Meet
Gerard Wood
I’m passionate about many things in my life but in my engineering career I became passionate about two things: practical asset management and quality work by tradies.
Access 40 years of maintenance learnings from someone who has lived, breathed and truly experienced every aspect of the industry.
I’m Gerard, and in maintenance I’m passionate about two things: practical asset management and quality work by tradies. After 40 years working in maintenance, from starting out as a tradie, to leading asset management across multiple businesses around the world, I’ve seen what really drives reliability. And it’s not reports, dashboards, or meetings. It’s skilled people doing the right work, the right way. That’s the engine room of performance.
Through decades of helping sites lift their game, living the pressure, the complexity, and the responsibility that comes with keeping critical assets running, I’ve seen time and time again, that nothing improves reliability faster than quality trades work backed by strong maintenance leadership.
That’s what led me to write my books and to create Turbo Leadership Coaching, not to “sell” anything, but to give back the knowledge that I have been fortunate enough to gather throughout my career. To share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and to help others grow in the same way I was lucky to over my career.
Turbo Leadership In Your Pocket
Prefer to go solo or not ready for the full 1:1coaching? Subscribe to the app for structured leadership training designed specifically for those in senior maintenance and asset management roles. The app includes online learning programs for Asset Management, Career Turbo Boost and more.
Whether it’s through the 1:1 coaching program, the programs in the Turbo app, or my books, I want to give back to the industry with the knowledge I’ve learned and help good people become great leaders.
— Gerard Wood
Processes and systems are essential, especially in large businesses, but without the basics of the work being executed well, all of the benefits from the processes and systems are lost.
— Gerard Wood
Simplifying Mining Maintenance
I want maintenance people to believe they can be the best-performing maintenance teams in the world. I want them to believe in their value and to rekindle their passion for improvement. I want people to simplify complicated processes and documentation. I want to make it easier for people to get their work done and hold one another accountable. I also want to give them the tools, space, and consistency they need to rediscover a sense of pride and ownership in their work. That pride and workmanship is what keeps equipment running and makes a mine successful. I want to encourage that culture.
— Gerard Wood
Simplifying Mining Maintenance
Who I Work With
Most of the people I coach are just like I was:
- Newly in a leadership role and keen to get it right
- Maintenance managers or superintendents ready to lift site performance
- Self-starters looking to grow, lead better, and build stronger teams
- Professionals tired of doing everything themselves and ready to create a culture that works with them
What I Believe
- Trades are the heartbeat of reliability
- Culture drives results, not just compliance and the latest technology or newest seminar insights
- Learning is a lifelong game (and knowledge is no burden to carry)
- Leadership isn’t about ego, it’s about enabling others to do great work and removing the roadblocks that prevent people from performing as a team
WHO I WORK WITH
Most of the people I coach are just like I was:
- Newly in a leadership role and keen to get it right
- Maintenance managers or superintendents ready to lift site
- Self-starters looking to grow, lead better, and build stronger teams
- Professionals tired of doing everything themselves and ready to create a culture that works with them
WHAT I BELIEVE
- Trades are the heartbeat of reliability
- Culture drives results, not just compliance and the latest technology or newest seminar insights
- Learning is a lifelong game (and knowledge is no burden to carry)
- Leadership isn’t about ego, it’s about enabling others to do great work and removing the roadblocks that prevent people from performing as a team
Gerard Wood Books
Purchase one of my books here!
Simplifying Mining Maintenance
By Gerard Wood
$49.99
Simplifying Mining Maintenance: A Practical Guide to Building a Culture that Prevents Breakdowns and Increases Profits
This book is written for the people who do the actual work of keeping machines alive – the electricians, mechanics, welders and fitters we call tradies in Australia (elsewhere they may be known as artisans, craftsmen or technicians). It’s also written for the leaders who rely on tradies every single day but may not always see the full power of a great trades culture that can make their lives much easier and bring real and sustainable reliability improvement.
By Gerard Wood
$49.99
I wrote Only Tradies Improve Reliability because after decades in maintenance – from the shop floor through to management – one truth has never changed: the quality of trades work determines the reliability of the equipment. I chose the title to be a bit confrontational. I know that all roles are important in creating lasting reliability but the RCM models, systems and reports don’t make machines run; people do. And when those people value quality, take pride in their craft, and work in a culture that celebrates quality workmanship, reliability improves faster than through any other initiative.
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