STEVE BROWN

20 years experience in line management, including CEO and GM positions in manufacturing. Delivered substantial results in open cut and underground operations including coal, nickel and iron ore.  Also metals refining, port operations and planned shutdowns. Deep expertise in mining turnarounds in Australia and South Africa. Masters in Business Administration from Cranfield UK,  Diploma in Marketing,  and a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours, Chemical).

Steve has over 20 years experience in line management and consulting. He has held CEO and GM positions in the chemicals industry and completed numerous consulting projects.  Steve’s expertise lies in helping heavy industry and processing plants help themselves to improve performance. Prior to joining Partners in Performance, Steve worked for AQ2, Ciba, Imdex and Bosche.

CAREER SNAPSHOT

• Underground Coal Mine:  Led improvement teams working in the coal washery, engineering/maintenance and mining.  In 9 months delivered a ZAR >74M improvement through increasing wash plant recovery by 5%, mining output by 19% and reducing breakdowns hours by over 50%.  Key tools used were an improvement ideas pipeline, Results Actions Reviews (RARs), training and coaching.  The development of a centralised database and daily dashboards was also pivotal in this improvement and its sustainability.
• Underground Mine: Led a team over 12 months to turn around an out-of-control underground maintenance facility and increasing mine development rate and output.  Critical equipment was increased by 10%, breakdown rate halved, labour turnover dramatically reduced and a planned maintenance environment established.  Within the mine a 22% increase in development metres was delivered (with a drill fleet size reduction of 25%, and despite an increased drilling workload per metre advanced).
• Open-Cut Mine: Led a team that delivered a 22% increase in tonnes moved, through improved truck availability (maintenance improvements and supervisory coaching) and increased load factor (visual tools, supervisory coaching, short interval controls) as well as implementing RARs to drive performance and accountability.
• Major metals refinery: Involved in identifying $20 million of bottom-line improvements and implemented major enhancements to maintenance systems. Responsible for $4m of improvement initiatives, increasing adherence to maintenance schedule from 20% to 70% in six months, reducing maintenance back-log by 75%, and leading the development and implementation of new maintenance KPIs for the whole refinery.
• AQ2 Limited: (Initially consultant and subsequently CEO); Led the company from "mad inventor" start-up to public company status.  Raised equity via a public offer with costs of less than 5%, gained major contract with the Water Corporation of WA whilst still an early stage company, reduced manufacturing costs by >50%, and established "state of the art" manufacturing facility in regional WA 50% funded by the Federal Government.
• For Ciba Specialty Chemicals (Switzerland): (GM); Responsible WA business unit.  Grew this business from a start-up as Imdex Chemicals through trade sale to Allied Colloids PLC and subsequently to Ciba SC (through their acquisition of Allied Colloids). Managed the transition of the business into two new corporate cultures and increasingly high performance expectations.  By year 2000, Steve’s manufacturing operation was described within Ciba as a global role model for safety, quality and efficiency with an output of over 9,000 tonnes of product valued at over $20M annually.
• Allied Colloids: (GM); Responsible for integrating the Imdex business into the global parent; implemented a range of initiatives including their ERP system, manufacturing costing methodology, quality improvement systems, cost reduction, and CAPEX budgeting.
• Imdex Limited: (CEO); Responsible for managing the construction of their green-field manufacturing plant, commissioning and start up. Responsible for all aspects of building the new business of Imdex Chemicals including strategy, sales and marketing, manufacturing, HR policy, safety and environment.  Success in building the business from zero to 30% market share in Australia lead to takeover interest from Cyanamid (USA) and Allied Colloids (UK), the latter purchasing the business yielding a multiple of 4 x the total investment within 3 years.
• Boshe Group: (consultant); Led numerous projects including technology related feasibility studies for a merchant bank and efficiency improvement projects for a boat manufacturer.

Education and interests

Steve holds a Masters in Business Administration from Cranfield UK (1988), a Diploma in Marketing, and a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours, Chemical, 1980).  Steve has a particular interest in software development and has advanced skills with most business software e.g. Excel. Steve immigrated to Australia in 1994, and his interests include playing the piano, cooking and keeping fit.  He is married with two children.