Meet Ian Minney: Engineering around the world
Who are you?
Ian Minney – Project Engineering Leader, GE Power and Water, Australia, New Zealand and South-East AsiaWhere are you?
Mostly in Singapore, but currently on site near Roma in Queensland.
What do you do?
I am involved in the design and building of water-treatment plants.
What’s the weirdest place science or engineering has taken you?
Just after the second Gulf War, a previous employer asked me to go to the middle of the desert in Jordan to commission a water-treatment plant for a camp. When I arrived, I found out it was the training camp for thousands of Iraqi police recruits. Every night when I returned to my luxurious hotel in downtown Amman, I would see on the CNN news that many Iraqi police were being killed in their homeland. I have never complained about my job since.
What’s the most interesting thing about your job?
I have seen the four corners of this planet – I have been paid to travel the world. In my line of work there are so many disciplines relevant to completing a project: most types of engineering, commercial and financial systems are all involved. There’s also a strong focus on personal leadership skills, and there’s always something new to learn. There is never a dull moment, which is great.
What do your friends and family think you do?
They know I work in the water industry but they are not sure what that means. When they turn on the tap at home and potable [drinkable] water appears, they have no idea how many people have worked behind the scenes to make that happen. Basically I tell them that I am involved in the design and building of water-treatment plants.
If you could share a conversation with any scientist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to have a conversation with Leonardo da Vinci. It is incredible that one person could excel in so many different subject areas. I am in awe of his inventions and ideas and I find it fascinating that he did all of this half a millennium ago. I would also like to know if his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, has a smile or a frown.