Explore the career of Soufyane, our Maintenance Manager in Guinea Conakry, whose technical expertise ensures the reliability and efficiency of our operations. Discover how his leadership and vision are helping to meet the specific challenges of maintenance in Guinea, supporting CIS’s ambitions in the region.

How long have you been working for CIS, and how have you progressed within the Group?

I started at CIS in 2007 as a construction and maintenance technician. After a year, I was promoted to maintenance supervisor, which enabled me to supervise the maintenance team, plan and organize maintenance operations, manage inventories and improve performance with monitoring indicators. All this in strict compliance with international safety standards and current regulations.

In 2009, I carried out an assignment as maintenance supervisor to install the temporary kitchen in Eritrea. In 2010, I was promoted to Maintenance Deputy Manager CIS on a project in Madagascar, which enabled me to develop my technical skills and acquire greater expertise in equipment maintenance.

In 2013, I was appointed Maintenance manager and then FM Maintenance manager CIS in Eritrea, for a period of 10 years. I learned a lot from the project manager, particularly in terms of procedures and management of the maintenance department.

Since the start of CIS operations at the Simadou mine, I’ve been Maintenance manger in Guinea Conakry.

What are the challenges of your job ?

The challenges of operational performance in this business are cost management, productivity and equipment reliability. Indeed, guaranteeing the continuous availability of kitchen, refrigeration and storage equipment to avoid any interruption in catering operations is of major importance.

• Safety issues are fundamental: food safety and personnel safety.
• Compliance issues are essential: regulatory compliance and quality standards.

HR management and sustainability issues are multiple: it is important to implement maintenance practices that improve the energy efficiency of equipment, thus reducing costs and the company’s carbon footprint. Waste management is also a key issue. We need to minimize the waste generated by maintenance activities by recycling and reusing materials where possible, and adopt environmentally-friendly practices for the disposal of hazardous waste.

By ensuring equipment reliability and efficiency, guaranteeing safety and compliance, managing resources efficiently and adopting sustainable practices, I make a significant contribution to the company’s success and reputation.

In conclusion, the role of Maintenance Manager is a complex one, involving many strategic and operational issues. Management, strategic planning and leadership skills are essential to meet these challenges and achieve performance and quality objectives.

What are the specific features of the Simandou site in Guinea, the different types of maintenance performed there, and the maintenance challenges you face?

Different types of maintenance : preventive and corrective, are essential to keep operations running smoothly. Key challenges include accessibility, climatic conditions, safety, parts supply, technology and skills, and environmental requirements. Meeting these challenges requires careful planning, investment in infrastructure and training, and effective resource management.

The geographical, climatic and logistical particularities of the Simandou site pose unique maintenance challenges.

How many people make up your team? How is their training managed so that they benefit from best maintenance practices?

Currently, the Welhy-CIS maintenance team on the Simandou project is made up of three technicians, initially to ensure the smooth running of operations. As planned, this number will increase as new sites are opened.

The management and training of these teams is aimed at integrating best practices in maintenance and the use of Advanced Technologies such as Computerized Maintenance Management Tools (CMMS) integrating software for planning, monitoring and analyzing maintenance work.

Do you have an anecdote that has marked you during your career with the Group?

It was a day like any other in the CIS Madagascar maintenance team. We were in the middle of preparing for a big event. Two hours before the event, an alarm went off in the main kitchen. The large industrial refrigerator, essential for keeping all the ingredients fresh, had broken down.

My team and I were immediately called to the scene. When we arrived, we found that the refrigerator’s compressor had overheated, bringing the unit to a complete standstill. Without hesitation, we put an emergency plan in place.

I remember quickly organizing the tasks: some team members started transferring the most sensitive foodstuffs to emergency refrigerators and coolers, while others diagnosed the fault. We discovered that the problem was a specific part that needed to be replaced.

Thanks to our well-stocked inventory and our relationships with suppliers, we were able to obtain the replacement part in record time. An hour before the start of the gala, the refrigerator was back in operation.

What stood out for me was the team spirit and the perfect coordination between us all. Despite the intense pressure, everyone kept their cool and showed professionalism. The event went off without a hitch, the customers enjoyed the food and no one ever knew that at one point the kitchen had almost come to a standstill.

This incident reminded me of the importance of preparation, ongoing training and the ability to manage crises calmly and effectively. It’s at times like these that you really realize the value of a well-trained, close-knit