For Peter Clarke, UGL Business Development Manager for the mining component solutions team in Western Australia (WA), the path to a corporate career didn’t start in a suit and tie. It started in the red dust of Port Hedland, where he first picked up the tools as an electrician.
“I came up through the trades, working FIFO (fly in fly out) for years mostly around Port Hedland,” shares Peter. “That experience gave me a solid foundation and a real appreciation for the people who keep things running on the ground.”
Peter’s journey with UGL began back in 2011 as an instrumentation electrician on a major project. It was a hands-on role that gave him a deep understanding of the company’s capabilities. In 2016, he returned to UGL, this time taking on another instrumentation role on Barrow Island, working offshore from WA in one of Australia’s most remote industrial hubs.
Today, in his third stint with UGL, Peter has swapped the work boots for business meetings, but his commitment remains the same.
“This role has opened a whole new side of the industry for me — tendering, commercial strategy, and client relationships,” explains Peter. “It’s exactly the step I was ready to take.”
As business development manager, Peter’s work includes everything from attending reliability meetings with clients to drafting and presenting new business proposals, nurturing partnerships, and reporting on progress. His team is spread nationally across WA, New South Wales (NSW), and Queensland, offering complete component overhaul services — mechanical and electrical — for off-highway vehicles (OHVs). (Link to website)
“We’re a one-stop shop for mining component overhauls and the demand for what we do is growing fast.”
He is also proud of UGL’s culture, especially its commitment to diversity and inclusion. With a rich Indigenous heritage, he values the opportunity to contribute to UGL’s growing network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and communities.
“My father’s family is from Yawuru and Nyul Nyul up in Broome, WA, and my mum’s side is from Gamilaroi and Ngunnawal in NSW. I’ve got family all over the country — and it means a lot to be part of a company that values that connection and is actively building those relationships.”
UGL’s internal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander networking group is a key part of that journey, creating spaces for employees to connect, share stories, and support one another, while shaping how the company partners with Indigenous communities nationwide.
Outside of work, Peter’s a family man who loves his footy, a round of golf, and hitting the tennis court now and then.
With his roots firmly in the field and his sights set on the future, Peter is proving that in mining — just like in life — the best careers are built from the ground up.
