Damien Garske From Cadet to Manager: Damien’s Story of Growing Up at the Port
After nearly three decades at Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, Damien Garske has established himself as a key leader in our Port community. Our Manager Port Operations has undergone extensive development, both professionally and personally. Now, he’s excited to harness his experience to train up the next generation of cadets.
PROJECTS, PEOPLE - NO PROBLEM.
DAMIEN GARSKE SHARES SOME REFLECTIONS ON HIS OWN CAREER JOURNEY AS HE WELCOMES OUR NEW PORT OPERATIONS CADETS TO THE TEAM.Damien Garske has enjoyed a PBPL career spanning nearly three decades, and he’s had his fair share of memorable moments. He’s coordinated navy ships, aircraft carriers, and submarines. In fact, he and his colleagues were the first operational team in Australia to berth a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Today, in his day-to-day role as Manager Port Operations, Damien manages and maintains our facilities and infrastructure. He’s also responsible for overseeing our shipping schedules and permits. His version, however, is much simpler.
“Basically, I fix people’s problems,” he says with a smile.
It’s clear that the role of problem-solver is no burden to Damien. He’s easy-going, with no trouble befriending people from all walks of life who he meets along the way. He says that’s an essential quality for someone in his position.
“I deal with so many different people on a daily basis - engineers, storespeople, and customers. It’s part and parcel of being in such a diverse role - and that’s what I love about it. I’m not stuck in the office. I’m out and about at the Port.”
While it’s impossible to spend a lot of time with everyone, Damien always stops to say ‘g’day’ when he can. His friendly attitude will serve him well in his next leadership opportunity, as he welcomes two new faces to his Port community.OPERATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
In March, Damien welcomed two new team members as part of the first Port Operations Cadets program. He shares his excitement at the prospect of bringing on two Cadets of his own.
“PBPL has given me so many opportunities to grow. I’m excited to continue that tradition by training up our new Cadets. We’re welcoming two people that are new to our industry. It’s an exciting career change for both of them.”
Damien, along with Sarah Harris, will manage the new Cadets for the next two years while they rotate through operational areas of the Port. They’ll undertake plenty of learning, both and the job and through a structured traineeship which will see them complete a Diploma of Logistics. They’ll rotate through different areas, giving them a taste of the varied career paths available at PBPL. And after nearly three decades at the Port, Damien has plenty of knowledge to share.A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE - AND PERSONAL GROWTH
Damien started at PBPL in 1993, in a program similar to today’s Cadetship. He rotated through the different areas of the Port, before deciding on a career path as a Contract Administrator. From there, he moved into port operations, eventually working his way up to Manager of Port Operations. Today, Damien’s role focuses on ensuring the safe and efficient provision of port service operations across PBPL - including vessels entering and departing the Port, as well as maintaining strong relationships with a range of customers and other stakeholders.
Twenty-eight years later, he reflects on his rich career at PBPL.
“I’ve grown older and wiser here. It’s a big achievement - I started as a teenager, and I’ve come so far over the years - not just from a work perspective, but personally. I’ve learned communication skills, and how to develop stronger relationships. Certainly, I’m a better person for working at PBPL”.
When it comes to the characteristics needed to thrive at PBPL, Damien believes it’s about personal qualities over qualifications.
“It’s simple. You need a willingness to give it a crack. If you make a mistake, own it, learn from it, and move on. It’s all about just having a go.”
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