In The Spotlight

What gets you out of bed on a weekday?

Apart from bird chirping (my phone alarm), my quiet time with God is my motivation.  I need it, I love it and I feel lost without it so better get up when that alarm goes off.

What was your first paid job?

Window cleaning.  My brother passed on his tools, know-how and clients to me and I had my own little business to generate some cash and help me through Uni.  My first professional job out of Uni was with Shell.  I stayed with them for 16 years, travelled the globe and had like 10 different roles in that time.  A great company to work for and was very blessed during that time. 

Thinking back to your years at Donvale, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?

Personality types!  I learned about personality types at work and through counselling studies and became so fascinated I ended up becoming a practitioner.   Knowing myself better at that time would have helped immensely in choosing subjects, studying more effectively and choosing a career path when I left Donvale.  I think I would have steered down the psychology path instead of engineering. I also wish I had valued learning for living instead of cramming to pass exams.  You can’t put an old head on young shoulders though…no matter how hard I try with my own kids.

Who in the public eye would you most and least like to work with?

Let me start with the least because that’s easy.  That would be Donald Trump.  Collaboration, diversity and respect for others are values I hold dear, while bullying gets my goat.  Enough said.

I would love to work with Elon Musk.  I love planes, space travel and contemplating future energy technologies (25 years in the oil industry I suppose) and I think Elon is visionary and driven, making things happen.  Maybe then I could get to work on my own invention… “the flycycle”.

What is the strangest situation you have been in at work?

Apart from the odd window cleaning experience that I won’t go in to, I had a memorable experience while waiting for an aeroplane in El Salvador.  Sitting alone at the gate I felt the building shake and thought “my goodness, they've run a plane into the building”.  As the roof tiles started falling, people screaming, and rows of chairs sliding along the floor I finally realised it was a massive earthquake. Seeing tons of concrete above my head shaking around like jelly was a bit disconcerting, so I hid under a row of chairs…not the most rational decision I’ve made.  Anyway, by God’s grace all was well and a couple hours later we were flying again.  The only time I’ve felt safer in the air than on the ground.

Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?

My wife of course!  But if she wasn’t available, then one of those staff from the SAS Australia TV program because they are nearly as tough and resourceful as my wife.

What book are you reading at the moment?

Ummm… I have at least 10 on the go. Apart from the Bible, The Bondage Breaker and Victory over the Darkness by Neil Anderson are at the top and I’m slowly working my way through.

What was the last CD you bought?

No idea!  Spotify is the go these days.  Recently have been listening to 21 pilots, but also regularly listening to Delirious, Newsboys and Ed Sheeran.  I do like Justin Bieber just quietly.

What song will always get you on the dance floor?

“Low” by Flo Rida (but most of the dancing is in my head…body just doesn’t keep up)

Where is your favourite place in the world?

That’s really hard.  So many wonderful places in Australia and around the world.  I’m going to say Barbados though.  Warm weather, beautiful people, incredible beaches and lots of great memories.

Rob's wife, Frida, was born in Nyanza, Rwanda, on March 14th, 1980 where she lived with her parents and five siblings, until the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsis. Frida, just 14 years old, was buried alive alongside her murdered 15 family members until she was miraculously rescued. Her book is called Chosen to Die, Destined to Live