Rolls-Royce Manager Begins Government Trade Role in Venezuela
23 October 2000
Rolls-Royce Manager Begins Government Trade Role in Venezuela
LONDON, Oct. 23 John Gay, a Bristol-based Rolls-Royce
customer business executive, is today beginning a six-month secondment to the
Commercial Section of the British Embassy in Venezuela. He is the fourth
younger Rolls-Royce manager to take a placement under the British Trade
International Short-Term Business Attachment scheme since being launched by
the Foreign Secretary in 1997.
The 34 year-old -- who was born and educated in Bristol but now lives with
his family in Caldicot, near Newport -- will for most of his spell in South
America be based in the offices of state oil and gas company PDVSA in the
country's capital, Caracas. His task is to prepare a report on new and
emerging opportunities for international participation in the oil and gas
sector, Venezuela's most important industry.
The report will also address ways in which UK companies can participate in
these opportunities and it is expected that John will be able to draw on his
wide knowledge of business processes -- as learned during the MBA he achieved
two years ago and as actively applied by Rolls-Royce in its global export
markets.
John was most recently responsible for managing the company's defence
aerospace customer base in South America, so he knows the territory well
although he spent a lot more time in Brazil -- where the language is
Portuguese -- than in Venezuela where, like the rest of South America, the
mother tongue is Spanish.
So a crash course in Spanish -- which he will continue out there -- has
been among the priorities during his preparations for the trip, as has
accumulating a working knowledge of the oil and gas industry, and an
introduction to the workings of British Government and, particular, British
Trade International.
John believes he can bring a number of key attributes to this particular
project: "I think my neutral perspective on an industry I'm not intimately
involved with will help the credibility of my work in Venezuela. My MBA
dissertation concerned exploring the potential of alliances and business links
with newly-emerging economies, so I expect to be able to apply some of that
knowledge here. I hope to learn a lot, broaden by experience and skills and,
so, hopefully advance my long-term career goals.
"It's an excellent scheme. As well as benefiting me, the secondment will
help to ensure the continuing development of Venezuela's oil and gas sector,
and the UK government will get direct application of industry best-practice.
"Rolls-Royce will get a valuable insight into the government's overseas
operations and have an opportunity to make high-quality contacts. In
addition, the company promotes the partnership between government and industry
by making a direct contribution to boost the UK export drive."
While wife Julia and daughters Lily (7) and Harriet (2) are not travelling
with him, they do plan to visit the region over Christmas and the New Year for
a family holiday.
Notes:
John Gay was born in Bristol and educated at Air Balloon Primary and St
George Comprehensive schools, joining Rolls-Royce at the age of 16 in 1982 as
a technician apprentice. Since then he has spent 12 of his 18 years with the
company undertaking academic study, earning two degrees in the process.
He won ONC/HNC qualifications during his apprenticeship when, in 1984, he
was also awarded the staff apprentice of the year award for the Bristol site.
On completing his apprenticeship, he became a service engineer in Customer
Support. He took a year off from studying but by 1987 had launched into a
company-sponsored part-time BEng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering at
Bristol Polytechnic, with which he emerged in 1992.
He made a conscious decision to move from an engineering to a business
discipline as strategic affairs assistant to the Rolls-Royce Military Aero
Engines Ltd managing director before being appointed, at 27, to his first
managerial position in marketing. John still had not finished with studying,
and he elected to join the part-time Master of Business Administration
programme at the Bristol Business School at the University of the West of
England. He was awarded his MBA in 1998, that year also winning the site's
John Grimshaw Award that recognises excellence and dedication in further
education.
Short Term Business Attachement Scheme
This scheme was launched in 1997. It aims to strengthen the Government's
partnership with business and enhance Britain's export drive. This is
achieved by seconding executives from the private sector to our Commercial
Sections in Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates overseas to work on
specific projects and promotions, identified by Commercial Sections which
require private sector expertise to plug a knowledge gap. These areas of work
reflect the corporate strategy and objectives of British Trade International.
Project and promotions can be in any overseas market and most have a sector
focus. Popular sectors include oil and gas, IT/telecommunications, financial
services and manufacturing.