‘Meet the Board’ with Jim Allan

The i3net is guided by the wisdom and experience of the Board, who are dedicated to supporting our members achieve their business goals. In our ‘Meet the Board’ series, we’ll profile each of our Board members, so you can learn a bit more about the unique, skilled and passionate driving force behind i3net.

Jim Allan, i3net Vice Chair is an experienced and successful strategic leader possessing well-developed marketing, business development and people skills. Jim brings a wealth of experience gained in mining, marketing, consulting and executive roles within the engineering industry and is the Chief Operating Officer of Soto Consulting Engineers.

Jim holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Commerce (MCom) degree. He is also a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and is passionate about team building, culture and client relations.

Why did you join the i3net Board? How long have you served?

I joined thinking my strategic management, marketing, and business development skills could aid in strengthening the Board. I am in my third year as a Board member and first as Deputy Chair.

What is your background/expertise?

I have broad experience and solid knowledge in underground coal mining, steel making and engineering.

What are three key skills you bring to i3net? 

Leadership, strategic management, and b2b relationship building and marketing. 

What makes you proud of i3net?

The network’s evolving value to its membership and the fact that i3net acknowledges and promotes the collaborative skills of industries within Illawarra. i3net is the catalyst of Illawarra industrial might!

What is something that most people don’t know about i3net?

It has sustained twenty years of service to industries.

What needs has i3net filled across the years?

i3net illustrates a realisation that the capabilities and skills of small industrial services can work and grow together with large miners, ports, and world-class manufacturers such as BlueScope Steel. 

How has i3net grown and changed?

One word defines i3net; that word is “Resilience”. The current Board is strategically focused; i3net is an empowering network with tenacity and capacity to represent Illawarra’s benefits to industrials and attract and capture new commercial interests from outside the region. 

What has been your greatest achievement during your time on the Board?

Being a strong promoter and professional partner to the i3net CEO and the network. My achievements while serving on the Board are varied, and some are unseen. 

Those noticeable include;

• Introduction to i3net, the use and winning Government Grants to enable the build of the current i3net Website.
• Proposing and bringing on ‘Vivo Digital’ as partners to build the Website for the cost of their membership.
• Introduced Vivo to OceanEx and other network members and seeing them grow in new engagements. 
• Developed the relationships that led to ANSTO joining i3net as Sponsors.
• Enabled and convinced Bisalloy Steel and Nepean Engineering to become members of i3net. 
• Being a constant, reliable and sincere supporter of the CEO.
• Providing meaningful questions for presentation to BSL Townhall meetings
• Being proactive, provocative and persistent in a strategic methodology.