Team Spotlight: Location Leaders
At Furnace Solutions, leadership isn’t just about titles — it’s about showing up, solving problems, and setting the standard every day. Across Australia and South America, our Location Leaders are living our values and driving excellence from every corner of the map. From regional execution and client strategy to safety, delivery and people leadership, our teams on the ground are what make #DoingWhatWeSay possible.
Meet the Leaders
Leon Smith – Australia
Leon brings over 30 years of mechanical and field leadership experience to his role. Having worked across the globe with major OEMs, Leon now anchors Furnace Solutions' operational delivery across Australia — uniting people, processes, and priorities to ensure consistency and capability at every site. His calm, pragmatic style ensures crews are supported and our standards never drop, no matter the conditions.
Jade Stearnes – Tasmania
Jade is the key link between national strategy and site-level execution for major clients like BHP. With over 15 years in shutdown delivery, including major rebuilds, Jade now leads forecasting, skill development, execution and planning across teams. His ability to bridge corporate planning with on-site action is what makes shutdowns and projects not only successful, but predictable. He ensures our people hit the ground prepared, every time.
Kai Isselbacher – Queensland
From North Queensland, Kai brings Furnace Solutions' mission to life in some of our most dynamic project environments. As a long-time team member who has led major rebuilds and shutdowns across Australia, Kai combines deep technical knowledge with regional leadership. His strategic thinking and people-first approach empower local teams to stay safe, efficient, and ready for anything.
Ashleigh Bastian – South Australia
Ashleigh leads Furnace Solutions’ South Australian operations across Port Pirie, Whyalla, Olympic Dam and Adelaide. Under his leadership, the team has delivered major milestones — from continuity of maintenance support at Port Pirie to the successful Flash Furnace Deck and Mud Gun projects at Olympic Dam, along with the award of the VPSA package. Known for combining strategic foresight with practical delivery, Ashleigh ensures his teams remain trusted partners to clients, providing safe, high-quality and efficient outcomes across the region.
Freddye Santos – South America
Freddye plays a crucial leadership role across South America, bridging cultural, operational, and client needs with clarity and consistency. His oversight ensures Furnace Solutions remains a reliable, responsive partner throughout the region.
Andres Bobadilla – Chile
Andres is driving Furnace Solutions’ expansion into the Chilean mining sector, with a strong focus on smelters and the introduction of remote machine services to reduce reliance on high-volume manpower. His leadership is centred on building client confidence, both with final operators and service companies, by delivering safe, efficient and innovative outcomes. Recently, Andres oversaw the inspection of a roaster, a project executed to plan and delivered with results that met expectations.
Powering performance across borders
Our Location Leaders represent more than geographic coverage — they reflect a shared commitment to doing things right, wherever we work. It’s their leadership that connects the strategy in the boardroom to the delivery at site, and it's what sets Furnace Solutions apart.
To learn more about our global capability and local leadership, please get in touch.