Team Insight: Shutdown Success with Jade Stearnes
Meet Jade Stearnes, the Execution Strategy Manager at Furnace Solutions, a Tasmanian based family man who has spent over 15 years delivering shutdown operations. Now, he steers Furnace Solutions planning and execution strategy function.
Jade's pathway toward this crucial role is a journey of learning, adapting, and a commitment to continuous improvement that perfectly fits the Furnace Solutions mould.
Career
Jade's career trajectory is as varied as it is impressive. Starting as an apprentice turner and fitter in the boat industry, Jade honed his skills in CNC machining and lathe work. This mechanical foundation allowed him to adapt quickly into a new setting, when he leaped into maintenance shutdowns in Tasmania for the BHP TEMCO Manganese Smelter. This role then gave him exposure to other landmark projects across the industry including long periods at BHP’s Olympic Dam operations in South Australia.
In 2008, Jade took on a supervisory role on a furnace rebuild, a pivotal moment that saw him engaging more with consultants and design teams. His expertise grew, and he eventually became a consulting specialist himself, deeply embedded in the process of delivering complex furnace maintenance shutdowns. This on the ground experience has laid the foundational knowledge for Jade, a Furnace Solutions leader. Allowing our team to leverage deep subject matter expertise from him, both in execution support and planning of complex shutdown projects.
Joining the Team
In 2016, Jade joined Furnace Solutions, right at the inception of the business. His familiarity with many of the team members made the decision an easy one.
His first large project with Furnace Solutions was a full furnace demolition and rebuild at an operation he had spent many years at, Olympic Dam!
Jade's role at Furnace Solutions is multi dimensional, encompassing daily management and long-term strategic planning. "My role entails anything from the daily management of activities through to looking forward to what is on the horizon in two to five years' time," Jade explains. This includes detailed planning, forecasting labour requirements, and ensuring the right skills are within the team at Furnace Solutions.
A significant aspect of Jade's role involves sharing his extensive knowledge of furnace maintenance with the team. Recently, he has focused on internal development and advancing documentation to train and maintain knowledge within the wider Furnace Solutions execution crews. This ensures that the business is well-prepared for future growth and that the team can execute their tasks with precision and confidence.
Shutdown Success
For Jade, the success of a shutdown team hinges on meticulous planning and a strong understanding of potential risks and material issues. "Planning is critical," he asserts, noting that this approach helps the team stay proactive and move forward during the execution of shutdown projects.
“One of the key innovative things we do at Furnace compared to others in shutdown maintenance is the alignment we get between execution crews and our project plan,” shares Jade.
“We always aim for 100% compliance, allowing us to truly Do What We Say, however realistically with planning, training and execution we generally land at
around 98% compliance with our shutdown schedules.”
Treating workers with respect and ensuring they are well prepared for their tasks is also key. “It’s the small things like meeting team members at the airport
and making sure they are set up for success at the camp which allows a team to focus on the job at hand,” shares Jade.
Transparency and thorough preparation are central to Jade's and the Furnace Solution approach. "We aim to be as transparent as possible with our team,
ensuring thorough work preparation and pre-starts are completed at the start of every shift," he says. This meticulous planning allows the team to stay on schedule without cutting corners, prioritising quality and safety.
Doing What We Say
Jade's journey is a testament to those that work within the Furnace Solutions team. His boots on ground experience, coupled with strategic vision and commitment to excellence ensure that every project he is involved in is executed with precision and care.
“Doing What We Say” is the Furnace Solutions way.
Jade Stearnes, Execution Strategy Manager
Holding the role of Execution Strategy Manager, Stearnes boasts a rich background spanning two decades within the metals processing industry. His professional journey commenced as an apprentice Fitter & Turner in the machining and fabrication sector, later transitioning into fixed plant maintenance and shutdowns.
Throughout his career trajectory, Stearnes honed considerable expertise in furnace operations, maintainability, and constructability. Notably, his adeptness lies in implementing solutions for clients, leveraging his profound technical and practical knowledge to attain desired outcomes effectively.