Ross Moody has had a long and outstanding career in public works and has made an immense contribution to the industry both in local government and through a long record of achievement with IPWEA. He recently stepped down as Director IPWEA Fleet and will continue his activity on a part-time basis. This interview was featured in the IPWEA Inspire newsletter.
inspire: How did you get started in the public works and then fleet industries?
RM: I started my career in public works by pure chance. Jobs were hard to get, and my first was in local government as a design engineer where I stayed for four years before moving to WA to a design office manager role. After three years, as part of restructure, I was offered the Works & Services Manager position which included responsibility for Fleet.
inspire: What have you enjoyed most about your career?
RM: Being in leadership roles for almost 40 years has allowed me to take the initiative to build effective teams and create business opportunities. The most enjoyable has been my association with IPWEA, firstly in a voluntary capacity and then in my role as Executive Officer and Director IPWEA Fleet. For the past 15 years I have had the pleasure of working with Chris Champion (former IPWEA CEO) and sharing a passion for developing services for the public works industry in what has become a very successful organisation.
inspire: What are some changes in fleets and fleet management you have seen?
RM: The biggest change in the past 30 years is that fleet management has become much more professional, requiring broader skills. The other major change areas have been in technology, compliance and fleet management reporting.
inspire: What do you see as the biggest challenges for today’s practitioners?
RM: Keeping up with the constant changes in regulations, technological innovations and getting fleet management and maintenance data in a form needed to achieve optimal management practice.
inspire: What is your advice for someone entering the fleet industry?
RM: My fleet experience is limited to the public works industry although having said that, I have had contact with many fleet practitioners from the private sector. The elements for success are to develop local and national networks through professional development workshops and conferences and get “fleet educated” early with the IPWEA Fleet Management Certificate course. Without exception, every person who has completed the course, whether experienced or not has provided feedback on its benefits.
inspire: What do you see as the future of IPWEA Fleet?
RM: IPWEA Fleet exists to advance the practice of fleet management and we have successfully developed numerous products and services over the past 15 years. We owe a lot to the members of the Fleet Council, a group of hand-picked fleet professionals from around Australia, who have provided vital input into new initiatives. There is no shortage of new ideas and with an expanding IPWEA Fleet team, the future is bright.
