Inspiring, rewarding and definitely challenging, these are just a few of the words used by this year’s HVACR Leader of the Year Award winner to describe today’s industry.
Coles national engineering refrigeration manager for store development, Stuart Saville, said there is no industry as varied as HVACR.
“It is hard to find an industry that has navigated the hurdles that have faced HVACR,” he said.
“From global warming through to adapting to the standards of the day this industry continues to evolve.
“Today’s HVACR professional has to balance multiple demands from constant upskilling to managing costs as well as plant longevity and serviceability through to complying with today’s standards and regulations.”
Saville said the role of a leader has changed over time.
“In today’s world I believe a leader should not be afraid to make courageous decisions,” he said.
“It’s also important to bring your team along on the journey, empowering and challenging them to find the best solutions available.
“This can be challenging in today’s environment trying to manage cost control while still striving to deliver a long term, sustainable platform.
“In my journey I have found that my greatest reward is seeing my work colleagues succeed.”
It was actually a former colleague that nominated Saville for this award.
“I was honoured just to be a nominee considering the calibre of the other finalists; these are peers who are well respected and well regarded in our industry,” he said.
“It’s an honour to stand beside these people so I was humbled to actually win the award.”
Saville said the retail environment isn't suited to everybody, especially in the area of refrigeration.
“Retail refrigeration is non-stop 24 hour work but it is rewarding if you are prepared in invest,” he said.
“I was fortunate because I had the opportunity to run my own small business before joining Coles.
“There is end to end standardised national practices and quality control at Coles for the total life cycle of plant and equipment. From standards to design, procurement to tendering, installation to handover we have a clear process in place.
“Having these processes has enabled Coles to be at the forefront of innovation.”
It was Saville’s father who first introduced him to refrigeration. His father was a butcher who ran his own small business.
“I got to see refrigeration at work first hand because my first job was cleaning the shop” he said.
“His advice to me was to get into an industry that was aligned in some way with food, as irrespective of the economy, people always have to eat so there will always be a need for refrigeration.
“That was the catalyst for my career path which began with an apprenticeship in refrigeration.”
Accepting his award, Saville thanked Coles and the City Facilities Management team for their support and dedication.
“I want to thank CCN for providing a platform to give recognition to this industry but most of all I want to thank my family for their patience and unwavering support,” he said.