Bristow has just lost some key players in its Q & S organisation. Colin Cheesewright, who had only been in the post of Global Engineering Standards Manager is leaving to join Conoco-Philips and now it has been announced that Jonathan Stripling, Global Director Quality, Safety and Standards and Grant Ireland, Global Manager Quality and Safety already left 5 days ago
. Rumor has it that Stripling and Ireland are going to join Bristow former Vice President Operations, Richard Burman, who is now a director of Avincis Group, the new owner of Bond Helicopters and the INAER group. This now leaves the Q&S department in Bristow in tatters as they still have no confirmed Q&S Managers in either Europe or Africa. Tim Rolfe, the Global Training Standards manager is the interim Director of Quality, Safety and Standards and is an exceptionally capable person, head and shoulders above his predecessor, but whether he will be offered (or accept) what appears to be a poisoned chalice is open to question. He is undoubtedly capable of filling the post he now occupies, but with so many of his support staff going or gone it will be a very difficult decision for him as to whether he steps up to the new mark. He can only do it if he is given a free hand to appoint new key players into the Q&S and Global Standards roles now vacant as soon as possible. With so much going on in all its theatres of operation, Bristow faces some tough challenges to get respected, qualified and willing people into these key positions as soon as possible to prevent predators like Burman with so many insights into Bristow operations poaching more key staff and undermining the Bristow quality, safety and standards organisation. Of course, all of this depends on Burman's own standing and those joining him in the IOC community.
There are interesting times ahead as newly emerging companies and alliances seek to take on the old established order.