Exclusive Interview with
SAPL Office COO Mr David Wilson
“Be present in the moment wherever you are, whomever you’re with.”
Mr David Wilson
Chief Operating Officer
Sumitomo Australia Pty Ltd
Director & General Manager
Sumitomo Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne Office
General Manager
Business Development Division, Hydrogen Business
As a director and COO of SAPL Office, what has been the most important initiative or project under your leadership? Please share about the challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the positive business impact made.
The energy transition. It is clear the actions of my own and previous generations are affecting the planet, and we need to fix it as soon as practically possible. We have not overcome it; we are decades away from fixing this but at least under this period of leadership I know we can say we recognised the problem and made the first steps to fixing it. And I think Sumitomo acted ahead of the other trading houses in many of these fields and we will benefit from that in the future in our business and profit as well.
Lucky to catch a glimpse of the northern lights during my holiday in the Arctic Circle, Finland this year
In your opinion, what makes a great team? How do you foster a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and professional development?
A great team is one with complementary skills, where members trust each other to fulfill their role and support one another through open and honest communication. A Manger’s job is to foster this environment and provide every opportunity for their team to grow both professionally and personally.
Tell us the best piece of advice you have ever received in your life and how it impacted you.
To never take anything personally. Especially in business, it has helped me remain calmer and understand that business can be tough and even unfair sometimes. You cannot control what other people say and do, so do not react to it emotionally or impulsively.
With cute little Koala, the national icon of Australia
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SNAPSHOT
I strongly believe in… open dialogue and trust
I spend most of my time.. engaging with people. Both socially and at work
The food I crave most often is… mostly anything. If you’ve seen my photo, you know it’s true!
One personal rule that I never break is… honesty, even when it’s tough
The thing that cheers me up whenever I think about is… my family
One thing I really want but can’t afford yet is… nothing important. There are always more possessions you can buy but as you get older you realise you can’t buy time. Use it well
If I could go back in time, I would… travel more extensively for personal interest
If I have enough money to live comfortably without having to work, I would… continue to work. For a while at least. I’d like to see how the start of the energy transition play out a bit more for Sumitomo
