Oil and Gas Industry: New Markets

In order to secure a very long term future Oil and Gas exploration firms need to team up with Renewable Energy Organisations. In particular in the African Continent. After all everybody claims that they are in the "Energy" business.

One such firm is Sun Earth Energy Ltd who have several schemes running at present. Their basic message is for Africa to export as much oil and gas as they can and to rely on renewables. In particlular Solar Thermal, Wave and Rip Current and Bio Mass schemes. Sun Earth Energy Ltd (or SEE to their freinds) are aiming big.

60,000 MW capacity of electrical generation inside 10 years. Not bad for a fledgeling company. However they have several MOU's and the ear of several Governments. They also beleive in JV's with governments to explore for Gas and to export it, thus giving more back to the host nation - as you can expect, this message is being received loud and clear!

Tidal Turbine, good in rip tides, estuaries etc. Obviously in the right location this type of energy can supply base load applications. This is what Sun Earth Energy are all about. Renewables are easily able to have base load capacity. There are many well tested systems which fit this profile: Tidal, Wave, Rip Currents, Solat Thermal (trough, fresnel,tower and pond), Geo-Thermal, Bio Mass and now several storage solutions have become more practical.

Trough Solar Collectors: they concentrat light to a centrally mounted heat tube which carries away the heat energy in Oil to a heat exchanger. This in turn stores heat energy as Molten Salt in order to buffer between supply and demand. With this installation 24 hour power from Solar is acheivable.

Pygmalion Corporate serves a range of impressive multi-national clients around the world including government and educational bodies Below are some examples of the diverse nature and scope of our current projects- AMEC - AMEC plc is a very succesful global engineering contractor to the energy sector. Their Growth Regions (GR) Business Unit focuses on the oil and gas sector and is seen as the growth engine of the group. It has 4 regional business units (CIS, China, Middle East & North Africa and South East Asia) covering 15 active countries and counting. Since 2007 Pygmalion have been engaged in developing an umbrella Business Unit strategy together with a set of integrated regional, country, project & functional strategies. Pygmalion Consultants are currently working throughout these complex regions enabling many aspects of the delivery process to be succesfully implemented. This includes J/V & acquisition integration, partnering strategies with AMEC customers, leadership and organisational effectiveness support. BROWN & ROOT - CONDOR - Brown & Root - Condor is a leading North African JV company focused on the Oil & Gas, Infrastructure, Operations & Maintenance and IT market sectors. Based in Algiers, B&R-C has grown rapidly to deliver an annual turnover today of $750m with 1,300 employees. The Pygmalion Group consultants worked in partnership with B&R-C for 3 years to deliver a number of important interventions. Under the umbrella of our Cognition development programme, our full-time dedicated Algerian team built strong foundations to enable the Company to effectively define and strengthen its culture & ability to grow. Support included the delivery of specific knowledge transfer programmes and processes to enhance core competencies and enable B&R-C to operate to international standards. The Company’s commitment to building effective partnerships with clients, suppliers and sub-contractors was also a key focus. This “total supply chain” approach created a cultural alignment that delivered significant measurable returns to all stakeholders. Comment from Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, President & Directeur General “ B&R-C continues to be very successful driving dynamic growth in all its business sectors. Pygmalion has helped us create the necessary culture as well as embed some of the essential competencies to capture that success.” Comment from Tadg Slattery, VP for KBR Algeria: “Our Company has some amazing opportunities but their successful realisation has at times been hampered by complex cultural issues. Pygmalion have used their experience to help us define the issues, develop clear and effective strategies to address them as well as champion a robust implementation plan.” CATERPILLAR LOGISTICS ASIA PACIFIC - The Pygmalion Group has developed an innovative partnering relationship with Cat Logistics AP. Our intervention focuses on clarifying the regional strategy, creating an effective leadership capability and the optimum conditions in all the operations and functions to deliver significant growth across Japan, Malaysia, China, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia. A quantifiable element of the Pygmalion strategy has involved the Asia-Pac team coaching over 40 leaders and managers in 6 countries and delivering tailor made strategy and alignment programmes to executive, functional and facility teams in the region. As an important part of the global US$45b Caterpillar organisation, Cat Logistics Asia Pacific is spearheading an ambitious growth strategy. This requires the organisation to think and behave differently whilst carefully nurturing the core values that have made Caterpillar so successful. Along with our organisational effectiveness interventions, Pygmalion have also contributed to expanding Cat’s business development activities by brokering new relationships and opportunities. One project in particular was the successful introduction of Cat to Oil Search Ltd and the winning of a significant Supply Chain/Logistics contract worth tens of millions of dollars. Comment from Paul A. Joseph, President, Caterpillar Logistics Asia Pacific "Pygmalion has been an integral part of Cat Logistics Asia Pacific Leadership Development efforts for the past two and a half years, as we position the organisation for growth. They have taken their proven methodology and customised it to meet the needs of our geographically and culturally diverse organisation. The specific projects they have developed and executed compliment and integrate well with our established Performance Management process." ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND & NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK - Pygmalion has developed bespoke leadership programmes for the bank's Regional Managers as part of a comprehensive leadership development initiative. BAA - Our engagement with BAA has been an intense one,taking over 320 people through a training programme to enhance employee relations and improve communication. Rated as best training provided in BAA at Heathrow. Working with the senior teams across the business we have been involved in helping them to redefine and enhance their relationships with staff from all levels to prepare them for the challenges of the future. HEWLETT PACKARD - The Pygmalion Group has developed a partnership with HP to co-create extensive programmes for organisations and clusters of organisations. These programmes combine the raising of aspirations and expansion of mindsets, with the radical use of technology to enhance learning. Current projects focus on the education sector in South Africa, Middle East and Europe.This partnership also involves the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and is an example of how Pygmalion can adapt and develop our offering to work in a creative way with our clients to focus on specialist projects. OIL SEARCH - The Pygmalion team conducted a significant Strategic Analysis of the Oil Search business in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Middle East. This led to a series of radical recommendations and to Pygmalion supporting the business in a range of key initiatives to address issues and to support their growth strategy. For the last year Pygmalion have had an embedded Senior Consultant, Andrew Boardman, delivering innovative change-management support within the Papua New Guinea Logistics operation. THE HALLIBURTON GROUP UK & NORTH AFRICA - In North Africa we are working with Brown & Root Condor, a joint venture business of the Halliburton Group. In the UK we are assisting the Government and Infastructure side of Kellogg Brown & Root HONEYWELL CHINA - Pygmalion was engaged by Honeywell's President Shane Tedgerati to align the four Honeywell business units behind an innovative "one China" strategy. Using a unique blend of cognitive change tools in a dynamic "open space" strategic workshop we have worked with leaders from all these businesses to challenge their beliefs and behaviours. The process was powerfully augmented by structured inputs from the MDs of McKinseys, Booz Allen and some major Chinese Universities. We are now working with the GM of Honeywell Turbo in Shanghai looking at a range of interventions to support their business which is experiencing phenomenal growth. TULLOW OIL & GAS - In response to an overheated market in oil and gas, Pygmalion have been working closely with the senior management of Tullow in the UK, South Africa and Ireland to create not only a Performance Management culture but also a culture of accountability and excellence. This will enable the business to manage the huge growth they are experiencing.

Tadg Slattery Vice President, Kellogg Brown & Root "If any consultancy knows the secret of team building and employee motivation - it's Pygmalion. I have no hesitation in recommending their services." CEO Beattie Communications

Expensive Business Training Needs to be Good, but Good Training Needn’t be Expensive

A new type of training seminar offers the high quality companies are used to but at a truly affordable price. Inspirational Seminars Ltd is using the medium of seminars, which they have branded ‘Quick & Dirty!’ Instead of asking companies to book their staff on a 2 or 3 day programme, they have encapsulated the ‘real meat’ of these programmes in seminars just 3 hours long.

Training staff and management in the ‘Soft-Skills’ is seen as an investment in people however when the economic outlook is bleak, what was previously thought of as an investment becomes seen as a cost. But how can a company be fit to weather the storm if for example they stop motivating their sales people and line managers with good training? Companies shouldn’t be as much concerned about the economic outlook, as much as they should be on the look-out for good training that will continue to build their business.

Inspirational Seminars is a training company that is offering companies a new way to continue development of their staff but at a very affordable price. The ‘Quick & Dirty!’ concept allows organisations to continue with the essence of vital training whist allowing them breathing space to recover. When the budget allows, more in depth face to face training can take place using the same world class trainers and course writers to maintain continuity.

In recent years, the training industry has seen quite a lot of seminars that are really only vehicles to sell companies and individuals longer and more expensive courses; they contain very little in the form of usable information. The ‘Quick & Dirty!’ seminars offer people a stream of ideas during the 3 hours that people can go away and use immediately. These seminars will be rolled out over the UK and Europe after a series of pilot schemes starting in Oxfordshire.

John Burke, a director of Inspirational Seminars Ltd says; ‘the benefits to companies who take advantage of this type of training is that they get high quality training with low investment, they do not lose people from the office for more than half a day and there are no hotel costs involved. But perhaps one of the most important benefits is that both the material and delivery are of the highest quality because the seminars are run by very experienced, world-class trainers of international acclaim. Another benefit that companies find is that this type of training fills a gap until they are in a situation whereby they can undertake more in-depth training’.

He continues, ‘since people are the ‘life-blood’ of any company it is of course important for companies to continue the learning and development of people within the organisation. Most HR Departments are inundated with information from training companies and so the process of making decisions as to which company to use can be very much like a minefield these days. What companies should bear in mind is this: although expensive training needs to be good, good training needn’t be expensive’.

For additional information on the availability of these seminars, please send your email to info@inspirational-seminars.com or visit http://www.inspirational-seminars.com and visit the ‘Quick & Dirty!’ Seminar text at the top right hand side.


About Inspirational Seminars Ltd

Inspirational Seminars (ISL) is a consortium of trainers who have all worked with well established training companies over the last 20 years. These are people who have worked closely with each other and have now come together to provide unsurpassed quality training programmes to companies in the UK and Europe. Some of their trainers are psychologists, some are NLP Practitioners and all have personal experience in every subject in which they train.

Inspirational Seminars’ team of dedicated professionals aim to bring to companies first class, world-class results-oriented ideas that will improve the performance of individuals thus improving the overall performance of a client company. This is done with well developed and established methodologies and close working relationships with customers.

Inspirational Seminars offers Public Courses and Seminars throughout the UK and parts of Europe covering a wide range of sales, management and personal development. And because these programmes can be adapted for individual customer needs it means ISL can provide around 80% of most companies development requirements.

BOE Cut Rates by 1.50%

After one of the most hotly debated rate decisions in recent times, the Bank of England delivered its largest interest rate cut in 15 years today, slashing the UK base rate by a full 1.50% to 3.00%, in an effort to shield the ailing British economy from the fallout of the global credit crisis. The move follows on from last month’s coordinated 0.50% cut with other major Central Banks, as the credit crisis increased its stranglehold on the global economy.

Faced with mounting evidence that the UK economy is headed for recession, the Monetary Policy Committee has come under increased pressure to take more decisive action. Earlier this week Britain’s service sector, the backbone of the UK economy, was seen contracting at its sharpest rate on record while factory output posted its longest decline since the 1980’s recession, heralding further job losses. However, the most influential of recent developments was the sharp contraction in third quarter GDP, confirming the UK economy is on the brink of a recession, sharply reducing consumer and business confidence for the coming year.

Recent comments by Governor Mervyn King stating that “it now seems likely that the UK economy is entering a recession” signals further monetary easing is in the pipeline.

Major Interest Rates


Major Interest Rates
US Fed Fund Rate 1.00% 29th Oct 2008
EU Min. Bid Rate 3.75% 8th Oct 2008
UK Base Rate 3.00% 6th Nov 2008

Source: HIFX Financial Services Ltd

Technorati Link

Technorati Profile

Its all about cross networking and interconnections!

Or is it just to get Technorati up the google rankings by inward links? So to balance things here are a list of my blog and web interests with lots of great partners and projects: No particular order.

G8way
Jamie Lawrence Football Academy
JLFA Blog
Refill Food
Cherrie Box Media
Emerging Markets Investor Services Ltd
Watersons Marketing Group
Inspirational Seminars Ltd
Inspirational Seminars Blog
Sylvia Modu
Faye Klein Lingerie
DMR Ltd
Bevin Fagan (who sadly died in April 2008)
Gold Investments
Property Investment and Credit Crunch
Business Start Ups
Yorkshire Network
Gold Bullion Trading
Click4Marketing
Affordable Seminars
Barbur Realty
Canal Craft
Management Resource
Unique Sounds

Plus a whole load of ongoing projects in Africa to build Solar Tower Power Stations, renewable energy systems and exploding the myth of global warming and the great carbon tax con.

I am also very keen on lean government along the lines that Hong Kong adopted and not the over-bloated British Model!

Start a Business in a Day

In today's world its the adults that seem to shoulder all the responsibility and provide our children with guidance and advice.

However, there comes a time when adults of all age need some time to relax and enjoy themselves. So hide the kids eyes, here is a simple business idea aimed squarely at the masses.

Just like the pioneering work of Ann Summers in de-sleezing porn and bringing the sex industry to the high street in an acceptable and fun format, now comes FAYE KLEIN (http://www.faye-klein.com/).

Its a replicatable website that allows anybody to own an exotic lingerie store. Thats right a web store, with no stock lines to buy, no unsold stock sitting in the warehouse, no wondering what the next fashion will be. Its all out of the box. AND ITS FREE!!

Its a take on the PARTY PLAN. The web master and supplier give you a series of web sites to promote a range of 10,000 lingerie items, complete with shopping cart facilities, secure payment systems and everything you could possibly want. They provide banner images, and customisable web sites that you can put your own logo and images on.

Takes about a day to get up and running, including all the customising. What more could any budding your entreprenuer want.

The trick though is to drive traffic to the web site so it will start to sell products. So link to other web sites, get into directories, e-zines, newsgroups, use contacts and friends alike to get it promoted.

Their best affiliate is earning $50,000 per month!

Now that is not to say that just anyone can do this, but with effort and expertise people are earning good money on the web in the most unusual businesses and ways.

Everyday Story of Top Management around the Global Village

Pygmalion Group Ltd comprises of Pygmalion Corporate and Pygmalion Education.

Education has been active in UK, Jordan and the South African Townships using our own Programme to advance the aspiration of children the world over. We have some great joint ventures coming up and will let you know how these progress

Corporate is active in the UK, China, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Khazakstan on Engineering, Oil and Gas projects where we assist in the creation of corporate vision and its implementation by all levels of management within the organisation.

They can also assist in the personal development of the managers and directors they tutor and advise for their change management work