Tag Archives: Spotlight Interview

Dr. Allan Jowsey PhD MEng CEng MIFireE MSFPE MASCE Fire Engineering Manager, AkzoNobel

Allan JowseyDr. Jowsey obtained a PhD in Structural Fire Engineering from the University of Edinburgh in 2006.  He worked as a consultant Fire Engineer in London for several years and now leads a global team of Structural Engineers and Fire Engineers within AkzoNobel’s fire protection division.  Dr. Jowsey sits on numerous global technical committees and standards development bodies.  His work involves overseeing research and design activities while also generating practical solutions through liaisons with engineers, contractors and steelwork fabricators around the world on projects in the built environment and oil and gas markets.

1. Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars on fire design?

We speak to many designers and engineers across the contract chain about roles, responsibilities and possibilities when it comes to the fire resistance of structures.  We find that there is a thirst for knowledge in this area and a webinar provides a great platform to educate those in the industry to allow them to benefit and influence their individual projects.

2. What do you hope people will take away from your webinar on fire design?

Ideally people will appreciate that aspects of fire resistance and fire design warrant closer attention than merely adopting what is stated in a code or standard without fully understanding the basis of that decision.  The webinar will highlight that significant savings in weight and cost can be achieved while still adhering to the required levels of safety and robustness demanded by design.  Once designers understand the basis for a decision, it provides them with the ability and confidence to question its applicability.

3. What has been the highlight of your career?

Educating practicing engineers on fire resistance and providing them with the ability to start assessing structural performance of their buildings and assets in terms of enhanced and robust design checks in the event of a fire.

4. Where is your favorite place in the world and why?

On top of a hill or mountain anywhere in the world.  It’s a great escape that allows me to spend time with my family, to exercise and to think clearly.

Dr Allan Jowsey will be presenting alongside his colleague Robin Wade in AkzoNobel’s Webinar ‘Achieving weight savings through intelligent Fire Design’ on the 7th July at 3PM London/10AM New York. Register for the webinar here.

 

Linda Zellner, Project Manager Bioplastics Perstorp

LLinda Zellnerinda Zellner is Project Manager, Innovation – Materials and others at Perstorp, a position she has held since 2011, when she joined Perstorp. She coordinates cross-functional innovation projects within Green chemistry and Bioplastics, working with internal and external partners on a global level. Her main responsibilities include project planning, developing marketing strategies and creating new competitive products within the targeted segments.

Why did you decide to do a webinar with Business Review Webinars?

It is an excellent opportunity to reach out to many different industries at the same time that are working with Bioplastics. A webinar is a very efficient tool to use and by doing so we can save time and money – not only for us but for our customers too. It’s a win win!

We can cover many topics and answer questions live which give it an additional dimension compared to downloading a presentation or answering questions in emails.

What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?

I would like to explain and highlight the benefits of our Bioplastic offer to the represented industries in the forum and cover the most important topics for these products. I hope to answer many questions to facilitate the decision making as well as the product development within different application areas among the listeners. And of course also create an interest for our Capa™ for Bioplastics portfolio.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

The role as a Project Manager in Bioplastics enables me to influence and contribute to the development of new materials with a lower environmental impact. I believe that sustainability is the key for a better future. Every day in my work is different. I work with so many different areas as well as people making this role very dynamic and exciting which fits my personality perfectly. On top of this, to combine the technical activities with marketing – that is the perfect setup for getting feedback from the outside, to ensure that we are focusing on the right things – meaning what the customer wants and needs!

 Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I would say anywhere if it’s underwater – amazing marine life, the sound of the ocean (no cell phones or any other disturbing noises), the feeling of being weightless, I can let my thoughts just fly around in my head and relax. I just love it!

If I have to pick a place underwater – then it will be Malapascua or Donsol in the Philippines with an incredible marine life. A place on land – exotic Koh Lanta in Thailand or a big city like San Francisco with its great scenery. What I pick depends on my state of mind.

Lately I think and worry about of these places and dive spots more and more since I often see them being contaminated with plastics. To eliminate this contamination, bioplastics will be a part of the solution and in my work I can help to find these solutions – I can be a part of closing the loop!

Linda will be presenting the Perstorp Webinar ‘Learn how to improve your bioplastics performance’ on 29th June at 3PM London/10AM New York – Register for the webinar here

Sascha Engel, Director Sales & Marketing Process Instrumentation from Baumer

Sascha EngelSascha Engel, born in 1972 in Germany with degree in electronics by holding academic master of science in strategy, technology and holistic management, has more over 20 years of experience in global business activity from the workshop up to corporate rehabilitation. Originally coming from the machinery and factory automation industry, Sascha Engel took over the global sales & marketing activity of Baumer Process Instrumentation in 2011 to contribute to the latest market challenges in the segment of process instruments, but very much focused in the field of Oil & Gas and related EPC business.

1. Why did you decide to do a webinar with us?
 We have been looking for an efficient platform to inform a relevant and interested audience about the needs of traceability and how it can be managed. This webinar platform allows us also to have interaction between the presenter and the participants which should lead into a fruitful discussion.

2. What are you looking forward to explaining to the audience?
 Nowadays, at least in our industry of instrumentation portfolio, products are becoming more and more utility level. This implicates less innovation character, which is true on the product itself, but not on the surrounding environmental. Mostly, product specification is given by the application of the installation, but where is the value provided to the customer? We think a correlated answer can be found in the trend and needs of the Oil & Gas industry as well in the latest era of Industry 4.0 which is a new technology based trend generated by high industrialized countries. The correlation between well established & proven technology to new and modern sensor systems is not a discrepancy rather than a paradigm change.

3. How did you get into the industry?
 With our brand of Original Bourdon® and the long related history of inventing the pressure gauge 165 years ago the footprint into the industry of Oil & Gas is given by default. Measuring physical parameter as pressure, temperature, level, etc. is one of the key applications in the Oil & Gas industry for producing quality products, and therefore our entire portfolio fulfils basic needs since decades.

4. What’s the best book you’ve ever read and would recommend?
My own one, of course. But instead of recommending a certain book I would rather recommend several authors as Miller Heiman, John Kotter, Al Ries, Fredmund Malik, Peter Drucker, John Spencer, Kim & Mauborgne, Reinhard Sprenger,  Sun Tsu, Peter Senge and a lots of others.

Sascha will be presenting Baumer’s webinar ‘Innovative Sensor Technologies for the Oil & Gas Industry’ on the 23rd April at 3PM London/10AM New York. You can read more and register here.