Tim Hurst Email and Phone Number

I was chosen by senior leadership to fill an exciting new role challenged with implementing significant, repeatable Service Delivery strategies to the Global Downstream Chemicals division. Overall, the focus is to ensure a more consistent customer experience globally for our customers for their process and water treatment while improving overall Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE), Sales and Operational Performance.

Promoted to this role at the world’s first and only full-stream provider of integrated oilfield products, services and digital solutions based on previously delivering exceptional safety and reliability in multiple refineries. The mandate was to turn around a high profile innovative organization providing solutions to complex client fuel management issues. Leading direct and contract personnel in regions across the U.S. and Canada, I provide vision and strategy around executing hundreds of client engagements valued in the tens of millions of dollars annually. This entails allocating resources and building capability to address a range of client issues, as well as overseeing delivery of services and ensuring client satisfaction, all while managing compliance and safety. In addition to establishing operations standards and HSE requirements from the ground up, I have been appointed to represent the firm in our ISNetWorld re-certification audit, which resulted in the highest possible rating and led to industry recognition for safety. I have also been chosen for assignments around improving productivity for manufacturing, and managing a chemical distribution hub for the East Coast, Canada, Midwest and Great Plains. In my few years in this role I have been consistently recognized for performance by senior company leadership.

Recruited by prior colleagues based on my previous performance at Sunoco, in this role I led a team responsible for day-to-day sales and service for multi-million-dollar crude refineries generating more than half a million barrels/day. This entailed designing and executing strategies for operational excellence, maximizing energy efficiency, optimizing processing performance and reducing maintenance costs. I applied deep internal expertise to assist operations and technical groups in addressing operational issues and led projects that improved profitability, reliability and safety. I also built 360-degree relationships and managed more than 284 chemical applications.Impact highlights included introducing innovative chemistry and improving refinery efficiency and operations. I also led team to eight figure competitive win for a corrosion prevention program, implemented and managed a chemical treatment and operational response program, and drove completion of cooling tower efficiency studies at multiple customer locations. Additionally, I conducted a comprehensive overhead corrosion study for one of largest crude units on east coast.

This was a great opportunity to share my real-world experiences in a classroom setting related to safe, reliable, efficient, profitable and environmentally focused operations of a chemical production facility. This rewarding experience allowed me to teach classes for both the chemistry & biology department as well as the electrical engineering department. My goal was to provide students with a solid knowledge base to prepare them for working in a chemical process production facility so that they are ready to hit the ground running and can quickly deliver value to their current and/or future employers. I look forward to returning to teaching as soon as time allows.

I was excited when I was tapped for this role because it was a great opportunity to demonstrate my leadership and management skills. It's a different side of the business than I was in before, but this was a vital focus for the company and my leadership wanted me to apply my skills in process improvement to this sector. I lead a team of nine in turning around operational and profit performance of 450 company-owned and 250 franchise convenience stores throughout eastern U.S. in implement corporate merchandising and pricing strategies. Essentially, I collaborated with category management to deploy merchandising and promotional programs that optimized profitability. Included was managing the merchandise cost/margin database. I worked with the field in designing, implementing, and communicating store layouts, plan-o-grams, and other placement initiatives. I interacted with marketing, IT and accounting to plan and execute system, software and process improvements for improving communication with stores, and with supply chain to improve performance and quality. 

This was the most significant developmental role I ever had because of the way it evolved over time. I was exposed to many aspects of refinery operations and it's where I grew in my interest and appreciation for process and measurement. The position grew into a true management role. I focused on analyzing and recommending processes for achieving and maintaining world-class delivery of safety and environmental performance, production optimization, reliability, quality, budgeting and other KPI’s. I managed Responsible Care®14001 continuous improvement programs across multiple facilities. I also tracked and reported on KPI trends, and drove multiple cost-reduction initiatives. Other parts of the role included overseeing maintenance/turnarounds, and supervising, training and developing more than 46 hourly union employees. I also directed operations and maintenance planning, and served as liaison between refinery business units, technology, maintenance, and support teams. Because of my performance and knowledge in refinery operations, I was also selected as an instructor for new hire operations technicians. 

This position gave me a great introduction to the labor relations side of the business. I also learned the technical aspects of refinery operations. I was responsible for overseeing multiple plant operations units including 85K barrel/day crude refining unit, MTBE production, tank product storage, facility utilities and railcar loading. I operated plant consoles and conducted unit inspections while maintaining production objectives and product quality. Also analyzed work flow processes and escalated production issues for inclusion in planned maintenance scheduling. Beyond that, I prepared equipment for maintenance, performed atmospheric gas testing, issued maintenance permits, as well as collected and analyzed data from trended vibration readings and conducted compliance inspections. As a result of my contributions to the development and organization of a maintenance & reliability inspection and monitoring program, standards were established and replicated throughout the company.During this role, I completed a two-year Refinery Operator Journey Person Apprenticeship with the State of Pennsylvania and became the first in the country to certify with the (Process Technology Examination - Chemical and Refining (PTEX-CR) with the Center for Advancement of Process Technology.

This was on the early side of my career and gave me a chance to explore a career I initially thought I would pursue. Of course, I ultimately determined it wasn't the direction I wanted to continue in, but it broadened my understanding of business and the marketplace as I managed the office of these two independent financial planning firms and developed financial plans for clients under each firm. There was a heavy research, analysis and reporting component to the work, as well as a consultative element in developing and implementing recommendations for individuals and small-businesses.