What has Kate been up to... - 24 November 2007

What have you been up to? I got your email "Latest on Kate " on 17/10/07. Thanks. You mention you are spending to much time in Fort McMurray and I didn't know what you are up to there? Then today (Saturday 24 Nov) in the Good Weekend magazine in The Age an articile on Fort McMurray apprears!The Article title " Dirty Money" and they call Fort McMurray, Fort McMoney! So now I understand a little about the Fort and "oil-sand". But I still do not know basically what tou are up to there? Can you fill me in?

So now you know my little secret - I am making squillions in Fort Mc!! Not so I am afraid!! What do I do? Well, I spend as much time inCalgary as possible but always spend 2-3 days a week in Fort Mc. Wewon a contract with one of the oilsands companies - Suncor to provide area maintenance, sitewide services (scaffold, craneage, lightvehicles - that sort of stuff) and sustaining projects (those projects that are not capital but required to keep the asset to the same standard like reroofing your house) My role is to transition theSustaining Projects piece - about $850 million by 2009. We arebuilding a fully integrated team to deliver projects made up of stafff rom us, Suncor, WorleyParsons (engineering house) and Safway (scaffolders). One org chart, one set of systems and procedures. Big job!!

We started by re-organising Suncor and are now designing anorganistion based on Requisite Principles to deliver the work. The organisation will be about 1000 people including all the engineers and craft (trade) labour. We are developing all the project processes and procedures by bringing together the very best from each organisation and where there are gaps, writing new ones. Setting up the legal entities to deliver this, labour relation strategies, HR strategies(very complex), payroll all that fun stuff - oh and the IT system (SAPplatform) to support the lot. And I will not get into the legal issues and IP stuff which is really fun. A very significant change manangement process around all of this too - directly impacting (for the better!) the lives of 250 people directly and countless others indirectly.

Does that give you an idea? Working ridiculous hours but having lots of fun. Ski season has started so hopefully will get a ski next weekend. I had a christmas party last night which was fun but kept myself nice as I have lots of work to do today.