Michael Heery (ALS Environmental)

4 Questions with an Industry Expert
An Interview with Michael Heery (ALS Environmental)

1. As someone with over 30 years' worth of experience in the industry, what would you say first drew you to the industry?

I started my laboratory career in 1989 as a 19-year-old working for the QLD Department of Primary Industries Food Research laboratory. I had only just completed my first year and a half of a Science Degree and managed to get a job as a lab technician in the Flavour Chemistry lab working on Headspace GCMS instruments. I was told afterwards that they had previously had trouble finding the right person to work in chromatography, so they had decided to employ someone who was young and didn’t know anything that they could train up from scratch. I certainly fit that bill! I was very fortunate to be the right person at the right time and was able to complete my degree while working in a variety of roles over the next few years. However, on completing my degree, I realised that without a PhD, my prospects of getting a role as a Scientist at the DPI were pretty slim, so I started looking about for another job that better suited my skills and my career ambition.

The ALS Environmental Division started in Brisbane in 1992 and by 1994 it was growing and looking for a new Volatiles Chemist. That was the first time I had ever heard of Environmental Science, and I was immediately drawn to the role. I loved the idea of being able to use my qualifications in science and my interest in environmental sustainability to build a career. I started working for ALS in August 1994 and have grown with the company to now be the General Manager for Environmental Australia.

2. You've spent nearly 30 years at ALS Environmental - what are some opportunities you've had during your time there? Any exciting projects you've worked on? (We’d love photos too if you have them)

Within 12 months of starting at ALS I had the opportunity to relocate to Sydney to help establish the laboratory there. At this time, the Environmental Industry in Australia was really beginning to take off, the Sydney Olympics were coming and there were substantial contaminated land redevelopments underway. I was very fortunate to ride that wave with ALS and within a few years I was promoted to Senior Organic Chemist and then ALS Sydney Lab Manager. In those days, the business was still small and as Lab Manager, I spent most of my day talking to clients. We had a couple of Client Service people writing quotes, but almost all of the client liaison, queries and problem solving was handled by the Lab Manager (which is a far cry from the large and very capable Client Service teams we have now!). I was very fortunate to have this exposure as it gave me the insight and understanding of what clients needed from a lab and enabled me to make sure we were able to meet those needs.

I had the opportunity to work closely with Environmental Consultants on a variety of high-profile projects such as the Homebush Bay remediation, Orica Botany and too many others to remember. By far the most significant was the AGL Mortlake Gasworks remediation, which at that time was (and very likely still is) the largest gasworks remediation ever carried out in Australia. In my last few years in Sydney, I had the opportunity to travel for ALS to Hong Kong for two months and then Mexico for six months to assist with technical developments. In 2003 I returned to Brisbane as Lab Manager and then became QLD State Manager in 2007. Since my return to Brisbane, I have worked with clients on significant projects such as Newstead Gasworks, the Clem7 and Airport Link tunnels and what was is probably the highest profile PFAS spill in Australia. I have also worked on huge resources projects such as environmental compliance for the massive dredging project for Port Curtis in Gladstone, plus environmental monitoring programs for the Mining and Coal Seam Gas industries. Being in Queensland, and being the land of massive floods and cyclones, this also means pulling out all stops in times of need to help manage or prevent potential weather initiated environmental disasters!

3. What are some up-and-coming industry projects you're excited about?

I am continually amazed by how much work there is still to come in the PFAS space. It has been keeping our industry busy for some time now, and in some ways, it is only getting started! Besides that, I am looking forward to the projects arising from the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. My career with ALS took off with the development related to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and I think it would be a great bookend to my career to be involved with whatever the 2032 Olympics brings.

4. What would you say to an early career professional in the industry looking for new opportunities - any advice?

Try to get as much diverse experience as you can early in your career. You don’t know where your career is going to take you, and any one of those bits of experience may be the key to your next role. Also, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” – if an opportunity presents itself to you, take it. Especially if it means moving out of your comfort zone – whether that be technical capability or moving to another state or country. If you are young, you have plenty of time in your career to course correct and find what you really love.