Maurice Schneider

Reliability, Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refinery

I studied Mechanical Engineering at Central Queensland University, with really very little idea of what engineers did in the work place. I had a general idea that they designed things but with hindsight I had no idea about the fabulous opportunities that lay ahead in a such a tremendous variety of areas.

At the time, I thought I did not want to be a maintenance engineer fixing up other people's mistakes. I wanted to do things right the first time. Well, you guessed it, my first job was as a maintenance engineer in the Carbon Plant at Boyne Smelters Limited in 1993.

From my experience in this role, I soon realised a number of things:

• Despite doing well at university, I knew nothing.I was an engineer, not a mechanical engineer.
• I wish I paid more attention in the other classes. 
• Work is fun and people are fascinating. It is the people that make the difference. I have learnt something from everyone I have met.

I am currently in the role of Superintendent Reliability at the Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refinery at Gladstone. My development at Rio Tinto Aluminium has included training in technical, commercial and people management fields, supervising a maintenance team of 25 people and managing projects worth a total of $12 million.

I am proud to work for Rio Tinto Aluminium because I know I make a difference to the company, I am valued as an individual and the opportunities available to me are only limited by my capability, drive and energy.