Barrie Willis appointed Manager of IPS Tunnelling DepartmentInterocean Personnel Services (IPS) has appointed Barrie Willis to manage its tunnelling department, strengthening its international tunnelling activities. Barrie started his career with Edmund Nuttall in 1968 on the Mersey Tunnel, and since then has been involved in international tunnelling projects in Sri Lanka, Dubai, Taiwan, Singapore, Spain and latterly, Turkey. His personal experience working with colleagues overseas, coupled with the knowledge of the skills required for each job, has prepared him for his new role with IPS.For more than eight years IPS has specialized in delivering professional tunnelling services to a broad range of customers, including Herrenknecht, Vinci, Wirth, Robbins and Lovat. This year, in partnership with tunnelbuilder, IPS launched tunneljobs.com, which has already established itself as the industry employment portal.The international tunnelling industry requires a flexible workforce, and this is the source of IPS strength. By providing customers with skilled and experienced personnel, IPS optimizes TBM assembly, operation, and disassembly for all types of large diameter TBMs and microtunnelling machines. The tunnelling department has a proven track record in deploying specialists on a worldwide basis, supplying people experienced in working with all kinds of TBMs and tunnelling equipment in every type of ground condition. Whether the need is for a single professional or a complete TBM shift, IPS can supply. These specialists can cover many other aspects of tunnelling such as supervision, electrical and mechanical maintenance, TBM troubleshooting and training, shaft sinking, handwork, NATM and safety and inspection.Barrie Willis is joining IPS at a very exciting and challenging time. The tunnelling industry is busier than ever and, together with IPS, Barrie has many ideas for ways to harness this huge potential. He says "With a great team of people in the IPS tunnelling department we will continue to serve the existing portfolio and expand into emerging markets. I look forward to meeting many old friends as I travel to our job sites, and to make many new ones in my new position at IPS". 49/07.