 industry and government partners with Cubic’s Transport Management Platform as the main integration hub. The test bed covers an area of about six-square-kilometers and 26-kilometers of roadways in the heart of Melbourne.

It is fitted with thousands of intelligent sensors on road and transport infrastructure to provide unprecedented insight on the efficient management of transport systems and road networks.

“It has been an honor to work with the University of Melbourne and our project partners who play a major role in AIMES,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director for the AsiaPacific region, CTS. “By collaborating with industry partners and utilizing our state-of-the-art technology, we are able to continue developing solutions that effectively analyse and respond to the evolving transport needs of Melbourne.”

Cubic’s Transport Management Platform collects data from public, private and active transport using test bed sensors in order to generate information that is essential in guiding city planning, reducing congestion and improving traffic patterns.

The AIMES test bed is the only test bed in the world that facilitates research and development to address the scale of connectivity needed for real-world application for emerging technologies. The implementation of the test bed will be fully completed by the end of 2018.

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Members of the AIMES team who received the award

In December 2018, I was extremely pleased to receive an Honorary Fellow position within the University of Melbourne in Infrastructure Engineering.

The second ITS organization Cubic became involved in as the top industry participant was iMOVE Australia, and I also took a seat on the BoD. I signed the first project with iMOVE for Cubic, CRC Project 1-001. This was for sure an extremely big challenge, as it was the first time in the Cubic Australia’s history that they signed a CRC contract. Lots of people in finance, legal, commercial, delivery and sales didn’t understand the long term objective. I had a lot of resistance even from the head office. But I promised

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Tom, I will succeed and with his support we’ll get this deal over the line.

The iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre (iMOVE CRC) is a national Australian intelligent transport R&D hub funded through the federal government’s CRC Program in July 2017.

It has 45 industry, government and research partners including the federal departments of Industry, Innovation and Science and Infrastructure and Regional Development, state road authorities, retailers, logistics and insurance companies, technology developers, automobile clubs and many of Australia’s top universities. The ten-year centre will undertake industryled research that uses emerging technologies to improve Australian transport systems nationally. It will deliver globally relevant solutions that provide fast and predictable freight systems and enhanced mobility on the roads and public transport.

Cubic Executive Appointed to Australia’s iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre Board of Directors Cubic Transportation Systems to support organization with development of world-leading intelligent transportation technologies

SAN DIEGO– Sept. 12, 2017 – Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB), today announced the appointment of Dirk Van de Meerssche, Sales and Marketing Director of intelligent transport systems and tolling for CTS-Asia Pacific, to the board of directors at iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in Australia. The iMOVE CRC aims to reduce the growing pressure on Australia’s transport systems by developing future technologies for smart transportation and mobility.

“I’m honored to be a member of the iMOVE CRC board of directors at such a critical time to address Australia’s future transportation infrastructure needs,” said Van de Meerssche. “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow distinguished industry leaders to develop world-leading intelligent transportation technologies.”

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Cubic is one of 45 institutions, organizations, government departments and businesses partnering with iMOVE Australia to create the iMOVE CRC. The iMOVE CRC’s ambitious 10-year program recently won the support of the Australian government with a AUD $55 million grant to help spearhead the development of intelligent transport systems, including autonomous vehicles.

“We are pleased to welcome Dirk to the iMOVE CRC board. His depth of knowledge and in particular, his international experience and passion for transport and technology will bring important dimensions to an already diverse group of directors,” said Ian Murray AM, chair, iMOVE CRC. Van de Meerssche noted the program would not only contribute to the optimization of the movement of people and goods throughout Australia, but also help the nation establish its reputation as a world leader in multi-modal transport management. ### CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | JUNE 11TH 2018

Cubic Signs R&D Agreement with iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre in Australia Cubic Transportation Systems and partners to focus on improving traffic flow and safety in Melbourne and other Australian cities

SAN DIEGO – June 11, 2018 – Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division has signed an agreement to participate in a research and development (R&D) project designed to improve traffic flow in Melbourne and other Australian cities through improved situational awareness for network operators.

The agreement with the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre in Melbourne partners Cubic with the University of Melbourne, Public Transport Victoria, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission to conduct a two-year multi-phase project, called the “Implementation of a Multimodal Situational Awareness and Operations Regime Evaluation Platform.”

The project will consider the safety implications and interaction between all modes of transportation, including walking, cycling, car, freight, bus and tram, to identify blockages to the seamless management of integrated multi-modal transportation.

The data collection infrastructure behind the project is the Australian Integrated Multimodal Eco System (AIMES) at the University of Melbourne, in which Cubic’s Transport Management Platform is the main integration hub.

“Cubic and our partners are excited to be part of this iMOVE project that will deliver another significant step in multi-modal transport management, in which Australia is leading the way,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, CTS. “Through the collection and use of detailed operational data and the implementation of advanced algorithms, we expect the project will demonstrate that improved journey reliability can be delivered within our cities.”

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partners engaged in a ten-year effort to improve Australia’s transportation systems through collaborative R&D projects. Funding for this latest project and other R&D initiatives was provided by the Australian government with a $55 million grant in 2017.

As the marketing campaign started working and the world recognized Cubic as an ITS leader, we received more and more invitations to tender. Some of the highlight bids and proposals we submitted include: • RMS Roads and Maritime Services - Tolling • WestConnex – One Transport Account • RMS Roads and Maritime Services - M4 Smart Motorway - Motorway Management System • Sydney Airport - Landside Operational Management System • DTMR Department of Transport and Main Roads – ITS Pilot Projects Queensland • Transurban – One Transport Account • Vietnam – NextTraffic for Ho Chin Ming City and Phu Quoc Island By a long way, the jewel in the crown of my key achievements during my time with Cubic was winning ICMP - Intelligent Congestion Management Program for the TMC Transport Management Centre, Sydney.

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Cubic was the incumbent supplier for the first TMC system in 1999 and with the arrival of Scott White – Executive Director TMC, who had the vision of multimodal transport management and my excellent relationship, together we shaped the vision for the future of the TMC for Sydney.

I started working on the existing contract extension and novation (from Cubic UK to Cubic Australia) in 2014 and ending by winning the Intelligent Congestion Management Program (ICMP) contract in 2018 for Cubic Australia.

It took 4 years of working very closely with the TMC, understand their pains to shape the best solution to solve their problems/needs.

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Early version of ICMP User Interface (screenshot courtesy of Cubic)

CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | DECEMBER 7TH 2015

Cubic Receives Contract Extension from Transport for New South Wales for Sydney Transport Management Centre Cubic Transportation Systems continues to support Sydney drivers with intelligent transport

SAN DIEGO – December 7, 2015 – Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), today announced the extension of its contract with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) for ongoing maintenance and operation of the Sydney Transport Management Centre (TMC) central computer system managing traffic throughout the New South Wales road network. The contract extension includes options to continue until June 2020.

Cubic’s TMC relationship with TfNSW dates back to 1997 when the company was contracted to develop and deploy its Incident Management System (IMS) technology to manage traffic conditions for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Since then, Cubic expanded its IMS system to support additional requirements for TfNSW transportation planners to manage traffic congestion and road safety for Sydney drivers.

“This extension confirms the foundation on which the TMC will continue building world-leading transportation solutions that benefit the people of NSW,” said Scott White, executive director, Sydney Transport Management Centre.

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“We see this contract extension as a testament to the strong relationship between the two organizations. It opens up the opportunity for us to introduce NextTraffic - our next-generation, integrated multi-modal traffic and transport platform - that is part of CTS’s NextCity vision,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director for CTS Asia-Pacific.

Cubic’s IMS operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in providing real-time IMS information to a large number of operators on the TfNSW road network in order to efficiently manage and lessen the impact of congestion. The IMS incorporates features including automatic incident detection and response, variable message and speed-control signing and traffic data collection.

Cubic is also the system integrator and services provider for the Opal smart card ticketing system for public transport in the greater Sydney region. # # # CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | AUGUST 28TH 2018

Cubic Wins Contract to Provide Next-Generation Transport Management Platform to Sydney Landmark project will provide industry’s most advanced situational awareness technologies for major city transport network, with the goal of safer and more reliable journeys across all modes of travel

Landmark project will provide industry’s most advanced situational awareness technologies for major city transport network, with the goal of safer and more reliable journeys across all modes of travel SAN DIEGO – August 28, 2018 – Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division has been awarded a contract by Transport for New South Wales to provide Sydney, Australia with one of the world’s most advanced transport management systems. The Intelligent Congestion Management Program (ICMP) contract, valued at more than $35 million, is for a term of five years and seven months, with options for two three-year extensions.

The new system will enhance monitoring and management of the road network across New South Wales (NSW), coordinate the public transport network across all modes, improve management of clearways, planning of major events and improve incident clearance times, while providing real-time information and advice to the public about disruptions.

“This landmark project will position Sydney as a global leader in multimodal transport management operations,” said Matt Cole, president of CTS. “Today’s announcement will enable Cubic to commercialize this new technology and bring additional innovation to Transport for New South Wales, enabling the organization to remain at the forefront of transport management technology. It will also create a whole new stream of high-tech jobs in NSW, producing ground-breaking innovations that we can export to the world.”

Cubic and its partners, including WSP, PTV Group, Mentz and Microsoft, will provide and support a technology platform integrating the operational management systems for all modes of transportation in the Sydney area, coupled with the most up-to-date data, statistics and intelligence on transport operations.

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The project will see New South Wales’ Transport Management Centre transformed into a true multimodal operation across the state’s entire transport network to address congestion, improve safety and increase public transport usage.

“Cubic has been involved in traffic management in Sydney since prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympics,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director of CTS Asia-Pacific. “This new project is exciting and strategic because it is the first contract anywhere in the world for Cubic’s next-generation, fully multimodal Transport Management Platform.”

“The world’s cities have become far more complex in the last 20 years and transportation planners now need to deal with a range of new opportunities and challenges while preparing for a hybrid future, which will likely include the introduction of autonomous vehicles,” added Walker.

Apart of my own company, the best company I worked for was Olivetti.

By a long way, the best leader I had the pleasure to work with in my long career was Tom Walker. Tom is a very professional operator and a natural people motivator. On top of that he’s an extremely pleasant person to work with. That’s why I enjoyed every single moment of my 5 years working for Cubic. Thanks Tom. The main base of a good working relationship (as well as a private one) is mutual trust.

I trusted Tom and Tom trusted me.

A true leader is also somebody who gives you the opportunity to prove yourself and gives you the freedom to do that.

Over my carreer I believed in the services/solutions that I was selling (at least in 90% of the cases). This makes it much easier to sell. Also understanding the pain/needs/requirements of the customer is highly important. In other words sell them what they need, not what you or the company wants to sell. That way you can always go back to your customers, they will not turn their back on you and you can sell more.

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My last car in Australia Jaguar XK8:

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Chapter 9 – Silicon Billabong – 2019 - ….

We are...

Data-driven, we do what we say we will do, focusing on client outcomes to model, prototype and launch MaaS services at the tempo required by decision-makers. Rapid technology transfer is our specialisation. We collaborate with MaaS decision makers across four continents, allowing inparallel iteration of new MaaS approaches to quickly reach economies of scale in markets with similar opportunities.

Our intent is to work with growing, exciting companies across the spectrum and have a hand in the private equity/capital raising necessary to long-term sustainability.

Are you ready for the data explosion?

“Data is knowledge and knowledge builds the future. F1RST is like Tina Turner: Simply the Best!

F1RST gives decision makers the valuable data they need to build the MaaS future in an innovative way and become Simply the Best.” - Dirk Van de Meerssche, Ambassador Mobility as a service, or MaaS, refers to the shift away from individually owned modes of transportation to mobility consumed as a service. Mobility disruption is upon us. It’s spreading across the globe, transforming consumer habits in industries as diverse as auto production, public transportation, oil, insurance, and even foodservice.

F1RST prepares MaaS organisations for the ‘data explosion’ in their industry and is the latest example of Silicon Billabong experts delivering exceptional innovation in emerging MaaS markets.

Our expertise focuses on MaaS incumbents and start-ups to benefit through: • Knowledge transfer to develop management teams for disruption • Flexibility and intelligence into emerging opportunities • Go-to-market planning and product development • Research to capitalise on demographic and use trends favourable to MaaS adoption • Partnering to efficiently scale MaaS through Direct and Channel relationships • Evolution of business models to seed investment • Market strategies and scenario analysis favourable to stakeholder outcomes

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Chapter 9 - Silicon Billabong – 2019 - ….

At one of the ITS Business Events in 2019, I met Errol Kruger (Managing Director, Silicon Billabong) and he told me that he needed somebody enthusiastic, like me, to help him with his business and with a global outlook to define an innovation niche not currently serviced in today’s transport market. How could I refuse a challenge with a billing like that!

My first reaction was, Errol I’m thinking of retiring and travel around Europe. He replied, I just need some advice and guidance to help me get moving.

So I joined his advisory board and became also Ambassador for Europe.

I believe it’s very important to expierence the working cultures of different countries all over the world. This helps to better understand people from different backgrounds and different company cultures. And offcourse speaking different languages (and it doesn’t need to be perfect) makes it much easier to connect.

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Chapter 10 – Conclusion and advice for future entrepreneurs Overall, I achieved what I wanted in my professional career and I’m happy and proud of it.

Because I’m stubborn, I set myself goals and I never gave up.

In life, everything is possible if you want it!

One of the main things to remember is that you never do it by yourself.

Learn how to appreciate what the people around you are doing, respect them and work together.

Supporting colleagues achieve their goals will help you achieve your own goals.

Work isn’t the place that gives you the Monday morning blues, it is the place where you can get great satisfaction and motivation aligned with a sense of personal achievement.

In this world, it’s all about the people you know, so build up your relationships. Work on nurturing them for the long term.

Never burn bridges behind you, except if you truly understand and accept the consequences.

Be honest to yourself and others!

Some people say you need to be at the right place and the right time. This is true, but I sincerely believe you can steer to that place yourself.

Bad things happen, I’ve got the T-shirts to prove it but what they did was to make me a wiser and stronger person having experienced them – no experience is a bad experience if you learn from it.

If you have people working for you, make sure they can take over your job; that gives you the opportunity to move up. One lesson I learned from an experienced colleague was when you are promoted identify and nurture your successor – it makes it easier for the company to promote you with no impact on current operations.

Do not continue working for a company or manager that is not aligned with your ethics.

Apart of my own company, the best company I worked for was Olivetti and that was by a long way, the best leader I had the pleasure to work with in my long career was Tom Walker of Cubic.

Make sure you enjoy whatever you do, then it’s not work but a hobby.

If you have a new opportunity have the confidence in yourself to grab the chance and go for it. Commit fully to it. If you don’t know how to do it, don’t worry you will learn how.

As I said at the start of this book, Do I have regrets? No, I don’t, because we cannot go back in time and redo.

The sky is not the limit, there’s more ….

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“There are no limits when you are surrounded by people who believe in you, or by people whose expectations are not set by the short-sighted attitudes of society, or by people who help to open doors of opportunity, not close them.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist

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Chapter 11 Epilogue – Semi-retirement 2020 At the end of 2019, I left Australia and moved to the south of Spain.

I am semi-retired now, I still run my own company Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. as CEO/ President/Chairman of the board. It is highly probable that I sell or close down my company next year.

I still represent 3 Australian organisations here in Europe: • AIMES of the University of Melbourne as Honorary Fellow and Founding Director AIMES • Silicon Billabong as Ambassador • iMOVE Australia as Ambassador In the past 45 years I believe I have achieved what I told my dad when I was 12 I would achieve. I believe I have demonstrated that irrespective of your starting point in life, if you set yourself goals that are achievable and you remain focused on working to meet those goals you can achieve things you never envisaged would be possible when starting out on a career path. I have really enjoyed it. I have made a lot of friends along the way and had a lot of satisfaction and fun, but most of all I did it My Way: “And now, the end is near And so I face the final curtain My friend, I’ll make it clear I’ll state my case, of which I am certain I’ve lived a life that’s full I traveled each and every highway And more, much more I did it, I did it my way Regrets, I’ve had a few But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption I planned each charted course Each careful step along the byway

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And more, much, much more I did it, I did it my way Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew And through it all, whenever there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out I faced it all and I stood tall And did it, did it my way I’ve loved, laughed and cried I’ve had my fill my share of losing And now, as tears subside I find that it’s all so amusing And to think I did all that And may I say not in a shy way No, no, not me I did it my way For what is a man, what has he got If not himself, then he has naught Not to say the things that he truly feels And not the words of someone who kneels The record shows I took all the blows And did it my way.”

(My Way, written by Paul Anka/Gilles Thibaut/Claude Francois/Jacques Revaud, © Jeune Musique Ed., Barclay Eddie Nouvelles Editions, Iway Holdings Sas, Chrysalis Standards Inc, Jeune Musique Edition Sarl)

And the next car I’m planning to buy is gone be a Chevrolet Corvette 1957, as a young kid I loved that model. Or a Zimmer Golden Spirit, that is the closest to the Minerva car I designed when I had Di Oro.

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Chevrolet Corvette 1957

Zimmer Golden Spirit

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Sources 3M

www.3m.com

Carpigiani

www.carpigiani.com

ADI

CIMIC Group Cubic

Dirk Van de Meerssche Downey

Getronics Google

iMOVE Australia ITS Australia LinkedIn Olivetti

Senior Level Services Pty. Ltd. Silicon Billabong Thales

Transport for NSW

University of Melbourne - AIMES Ventia

Vitronic

Vrij Technisch Instituut Aalst Vrije Universiteit Brussel Wikipedia

www.australiandefence.com.au www.cimic.com.au www.cubic.com

My memories and personal notes over the last 45 years www.downey.com.au www.getronics.com www.google.com

imoveaustralia.com its-australia.com.au www.linkedin.com www.olivetti.com slsgroup.com.au

siliconbillabong.com.au www.thalesgroup.com

www.transport.nsw.gov.au

https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/industry/aimes www.ventia.com

www.vitronic.com vti-aalst.be

www.vub.be

www.wikipedia.org

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Abbreviations 3M ACID ADI AIMES ANZ APAC APEC ASACS AT&T BD BMW BOD CBD CCTV CEO CM CoA CRC CSIRO CTS DB DBOM DITR DoJ DSD DSTG DTMR EDS EMEA ETS FaCS FOCIS GOSA HQ HR HSV HVAC IBM ICMP ICT IMES IMS ISEB IT ITIL

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Australian Institute of Company Directors Australian Defence Industries Australian Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem Australia - New Zealand Asia Pacific Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Accreditation and Security Access Control System American Telephone and Telegraph Business Development Bayerische Motoren Werke Board of Directors Central Business District Closed Circuit TeleVision Chief Executive Officer Condition Monitoring Commonwealth of Australia Cooperative Research Centre Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Cubic Transportation Systems Design and Build Design Build Operate Maintain Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources Department of Justice Defence Signals Directorate Defence Science and Technology Group Department of Transport and Main Roads Electronic Data Systems Europe Middle East Africa Electrification & Travaux Speciaux Family and Community Services Ferry Operations and Communications Information System Getronics Outsourcing Structured Approach Head Quarters Human Resources Holden Special Vehicles Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning International Business Machines Intelligent Congestion Management Program Information Communications Technologies Infringement Management and Enforcement Services Incident Management System Information Systems Examinations Board Information Technologies Information Technology Infrastructure Library

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ITS KISS LIDAR MaaS MACID MarCom MCC MCR MD MPPO MS MVAC NCMT NCMT NDOS NSW NV NZ NZTA O&M PDA PPP QML R&D RMS RTA SLA SLS SSI TCO TEF TfNSW TMC TMR TPM TRACE TTE TUV UoM USA VP VPN VTI VUB WAN WGP

Intelligent Transport Systems Keep It Simply and S Light Detection and Ranging Mobility as a Service Member Australian Institute of Company Directors Marketing and Communications Motorway Control Centre Mobile Camera Replacement Managing Director Major Programs and Projects Office Managed Services Mechanical Ventilation Air Conditioning National Connected Multimodal Transport Test Bed National Connected Multimodal Transport Network and Desktop Outsourcing New South Wales NaamlozeVennootschap New Zealand New Zealand Transport Agency Operation and Maintenance Personal Digital Assistant Public Private Partnership Queensland Motorways Research and Development Roads and Maritime Services Roads and Traffic Authority Service Level Agreement Senior Level Services Shell Services International Total Cost of Ownership Transport Executive Forum Transport for New South Wales Transport Management Centre Transport Main Roads Third Party Maintenance Transparent Agents and Contracting Entities Tintenbar to Ewingsdale TechnischerÜberwachungs Verein University of Melbourne United States of America Vice President Virtual Private Network VrijTechnischInstituut Vrije Universiteit Brussel Wide Area Network Wellington Gateway Partnership

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Profile Result focused senior director with over 45 years of leadership level experience in sales and marketing and project management with specialist expertise in Transport and IT Outsourcing Services – managing teams of up to 70 people and budgets over $200 million.

Excellent performance in leading and motivating people, relationship management, strong analytical and problem solving skills and high international experience.

After a career of 45 years I retired and moved to the south of Spain at the end of 2019. I started to write a book of my career.

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