Michelle Hardie joins LUP Global as Circular Asset Consultant. In this role, she will be able to help businesses and laboratories to think about a more sustainable way to manage their resources.
Michelle has 15+ years experience in Account Management and Business Development across various industries in the corporate sector. She believes in providing an exceptional customer experience and focuses on working closely with her clients to build mutually rewarding relationships. This approach saw Michelle receive an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008-2009 at FCm Travel (corporate division of Flight Centre).
Her passion for the environment led Michelle to become involved with the sustainability team in her position at Officeworks. This enabled her to further educate herself and the business team on sustainable practices and products available to customers, which became a focus in the customer business reviews. Michelle believes her varied background and more recent focus on environmental practices has put her in good stead to take on this next exciting chapter with LUP Global.
In addition to her corporate work, Michelle is also the secretary for the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation in a voluntary capacity. The group’s plan is to restore koala habitat across the Mornington Peninsula by planting 1000’s of native trees and shrubs on private and public land over the coming years.
Why join LUP?
Waste is a huge problem and I want to do my bit for our planet. Being involved with an organisation focused on sustainability and reducing landfill aligns perfectly with my ethics and views. I’m excited to be a part of positive change.
3 adjectives to describe yourself:
Passionate, dedicated, caring
What are you passions?
I love animals, music and travel. I’m happiest when immersed in nature and surrounded by wildlife while exploring new places.
Last year we were delighted to welcome Irena Jovanovska to the LUP family. With an impressive background, Irena founded the Women in STEM club at Swinburne University where she completed her Master’s in Science (Biotechnology) degree. Later this year we are planning on holding our first live event with Swinburne University and their Women in STEM Club. We thought we would thus take this opportunity to discuss with Irena her reasons for why she set up this club with now 150 members and growing. We wanted to highlight the amazing work they were set up to do and continue to do now and in the future…”
LUP: Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us Irena. So back in 2019, you founded the Women in STEM club at Swinburne. Can you please give us an insight into why you set up the club & why you felt the need for the club was at that time?
Irena: It is my pleasure, thank you for having me! It all began when I attended the Australian Symposium for Women leaders in August 2018. Finding myself amongst women leaders was very motivational and inspired me to think of myself as a leader as well. Whereas before that I never even considered the possibility that I could also become an inspiration for others. I thought that my success thus far was only ‘luck’ and ‘accidents’ that happened along the way, but I realised that it was actually the result of hard work and perseverance.
I then got included in the gender equity group at Swinburne, and subsequently the Women in STEM Faculty Group lead by Dr Tania Moein. Having that insight, and being the voice for women in STEM as a student representative, I noticed the things that could be developed further and new ideas to be implemented that would improve the experience of women and other minority groups in the STEM fields during the studies, as well as in a working environment. The crux of it was starting a club for supporting and empowering women in STEM.
LUP: What sort of work were you looking at doing or having the club focus on?
Irena: The initial purpose of the club was to have a place where we can support one another, celebrate our success, and share our concerns. Also, considering that the women are proportionally less represented in the STEM fields for a number of reasons, the club is a ‘safe space’ where we can all brainstorm and improve our personal and professional wellbeing and gain the courage to raise our hands and speak up.
Generally speaking, the Women in STEM Club aims to create an empowering, inclusive, and supportive environment at Swinburne. I must highlight the amazing support we experienced from our teaching staff as well as from other already established clubs. We dedicated the first semester to set up strong foundations upon which the success kept piling on. So far we’ve held many social and professional events and shared opportunities: trivia, networking, discussions, game nights, STEM and industry webinars, professional networking, competitions, etc.
LUP: Has it changed much since & have you got any messages to deliver to the next generation of leading female scientists?
IRENA: Oh, it most definitely changed! It evolved to celebrate diversity, and consistently engage the club members in various ways. I am especially proud of the collaborations with other clubs, organisations and professionals in STEM at Swinburne and some industry collaborations which provide an array of opportunities for our students and can sometimes lead to fruitful career progressions! We also developed the Women in STEM mentor program and the Women can STEM program and held mental health events full of ideas on how to get through the pandemic lockdowns.
My message to future generations is to lead by example, help and guide others, be compassionate and understanding. But, most importantly, take care of yourself first, believe in yourself and give yourself credit for all your success. If no one has accomplished what you aim to achieve, it doesn’t mean it is impossible. It only means that you could be the first one to do it! Take it as a challenge!
LUP: How can you see LUP continue to be able to best support the Women in STEM club at Swinburne & how else can people & organisations within the LUP network help? eg. mentoring programs etc
IRENA: LUP Global can support the Women in STEM club members by sharing their personal achievement journey, holding regular networking events, and workshops. Furthermore, starting personal development programs, providing internships and other collaborations would be very beneficial for our club members’ careers. LUP Global can also be included in a mentorship program where the club members can get personalised advice about their career directly from the successful leaders in LUP Global.
LUP: Thank you so much for your time today Irena & thank you for being such an inspirational leader among women. We are so grateful to have you a part of the (L)ove (U)r (P)lanet family!”
LUP is currently seeking assets within the veterinary sector
We are proud to announce that we continue to grow & branch out to new industry sectors. The latest of which is veterinary surgery. But we need your help to get the word out if you have or know of anyone who has this equipment.
We are currently seeking a PLASMA STERILISATION UNIT. This is a low temperature plasma sterilizer which is essential to sterilize heat and moisture sensitive medical equipment –common in veterinary practice-. It also allows for the sterilization of single use equipment and devices, making this practice more environmentally friendly and reducing costs.
Adding to this item, we are also looking for a LigaSure. This is an advance cautery unit used in surgery, which can be used to seal blood vessels up to 7mm in diameter. This device greatly reduces the time taken to perform surgery, reduces blood loss and shortens recovery times.
Meanwhile within this same sector, we are also seeking potential buyers for this surgical microscope.
It is a M690 Surgical Microscope with MEL48 motorized zoom and focus microscope, manufactured by Wild Heerbrugg (Switzerland).
To see more assets we have available for sale please check them here.
If you own any of these assets we are currently seeking or you are interested in the surgical microscope, please contact us to have a confidential discussion with a member of our team, who will be happy to assist you in the process.
We are eternally grateful and privileged to be working and having a part of our network, some of the most amazing organisations out there focused on the highest social, environmental and ethical causes, contributing to our mission of making our world a better place.
Why is it so important to extend the life cycle of your assets?
According to our website, “LUP Global is a network of companies and partners all focused around Circular Asset Management who believe in creating a better future through a focus on sustainability.”
We use the word “network” because we understand that we can´t do this alone, and firmly believe that is all about collaboration. We only have one planet, and we are all here together to work towards a shared objective, which is how we can get a sustainable future. We want to change the conventional ways of working businesses engage, in where we all collaborate and work strategically in long term partnerships. When we talk about sustainability, we are thinking on a broader view of the concept, looking not just into the economic aspect of it- making it profitable for all parts involved-, but also the social and environmental impact, always seeking the best interest of our planet.
The LUP Model
LUP network is a collaboration of companies and partners that constitute the four pillars of our Model, which are: Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s), Buyers, Service Partners, and Sellers. All these stakeholders play a fundamental role as enablers, to make the system work. Each of them can mutually benefit from the optimization of usage and re-allocation of under-utilized assets, prolonging their lifecycles and avoiding the need for new resources and landfill.
In this article we are going to focus on the role of the “Seller”, and to do that is necessary first to explain who is considered a “Seller” under LUP Model.
Who is considered a “Seller” under our model?
A “Seller” is considered an entity that is an asset owner that is not utilized at its full potential (underutilized) and wishes to extend the life cycle of the asset through a sale. An example of this could be a laboratory that buys a new nitrogen generator (estimated lifecycle of 12+ years) and finds the need to upgrade having only used it for 5 years. This asset now replaced can remain occupying more space in the lab; is donated to another company; or is categorized as disposal and later sent to landfill (through a waste management company, and consequently generating more costs). Many companies are guilty of establishing an Asset graveyard somewhere in their operations hiding away assets that still have a book value – under the LUP Model these assets can be proactively managed and generate value to fund asset replacement.
An asset is a capital item that is managed by an organization through the seeking of funding/spending approvals needed to grow/develop/operate a business, which are normally planed 1 to 3 years in advance of purchase. Under the LUP model we specialize in high value assets normally that are reasonably portable. In our experience very few Industries proactively engage in assuring their assets are used to their maximum useable life with few practicing sound Circular Asset Management principles. We as community need to focus on increasing this opportunity.
Mindset shift
A mindset shift is required to appreciate the importance of circularity – in opposition to the linear approach BUY-USE-DISPOSE in Procurement. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) including end of life costs needs to be front of mind underlying the procurement. Consider Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle should be the mantra when a company purchases capital assets.
This may appear to be complex and difficult, but it is not much more than giving maximum value to the assets we acquire and understanding that being responsible for the whole lifecycle of it can generate more value for a company and also for the planet. The commercial advantages for the company comes from the recognition of the End of Life of the product proactively managed increasing its value and the chances for on-sale of the asset when it is not used at its full potential.
One fundamental aspect of the End of Life Management is having a proper recording of the asset life and its maintenance, as the quality of the data recorded will enhance the on sale potential and realizable value. Having a good record keeping of data, such as the purchase date and price, supplier, OEM; warranty provision (and any extended warranty if applicable); depreciation schedule; maintenance cycle, events; machine usage; will help to retain more value within the asset and will enhance the sales potential.
At LUP we have already done this mind shift and, with our passionate team of specialists, we want to enable you to maximize the value of your assets and become your long-term strategic partners. Through our services we can assist you with your under-utilized assets strategy: identification of your assets, timetable for renewal, and identification of potential buyers.
Under our strict Code of Ethics, we guarantee your complete anonymity and confidentiality of the sale of your assets to buyers, and support the movement of them through our ancillary service partners. Our range of services include: Insurance – to mitigate any associated risks with the selling of your unused assets-, Freight –to transport them-, and Finance –for Capital Expenditure Equipment and Asset Purchases.
If you are ready for this change and want to be part of our amazing sustainable network, do not hesitate in contacting us and partner us to sell your under-utilized assets.
We are delighted to introduce Felipe Soraires to the LUP Global Team. Felipe joins LUP as a valued representative to help us continue to grow our network within Australasia.
With his unique network and experience we are extremely fortunate to have him onboard, also be able to assist us for our future developments when we are ready to enter into the South America’s for us to continue to truly make a global impact.
Felipe has wide experience in the International Business area, both in the private and public sectors. Having worked several years on the promotion of trade and investment between Australia and Latin America, he developed a deep understanding of both markets, including industries such as mining, agribusiness, technology, education, energy and resources.
Felipe holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the National University of Rosario, Argentina. While studying he worked in different organizations and industries, from NGOs to medical institutions. He has a strong social commitment, which made him become involved in different projects in his country and around the world.
His +? He is a very friendly and social person, who really enjoys teamwork, practice outdoor sports and sharing quality time with mates –maybe with a cold pint in between-.
Let’s find out a little more through a few questions
Why joining LUP?
Felipe : “After working for ten years in different companies, I wanted to be part of a project that I truly believe on, with some values and goals that I share personally and professionally. I consider that the main purpose of LUP as a company is something that will make me work hard to get it and that is why I want to be part of this project.”
3 adjectives to describe yourself
Passionate, determinant, tolerant
What are your passions?
Travelling, learn about different cultures, sustainability, having good and interesting conversations with friends/people in general.
It is with absolute delight that we announce our first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Strategic Partnership with Peak Scientific Instruments Australasia.
Peak Scientific is a leading innovator in the design, manufacture and support of high performance gas generators for analytical laboratories. Established in the UK in 1997 near Glasgow (Scotland), where its corporate Headquarters, and high-tech manufacturing and R&D facilities reside, Peak Scientific boasts a significant local presence on every continent – including major operations in North America, China and India.
With nearly two decades of experience in pioneering reliable gas generator technology, Peak Scientific develops market-leading nitrogen, hydrogen and zero air systems mainly for the field of LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) and GC (Gas Chromatography).
Their forte is in providing their customers with high quality, dependable gas generation solutions tailored to meet their specific laboratory demands. What differentiates them is their world-class technical support and on-going service care throughout the generator’s lifespan, wherever you may be in the world.
This marks our very first OEM strategic partnership, which means that we are able to keep these Peak assets in circulation for as long as possible avoiding landfill ie. as they will support any second hand Peak assets we are able to continue to keep in the market with servicing and parts for as long as possible!
Peak are also very closely aligned with our goal of sustainability as they replace hydrogen and nitrogen gas cylinders that are classified as Dangerous Goods and require ongoing transport of potentially explosive gases, with on-site generators that create the gas from air, meaning less transport, less wasted gas from unused gas in cylinders, and much safer for end users and the environment. Truly a WIN-WIN for all parties involved (how LUP always wants to work)!
This only applies to Australia & New Zealand at this time.
We are so excited to be able to work with this world-class leading life sciences brand and OEM, and look forward to a fruitful long-term relationship in order to help achieve even more in the way of Circular Economies and sustainability now and into the future.
You are interested by second hand assets from Peak Scientific? Contact below!
