Dr. Michael Jobling

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Dedication

This journey is dedicated to the many hands that built with him — the mentors who sparked belief, the colleagues who brought ideas to life, the engineers who sweated the details, and the teammates who chose trust over doubt.

To the friends who stood by his side when risks looked reckless and the path uncertain, and to every individual who helped shape not just the businesses, but the culture of resilience, purpose, and shared success.

And above all, to his children — may you always know that building something great is never about how high you rise, but how many you lift along the way.

Phase 1: The Early Foundation

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

The roots of Dr. Michael Jobling’s journey are humble—not built on inherited legacy or structured privilege, but on quiet observation and early clarity. Before the boardrooms and balance sheets, before global expansion strategies and joint ventures, he was simply a boy watching his father work. An engineer, a mechanic, a man of his hands and heart—Dr. Michael Jobling’s father wasn’t just a technician in the oil and gas world; he was a living lesson in commitment and precision. From him, Michael inherited more than skill—he inherited spirit.

From the very beginning, there was a natural curiosity in him. Engines weren’t just machines; they were puzzles—kinetic, alive, and intricate. What others saw as grease and grind, Dr. Michael Jobling saw as logic and language. He understood early on that a good technician listens to a machine the same way a good leader listens to people—not to respond, but to understand.

Yet, even with such early inclinations, his path wasn’t linear. In a world that often pushes young adults toward conventional careers, Dr. Michael Jobling initially pursued computing in college. He gave it his earnest effort, sitting behind a desk and trying to make peace with a screen. But his instincts rebelled. Something visceral inside him knew that his place wasn’t in algorithms or air-conditioned office cubes—it was out there, in the field, among machines that roared and people who built.

That self-awareness—the courage to pivot—would become a defining theme throughout his life. At a time when many conform to comfort, Dr. Michael Jobling chose alignment. He followed his intuition back to engines, back to the tactile world of compression systems, and into the kind of work that would take him across continents and cultures.

He joined the workforce at just 18 years old, diving into service roles that demanded not only technical competence but emotional grit. His early years were shaped by solitude, responsibility, and the kind of learning that textbooks can’t offer. While peers flocked to clubs and idle distractions, Dr. Michael Jobling was reading technical manuals, studying compressor architecture, and teaching himself the nuances of systems he was yet to master. That dedication, often invisible, laid the foundation for his reputation as a subject matter expert later in life.

But it wasn’t just about machines. Even in those formative years, people noticed something different about him—a work ethic too disciplined for his age, a calm clarity that made even the most complex problems seem solvable. At Airchannel Ltd., one of his earliest professional homes, he was told bluntly:

“This job isn’t for everyone. It’s tough, it’s lonely, and it demands self-motivation.”

Dr. Michael Jobling didn’t flinch. His background in individual sports had already taught him the rhythm of solitude and the value of discipline. He responded with quiet confidence:

“I’m already self-motivated. That won’t be a problem.”

Phase 2: The Rise Through Technical Mastery and Early Leadership

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.”- Aristotle

As Dr. Michael Jobling moved deeper into his career, a transformation began—not a loud shift, but a steady, intentional evolution from practitioner to professional, from a technician who turned wrenches to a strategist who could turn around entire divisions.

The journey wasn’t hurried. It was forged in fieldwork, in study, and in patience. By the time many of his peers were just beginning to specialize, Dr. Michael Jobling had already developed a reputation for deep subject matter expertise in engines and compressors. His knowledge didn’t come from shortcuts or superficial credentials. It came from repetition, observation, and a tireless habit of asking one more question—of staying one more hour.

He became the kind of technician others turned to when things got complicated—not just because he had answers, but because he asked the right questions. He knew machines the way a writer knows rhythm, the way a chef knows flavor—intuitively. He could detect failure before it happened and could see patterns others missed. This instinct made him invaluable in the field. But what truly set him apart was his willingness to share what he knew.

While many guarded their technical prowess as a source of job security, Dr. Michael Jobling did the opposite. He taught. He guided. He coached. If someone struggled, he stayed back to help. If someone doubted themselves, he patiently re-explained until understanding clicked. He wasn’t trying to build dependence. He was trying to build capacity. He was becoming a leader—not in title yet, but in spirit.

Over time, the certifications followed. Dr. Michael Jobling became a certified technical trainer for some of the most respected names in the industry—Waukesha, Baker Hughes, Nuovo Pignone. These weren’t just stamps of competence; they were acknowledgments of mastery. He could now teach others with authority and authenticity. And he did—with precision, with kindness, and with a remarkable ability to tailor complex concepts into human terms.

But even as his technical foundation strengthened, something else was stirring: the art of leadership. He began managing small teams, supervising crews on site, and balancing the ever-competing demands of timelines, safety, client expectations, and team well-being. Early leadership, as he would later recall, came with its missteps—moments where communication broke down, or when the pressure of client delivery eclipsed softer human needs. Yet Dr. Michael Jobling learned fast. He learned that leadership isn’t about knowing everything; it’s about creating an environment where the best answers can emerge.

He refined his style—choosing clarity over command, empathy over ego. He introduced a rule that would follow him for decades:
“Underpromise. Overdeliver.”
And not just with clients, but with his own teams. He never promised perfection. He promised presence. He would show up. He would listen. And he would hold the line when needed—not to discipline, but to protect standards and ensure growth.

A defining moment came when he attended a management course by High Clare—a three-day immersive that didn’t just teach theory, but redefined his understanding of what it meant to lead. The phrase that stayed with him was simple yet powerful:
“Managers achieve through the achievements of others.”
That line became his compass.

Shortly after, during his time at Compressor Services in the East Midlands, that leadership compass was truly tested. The company was struggling, led by non-technical shareholders who needed someone with both vision and credibility to steer operations. They chose Dr. Michael Jobling—not just as an Operations Director, but as a shareholder. It was a vote of trust, of belief in not just his skills, but in his philosophy.

The transformation was swift and remarkable. From a £700,000 struggling operation, the business soared to nearly £5 million in turnover. But Dr. Michael Jobling never credited the numbers to himself.

“It was the team,” he’d say.
“We just aligned the pieces. We empowered the right people.”


Phase 3: Transformation at Scale - The Hoerbiger Era

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”– Mahatma Gan “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”-Martin Luther King Jr.

By the time Dr. Michael Jobling entered the doors of Hoerbiger Service Middle East FZE in 2015, he wasn’t just carrying a résumé—he was bringing a mindset. One built on experience, self-discipline, and a relentless commitment to empowering people. Hoerbiger, a global industrial powerhouse with more than 7,000 employees, would prove to be the ideal proving ground—a canvas large enough for his leadership philosophy to take root, scale, and thrive.

He arrived not with fanfare, but with focus. From the outset, Dr. Michael Jobling took on a dual role: Head of Service for the MEA T-P region and Head of the newly forming Engines Division. On paper, it was a demanding scope. In practice, it was a chance to architect transformation—the kind that required precision planning and personal investment.

At the heart of his Hoerbiger chapter was one clear belief: growth must be designed. He wasn’t there to maintain. He was there to build. And that’s exactly what he did—methodically, humbly, and with unwavering resolve.

He began by analyzing the engine product landscape. What was working? What wasn’t? Where were the bottlenecks—not just in systems, but in people and communication? Dr. Michael Jobling isn’t one to move blindly; he reads data like maps, and listens to teams like terrain. He discovered that while compression services were strong, clients were frustrated by fragmented management of engine components—often handled by third parties. That inefficiency sparked an idea: what if Hoerbiger could offer a unified solution, servicing both compressors and engines under one umbrella?

It was a bold proposition, but not uncalculated. He built a business case. He mapped it to client needs. And then he rolled up his sleeves.

The result was the Engines Division—a full-service, client-centric unit that streamlined operations, reduced downtime, and offered unparalleled value to clients across the Middle East, Turkey, and Pakistan. The strategy was as elegant as it was effective:
“One vendor. One team. Total control.”

Clients responded enthusiastically. What began as a departmental experiment soon grew into a cornerstone revenue generator, on track to contribute over $6 million by 2022.

But the real transformation wasn’t in spreadsheets—it was in people. Dr. Michael Jobling handpicked and developed a team of five field engineers, three sales managers, and two customer service representatives. Each was mentored, not managed. Trained, not merely tasked. He led with vision, but executed with compassion. He empowered his people with autonomy and equipped them with standards.

Throughout this phase, his mantra remained consistent:
“Give people the tools. Then get out of the way.”

He wasn’t interested in micromanagement. He wanted ownership, accountability, and pride. And he got it—not by demanding loyalty, but by earning it.

Dr. Michael Jobling also led service standardization across regions. He introduced long-term service contracts and O+M agreements that not only stabilized revenue but deeply embedded Hoerbiger into client ecosystems. A defining moment came when he negotiated and closed a three-year, $10 million service contract with a key client—a quantum leap from their historical spend of just $175,000 over a decade. This wasn’t just commercial brilliance. It was trust, built transaction by transaction, conversation by conversation.

His influence wasn’t confined to business strategy. Dr. Michael Jobling spearheaded cross-functional collaboration, introducing vibration analysis and condition monitoring into the MC&S team. He saw value not in departmental silos, but in integration. As a result, staff utilization jumped from 35% to 76%, with a corresponding surge in profitability.

Perhaps one of his most lasting impacts at Hoerbiger was cultural. He transformed disengaged groups into dynamic teams by embedding team engagement frameworks, competency-based development plans, and succession roadmaps. He didn’t just ask, “What can you do now?” He asked, “What could you become with the right support?”

That mindset yielded results. Staff attrition dropped by 70%. Job satisfaction soared. And through it all, Dr. Michael Jobling remained the steady center—the leader who never needed the spotlight, only the results.

His leadership during the global pandemic was especially telling. When the world shrank, budgets tightened, and uncertainty loomed, he led a complete organizational restructure. It was tough. It was sensitive. But it was necessary. He didn’t just protect the bottom line—he protected his people’s dignity. Roles were redefined, workflows optimized, but the culture of care was never compromised.

 

"The quietest leaders leave the loudest echoes—in the hearts they’ve believed in and the lives they’ve changed."

- Dr. Michael Jobling