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8 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News INTERVIEW FIVE MINUTES WITH CARMEN PINO, REGIONAL OPERATING DIRECTOR, CASTROL OFFSHORE How would you describe your management philosophy? Pino I am participative; I want to meet all of my people and the customers per- sonally. At the same time, I set clear di- rection and boundaries. I think you have to get your team lined up in the direction they need to go, let them know what they can and can’t do, and let them run. How big is your team, and what area do you cover? Pino I have 30 people in four regions. We are responsible for everywhere in the world except Europe and Africa, which is run by a colleague of mine based in the UK . The global economy has been a rough ride in recent years. How has it affected your business? Pino The last few years have been some of the most difficult, not just in off- shore of course, but business in general. We saw several big projects delayed, so we've placed more emphasis on innova- tion and new customer needs. This will result in new offers that will provide more long-term value to our customers. When you come to work, what is your mission and where are your targets? Pino We want to be the supplier of choice when it comes to lubricants and control fluids. Our “targets” are heavily weighted toward the subsea industry and the topsides of offshore installations. Geographically, what are the “hotspots?” Pino It really comes down to the “Golden Triangle” of the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. Asia, also, offers some interesting opportunities. In Brazil we have historically managed the busi- ness from Houston or the UK. Last year we decided to set up local technical man- agement in Rio. This lines up to our strategic plan in Brazil to provide solu- tions to their challenges, such as effi- ciently tapping the Subsalt fields and broadening the reach of Castrol's off- shore-focused global network. How does your business look for 2011 and beyond? Pino Surprisingly, it is quite good. We are growing our share with some of the biggest operators in the world. On the topside lube business, where our compe- tition is the oil majors, we are in a unique position in that this is a “pure” business segment with a dedicated team. We have a global business set-up explicitly for the offshore business and the needs of its cus- tomers, which I believe makes us unique. On the subsea side of the business, typi- cally we compete with a handful of smaller chemical companies. The chal- lenge here always is getting products ap- proved for use in this challenging Carmen Pino Castrol Offshore The business of lube and fluid supply is fiercely competitive and ever-changing, continually challenged to deliver more economical, environmentally and better performing product. Maritime Reporter spent some time with Carmen Pino, a West Point graduate and the Regional Operating Director, Castrol Offshore , to discuss his team’s strategy to grow its business. • by Greg Trauthwein
