In March 2014, Rashad joined Saudi Total Petroleum Products directly after completing his post graduation in Industrial Engineering from the University of South Florida, in Tampa. Amongst various offers, he chose the one from Saudi Total Petroleum Products appointing him as Assistant Technical Manager because “the position was very challenging, in a renowned multinational company and a gave me the chance to apply my engineering knowledge as well as the chance to interact with a large spectrum of customers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” as he says.
A Strategic Intermediary Position
Rashad’s position is quite central and strategic as he is not dealing with one team internally but with several within the sales and production teams, being the most essential ones. “Helping commercial teams to understand our products and their specificities and, in return, make them more confident about Total’s technical advantages is always very rewarding” says Rashad. He also coordinates with the plant and Total’s head office to make sure that the formulations of the products from the plant always follow Total’s strict quality standards. “In parallel, we do technical presentations on our products for our customers, to help them understand our products and their applications in a better way”.
The Challenge of Studies and Analytical Accuracy
“A lot of knowledge and information is needed to be accurate in the analysis we are doing. There’s no room for mistakes and it is very challenging” explains Rashad. The oil analysis is an after sale service that Total is providing to customers. “As an example, one of our industrial customers wanted us to conduct a study to extend the working hours of his generators. The study is based on performing the oil analysis during one full maintenance cycle for selected generators. Then, we will evaluate the results and the possibility of improvements. This kind of study takes time and effort, but shows our commitment to better energy.”
The Loyalty and the Best Service to Customers
Rashad proudly says that “we do not sell products only, but work on winning over our customers’ loyalty for a long term relationship. “Giving facts and proof of our oil’s advantages and added values is always better than words.” Concludes Rashad.
