Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden, Business Development Manager, RiConnect
As part of LEEA’s YouTube channel, ‘Be my Guest…’ series, Jenny Eagle speaks to Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden, Business Development Manager, RiConnect, on her new role at the company and on completing the LEEA Foundation Course.
From Tata Steel to TM Steel and Rope & Sling Specialists, Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden has more than 10 years’ experience in the engineering sector and has now joined RiConnect, as Senior Business Development Manager for the EMEA Region, responsible for SaaS for Critical Asset Management, Digitalisation and RFID.
“I'm going to be looking at our Assets Management Software. We're a company which predominantly deals in software for the lifting industry. So, we're looking at any assets where you have any certification to put against those assets, any previous checks that you want to do and looking at traceability and safety within the lifting industry,” said Whitehurst-Maiden.
“I'm based in Sheffield in the UK, but my region is Europe, Middle East and Africa, so quite a large region, where I’ll be going out to meet people. I've just been up in Aberdeen for SPE Offshore Europe and I'm heading over to Dubai for ADIPEC 2023 Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, this month.
“I started my career in the early 2000s working in tower cranes, (HTC Wolffkran Ltd) worked there for the best part of a decade in sales, and moved from there to Tata Steel, where I worked in oil and gas for a couple of years, and then went back to the lifting industry, working in lifting accessories, dealing with sales and looking at the inspection software around lifting equipment. So a similar sort of role for me in what I'm moving into now.”
Whitehurst-Maiden said a lot of people in the lifting industry are doing all the checks they need to do. But RiConnect provides them with the evidence that they've performed those checks as a back up to help with the auditing process.
“We're there to provide you with all the services you need at the touch of a button to your phone or via a chip. It's all about digitalisation and moving ahead with the times,” she added.
“When I was up in Aberdeen, we were not just looking at lifting equipment, but people are looking at windows and doors and fridges and fishing nets so any assets that you've got, that you want to track, maintain and keep your records together, it's all about putting a chip on it, having a piece of software and having all that data at your fingertips.”
RiConnect is also a member of LEEA and Whitehurst-Maiden has completed the LEEA Foundation course and is working towards her second module. RiConnect will also be attending LiftEx in Liverpool in November. (Exhibition Centre Liverpool November 21-22 2023).
“Hopefully I'll see a lot of people that I know from the industry, it’s a great networking event, and there’s lots of opportunity to make new relationships as well. We also have an Inspection Module coming out in November, which is something we want to enter into next year’s LEEA Awards.”
Click HERE to watch the video on LEEA’s YouTube channel
