E16 - Kallin Kurtz - TechnipFMC

Automation For the Future, with Kallin Kurtz.

Episode 16: Show Notes

Today, we have the Vice President of Manufacturing Technology at TechnipFMC, Kallin Kurtz, here to talk to us about automation for the now (and the future!), the biggest challenges facing the oil and gas industry, and stopping to smell the roses! This episode dives into his role at TechnipFMC and the services that they offer, before we get down to brass tacks on things like the labor shortage, the challenge of interacting with people from all over the world, and his top KPIs: delivery, cost, and safety. You'll hear how safety protocols have improved in the industry over time, and the biggest challenges TechnipFMC faces in keeping production flowing consistently and successfully. We also touch on the future of the industry, and Kallin shares some insight into renewable energy technology and the specific energy initiatives that they are implementing at their plants to work with their respective locations. Finally, you'll hear the top advice that he has regarding how you can grow yourself as a leader, and how his open-door policy is key to the success of him and his team!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet Kallin Kurtz and hear about his career trajectory and expertise in automation. 
• Hear about TechnipFMC and the services that they offer.
• What he thinks is the biggest challenge in the oil and tech industry today: materials.
• The impact of current government policy on his business, both in and outside the US.
• Some advice for any person hoping to follow in his footsteps!
• Discussing the shortages of programmers for robots.
• Overcoming the current labor shortage through automation, and some problems that will arise.
• Hear why Kallin recommends Extreme Ownership – and why we love it too.
• The three people that have played a crucial part in his success story. 
• The challenges of interacting with people all over the world.
• Talking about safety protocols specific to the oil and gas industry and how it's improved. 
• His most important KPIs: delivery, cost, and safety. 
• Discussing the future of the industry and a tentative prediction for the next few years. 
• The huge parts and types of equipment they use, and a little about additive technology.
• The biggest challenge they face in keeping production going.
• Hear about the location-dependent energy initiatives that they are implementing at their plants.
• Kallin debunks that myth that his industry is boring.
• His top advice for leadership: empathy and the importance of slowing down!
• How he lets employees establish the agenda of one-on-one meetings.
• The importance of transparency and authentic communication in creating successful teams. 

Tweetables:

“Automation is the path forward. There's no question about that.” — Kallin Kurtz [0:06:55]

“If your aspirations are in upper management and such like that, probably a business degree is going to help. If your aspirations are to stay in the technical world, a four-year degree is not necessary anymore.” — Kallin Kurtz [0:07:54]

“Take the time to listen. Take the time to interact with your employees and learn what's important to them. Listen to the ideas, and don't accept mediocrity from anybody.” — Kallin Kurtz [0:13:04]

“I think one of the things that is going to be really critical as we move forward with automation is, who's going to do all this automation? It's becoming a problem that people just aren't there.” — Kallin Kurtz [0:25:35]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kallin Kurtz on Linked