Let's talk robotics with Gail Chatziyakoumis!

Joining me today (eps 150) is Gail Chatziyakoumis.

Gail was born and schooled in Melbourne. After HSC at Kilbreda Ladies College, she went on to obtain a degree in Electrical/Electronics from Monash Uni Caulfield (then C.I.T).

Her first job was repairing computers peripherals and from there she was employed as an application Engineer for ASEA Robotics where she worked with several dedicated and capable people including Per Stigsson. During this time, she did a part time Diploma in Robotics also at Monash. ASEA changed to ABB just around the time of a recession in the early 1990s.

Gail was moved within ABB to the Capacitors division where she was responsible for the design of LV Capacitors that were made onsite. After about 4 years she took 10 months off to have her daughter and returned to the role of tendering for HV Capacitor banks.

After Robotics recovered, she moved back to the Robots division, this time in sales which had more fixed hours, so it was easier to be a working Mum. Some years later she was headhunted to be a project manager at a little company that manufactures Industrial Ultrasonic baths.

Gail had her son and stopped work, only returning to work when he was 18mths old, when ABB asked her to return to the Capacitor division, to project manage the manufacture of Harmonic banks to take over from a specialist who had died in a tragic parachuting accident.

Gail later returned to ABB Robots division, this time as a logistic and resources coordinator, managing the spare parts and service. ABB took the decision to close its engineering centres and downsize, she then moved on to being a technical consultant to an Automation company before teaching herself how to make websites. After doing that for a couple of years, Per, at Robot Spares, asked her to rebuild his website and after she finished he asked Gail to help in his business which he and his son Mik have steadily grown, even through the pandemic!