I first joined Trelleborg back in 2016 as a manufacturing manager for their oil and gas solution range. Prior to this, I spent around 12 years working in manufacturing and production management for a military company specialising in unmanned aerial vehicles and inertial navigation systems.
I have a master’s degree in Physical Materials and Organisation and have built on my There are some very important, core objectives that need to be met. I am responsible for ensuring KPIs are met on an ongoing basis – safety, quality, cost and, of course, management.
Would you be able to tell us a little more about your current role? What are the most important aspects?
There are some very important, core objectives that need to be met. I am responsible for ensuring KPIs are met on an ongoing basis – safety, quality, cost and, of course, management.
I have in my team around 130 manual workers whose work objectives need to be met. All of these objectives hinge on co-ordinating operations in production from supply chain through to workshops, right through to the final testing stages.
All of this requires a great deal of training and experience. I have been Green Belt certified and have also completed Trelleborg’s Manufacturing Excellence Training course, which has proven invaluable. There are lots of opportunities for training with Trelleborg, including TPM, standardisation, 5S, Hoshin – all of which are related to a variety of skills that are central to my role.
Talk us through a typical day for you
There are two key tasks that are vital for the start of my shift. Firstly, I take a walk around the workshops to greet people, check on the products and ensure that the workers have everything they need to complete their tasks; this to me is a very important part of management – to be visible and available to your team.
Following on from this, I begin daily meetings with the production team, consisting of the supervisors and technicians in the workshop. This provides everyone with the opportunity to give an overview of activities and also highlight any problems or challenges that may be occurring. Following this, I can then make a report to the plant in QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control) to ensure everyone is aware of the daily happenings by maintaining effective communications between the workshop and plant.
What is your favourite part of job?
This is very easy – management. I prefer to be on the work floor leading my team. As a production manager, only 10% of my day is really planned. The other 90% of the time is often very reactionary, focussed around problem solving. This is both challenging and by far the most interesting part of the job for me. Integrity is the key to success – you must be able to balance leading your team through struct guidelines, while fostering enthusiasm.
It also helps that I have the opportunity to work along-side a large number of high-quality employees. Trelleborg oil & marine production operations run for seven days a week. Leading a workforce that is diverse, dedicated and talented provides lots of fulfilment as a manager.
What is the most important skill that a manager possess?
A successful manager needs to be able to lead by example, and with humanity and integrity.
When you’re not at work, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I love to spend time with my two daughters. I also play rugby and golf – for me, it is like a breath of fresh air, allowing time for thought and fresh perspective.
That’s it for now – thanks so much for your time!
Contact Nicolas Leveque