Irrigation Australia Journal, Spring 2020 issue: Read the interview with Wilo Australia's Managing Director

Irrigation Australia Journal interviews Wilo Australia Managing Director, Kieran Killoran

We get up close to Kieran Killoran from Wilo in Brisbane and talk to him about his work and perspectives on pumping technology and innovation.

IA. What is your role with Wilo and how long have you worked in the pump industry?

Kieran. I am the Managing Director of Wilo Australia and amresponsible for steering the business towards growth in ourcurrent markets, as well as for exploring new markets andterritories for niche areas where we can apply products andsolutions from our extensive range.

I have worked in the pump Industry since 2006 in Europe and Australia across all sectors of the market, from building services, industrial (OEM and mining) and municipal water and wastewater transport and treatment.

IA. Can you tell us about Wilo and its role in the Australian irrigation sector?

Kieran. Wilo is one of the world’s leading premium European manufacturers of pumps and pump systems. It was founded in 1872 as a copper and brassware factory in Dortmund,Germany; we now have 60 subsidiaries in more than 50countries. In 2019, we recorded our tenth successive year of record sales, achieving $2.4Billion.

We see our role in the Australian irrigation sector as a solutions provider through selling high efficiency, premium products that will be the lowest cost supplier over a whole life-cycle cost analysis. In other words, we focus on providing the best value to the sector in the long term.

IA. What are the key trends as far as pump innovation and technology are concerned?

Kieran. Wilo has identified six global megatrends, which are globalisation, urbanisation, energy shortage, digital transformation, water shortage and climate change. From our perspective, all these trends are impacting the Australian economy. To respond to these trends, Wilo believes it has a corporate social responsibility to design the most innovative products to be intelligent and energy efficient, but also to conserve resources and reduce negative effects upon our environment.

IA. What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the irrigation industry in the next couple of years?

Kieran. Global warming is causing longer drought periods in Australia resulting in falling production and higher costs in our agricultural sector. With records continuing to be broken, for example, November 2019 was one of the driest Novembers on record, the industry is facing a serious challenge. This places a huge responsibility on all stakeholders in the irrigation sector to do their part to support the food supply chain. Wilo want to step up and play our part to support the sector where we can as a premium component supplier.

IA. What was the last book your read and where will your next holiday be?

Kieran. My last book was Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. It was an interesting take on how an emotionally intelligent organisation can provide high levels of motivation and team cohesion, strengths that can be more important than technical or operational competence. Unfortunately, because of COVID, I will not be visiting friends and family in Ireland this year or next. We have plans to rent a house and spend time with friends in Noosa for a week over Christmas.

Source: Irrigation Australia Journal, Spring 2020, Vol 36 #03. Reprinted with permission.