HSE Leadership · Oil & Gas Drilling · International
I'm an HSE leader who learnt the job at the coalface, not from a manual or a wall full of certificates. Fifteen-plus years in, I've seen the same thing proven over and over: you change behaviour by winning people over, not by adding another form. Good leaders set the tone, good systems back them up — in that order.
01 — The Story
I started in 2007 as a driller's assistant on a Queensland rig floor. I learned the work — the noise, the pressure, the real reasons people get hurt — before I ever wrote a procedure about it.
That grounding still shapes everything I do — a career across Australia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar building HSE functions from the ground up, advising executive leadership teams, and shifting safety cultures across multicultural workforces. And where technology genuinely helps, putting AI and digital platforms to work on the oldest problem in drilling — systemising the chaos.
Today I lead HSE for BHDC's drilling operations in Qatar, serving QatarEnergy — bringing frontline credibility to every boardroom conversation, and boardroom strategy to every rig visit.
"The most dangerous place to be is fully compliant and quietly unsafe." — Operating philosophy
The FIFO Years · Outback Australia
Fly-in, fly-out to rigs at the end of the map.
Years spent getting to the remote sites others wouldn't — the grounding that still shapes every decision made in the boardroom.
02 — The Career
A deliberate ascent through the HSE profession — every senior decision informed by years spent doing the frontline job.
NOV 2025 — PRESENT QATAR
BHDC — Drilling Contractor, Client: QatarEnergy
Turning around HSE for BHDC's Qatar drilling operations: zero recordables since arrival (5 in the prior year), an entirely new 5-specialist HSE team, and the Training (incl. the CAMS competency system), Transport and Contractor Management processes rebuilt end-to-end — restoring QatarEnergy confidence, with a digital HSE platform in build.
OCT 2023 — OCT 2025 SAUDI ARABIA
Arabian Drilling Company
National HSE leadership across 24 active rigs in three divisions, directing a 57-person HSE function, as advisor to the Executive Leadership Team. HSE development lead for the STRIVE digital platform, delivered a 4-rig AI video-analytics pilot, and built a Leadership Visit & Engagement system spanning 50+ leaders across 50 rigs — driving a 32% average lift in leadership engagement metrics over two years, alongside a monthly company-wide HSE Award & Recognition program.
OCT 2022 — JUN 2023 AUSTRALIA
Ventia — Industrial Services (QGC upstream projects)
Primary HSE lead for construction of gas consolidation plants and communications networks across QGC's Queensland gas fields — delivered on time with zero recordable incidents and zero non-compliance orders.
APR 2021 — MAR 2022 AUSTRALIA
Saxon Energy Services — A Schlumberger Company
Senior HSE leadership across Australian land rig operations post-SLB acquisition — national incident investigation lead and escalation point for site HSE.
NOV 2018 — NOV 2020 KUWAIT
Schlumberger Land Rigs
Built the entire HSE function from zero for a greenfield NOC division — a 10-person team, full procedure suite, 400+ international hires onboarded, and 2 × 3,000HP + 2 × 2,000HP rigs spudded at TRIF 0.
JAN 2012 — JAN 2018 AUSTRALIA
Saxon Energy Services Australia
Six-year ascent from rig-site coordinator to regional manager reporting to the ELT — joining during Saxon's 16-rig startup entry into Australia. Delivered a 50% improvement in rig compliance, developed the country-wide DROPS standard, served as SLB QUEST Champion for Australia, and mentored 8 supervisors and 18 RSTCs.
2007 — 2012 AUSTRALIA
Lucas Drilling · Atlas Drilling
Driller's assistant, derrickman, then WHS trainer and training coordinator — driving 95% compliance with new QLD regulations within 6 months and training 100+ crew across 5 rigs.
03 — Case Files
Four operations that define the approach: build teams and systems people actually use, put technology to work, and prove it with numbers.
HSE lead for the design and development of a centralised digital HSE reporting and risk-management platform — architected to replace fragmented paper workflows across a 24-rig national operation.
Delivered one of the drilling sector's early AI video-analytics safety pilots — computer vision watching for the moments that precede injuries.
New country. New division. No procedures, no team, no systems — and NOC contracts for four heavy land rigs (2 × 3,000HP, 2 × 2,000HP) already signed. Built everything.
Inherited a slim HSE team, unclear standards and strained client engagement — with 5 recordable incidents in the previous 12 months. The rebuild: people, systems and client trust, in parallel.
04 — Capabilities
Full lifecycle HSE-MS capability — from greenfield builds (Kuwait, KSA) to ISO 45001 / 14001 frameworks, SEMPs, permit-to-work systems, audit programs and controlled documentation.
The differentiator: three digital HSE platforms championed across three companies — QUEST (SLB Australia), STRIVE (design & development lead, KSA) and BHDC's CAMS + platform build — plus AI video analytics and leading-indicator frameworks.
Led HSE functions up to 57 people across national multi-division operations. Mentored 8 supervisors and 18 coordinators simultaneously. Multicultural workforces across four countries.
Triple-certified in investigation methodology — SCAT, TapRooT® (2024) and Keil Centre HFAT. National investigation leadership, root-cause analysis, regulator communications, and investigation capability building across supervision teams.
Executive Leadership Team advisor at two national contractors. Represents the HSE agenda at C-level and manages NOC/IOC client relationships — QatarEnergy, Saudi Aramco environment, SLB, QGC.
Qualified trainer and assessor (Cert IV TAE, ADITC). Life-Saving Rules campaigns, multilingual training libraries, and cultural change programs that shifted HSE ownership into operations.
05 — Credentials
+ 15 further technical certifications: confined space, gas testing, working at heights, workplace drug & alcohol testing, dangerous goods, lifting operations and more. Full register available on request.
06 — Contact
Open to conversations about executive HSE leadership, digital safety transformation, and complex international drilling operations.