theceomagazine.com | 65On the innovation front, Normet consults
with many of the leading mining companies
on how to improve tunnelling methods. The
main issue concerns preventing wastage on
sprayed concrete, a very expensive process
if managed inefficiently. “One of the cost
elements is what is called ‘rebound’ – how
much of the sprayed concrete actually sticks
on the wall and how much falls to the
ground. That waste can be minimised with
not just the right equipment, but also the
right composite of chemicals,” he explains.
The management structure is set to take
Normet to the next level. Looking ahead,
Robin hopes it hasn’t come at the expense
of the freedom and creativity the company
had in abundance when it was still locally
based. “The structure is still quite lean. When
you grow to a certain size, bureaucracy can
easily creep in, or people can feel it’s there,
because of the need to put certain processes
and rules in place,” says Robin. “But if
companies can keep the entrepreneurial
spirit alive in such an environment, that’s
something that can really motivate people.”Energy and Water division for Finnish
outfit Outotec.
That experience would be Robin’s first
exposure to the mining equipment industry.
He learned quickly about the finer details
of mining and tunnelling. “Of course, having
a knowledge of civil construction and
tunnelling is important to being able to
drive and develop the company in the right
direction,” he says. “But there are also so
many commonalities in how to lead a
company and what the challenges are. A lot
of the role has to do with how you organise
things, or how you orchestrate the winning
team to drive opportunities. These are
common features regardless of industry.”
Thankfully for Robin, the transition
has been fairly smooth. While he expected
some challenges upon taking up his post at
Normet, he thinks the staff have embraced
what he has brought to the table because
there was already an expectation of change.
“When you enter the company as a
newcomer, there will always be people who
think that if you haven’t been in the industry
for 20 years, you don’t know anything about
it,” says Robin.
“However, the CEO doesn’t need to be
an expert at everything. They need to be
able to form a team strong enough to drive
initiatives, and then lead and coach them
in the right direction while making sure
they have the right resources to move the
business forward.”
Robin has weathered what could have
easily been a volatile transition phase, to
transform Normet into an organisation with
a unique competitive edge. Unlike many of
its (mainly larger) industry peers, who are
usually either in the chemicals business or
in equipment but never both, Normet has
the full-service offering for clients from
beginning to end.
“We are in equipment. We are in ground
control. We have construction chemicals.
We have rock support, and then the whole
service scope on top of that – so that gives
us a unique position to be a process expert,”
Robin says. “Rather than just selling a piece
of equipment, we can sell process
improvement to our customers.”
“The CEO doesn’t need to
be an expert at everything.
They need to be able to...
move the business forward.”