ADAPT Australia, trading as Australian Distribution And Protection Technologies was formed in 1992 to service the Electrical Power Industry within Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with a range of cost effective, innovative, reliable energy products and services.

Today ADAPT Australia’s Products are in service in over 95% of Energy Utilities in the Electrical, Rail, Gas, Water and mining sectors within the Australian Pacific markets and are serviced with offices in Melbourne (Head Office), New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and New Zealand.

Our High Quality, Innovative and Reliable products are sourced from both local and globally based Manufacturers and Suppliers. In keeping with our vision we choose to partner with Manufacturers and Suppliers who are highly respected for their technical expertise, service and support and their ability to provide innovative, low cost, high quality products that not only meet but exceed our Clients expectations in every way.

The entire Team at ADAPT Australia are all highly trained professionals with decades of experience in the Energy Sectors. We offer Specialist skills in the fields of Energy Substation, Protection design and Development, Control System Design and Development, Power Quality and Energy Efficiency Studies, Project Management, Installation and commissioning services & Logistics to ensure you get unrivalled value, service and support from our Company. For further information on ADAPT Australia’s Company and Products please “contact us”.

Meet the Team

Peter Sandars Group Chairman and Managing Director

Presently in his 60th year in the Electrical Power Industry, Peter has gained extensive experience from being hands-on as an Apprentice Electrical Mechanic, HV & LV Test Engineer, HV Operator to Contract Sales Engineering prior to completing various other Sales, Marketing, and allied Engineering Courses as his primary focus for personal development. He has worked in Senior Technical and Marketing roles with leading local and overseas-based Switchgear and Fuse gear Manufacturers for 30 years prior to setting up and becoming the joint founder and Managing Director of ADAPT Australia in July 1992.

Darren SandarsDirector, Logistics and Customer Services

Darren has over 24 years experience in the Electricity sector, having commenced his career at Adapt Australia in 1998. Darren’s has previous experience in Sales in Industry Safety and in Education. Currently holding the position of Director, Logistics & Customer Services. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Graduate Diploma of Secondary Education. He has completed several Sales and Marketing courses.

Mal IgnjicGeneral Manager

Mal joined ADAPT in Oct 2020 as the National Sales Manager whilst also acting as a Regional Manager for the states of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. He took on the position of ADAPT Australia General Manager in November 2021.
Mal completed an Electrical Engineering degree in 2009, and an MBA in 2017. Mal has a diverse background in engineering and sales, having been involved in a variety of industries and roles since graduating Electrical Engineering. These have included rail signalling, high voltage cables, cable accessories, transformers, transformer dielectric diagnostic testing, high voltage switching, protection and automation. Mal is committed to providing exceptional customer service, and working with his customers to grow the ADAPT business within his regions, whilst providing support to ADAPT Australia’s regional offices around Australia.

Ram ChinnaduraiManager – Engineering & Technical Services

Ram joined Adapt in 2022 as an Engineering Manager after spending more than 10 years working in the power-transmission and distribution sectors, focusing mainly on power system protection and automation. He has worked across the Asia Pacific region with various utilities, leading technical discussions, and developing new applications for various OEM’s before joining Adapt.
Ram obtained a Master’s degree in Business at Swinburne University to go with his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He is a member of professional industry organizations, such as Engineers Australia, IEEE and CIGRE.
Ram is more hands on with Power system Protection and Control, having started his career as Commissioning Engineer for HV Substations. Ram still enjoys getting his hands dirty with the relays/RTU’s etc and also equally enjoys putting them together to develop new applications. At Adapt Ram is looking forward to put together systems and solutions together that makes the Grid reliable and smarter.

Brian Flatley National Sales Manager and Regional Manager NSW & ACT

Brian joined the ADAPT Australia team in April 2021 and has 23 years of experience across manufacturing, service, and sales to the electrical sector. Based in Sydney, but ever willing to travel, Brian is now responsible for delivering the national sales and business development strategy whilst remaining responsible for sales activities and growth in NSW and the ACT.
Brian is continuously upskilling to meet the rapid changes of the digital age and he is a holder of a Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunications and Certificate four in Business Marketing. This is an exciting time for ADAPT as we transition into the digital age and move to an increasingly smart network.

John PapanikolaouTendering and Contracts Team Leader

John has over 24 years experience in the government sector with Defence, and joined Adapt in April 2019. John is a CPA and brings extensive knowledge of contracting and tendering processes, as well as all facets of business administration. He currently holds the position of Tendering and Contracts Team Leader. He is committed to delivering quality service and support to all customers, and to growing the Adapt business in Australia & New Zealand.

Mal BartonWA State Manager

Mal has over 23 years experience in customer service and sales, the last 14 of which have been in the electrical industry after joining the team at Adapt towards the end of 2006. He currently holds the position of Western Australia State Manager. He is committed to delivering quality service and support to all customers, and to growing the Adapt business in Western Australia.

Jiabin PangRegional Manager, Queensland & Northern Territory

Jiabin joined ADAPT in 2019 as our Regional Manager for Queensland & Northern Territory. Jiabin is a Power Systems Engineer with over 20 years experience in Transmission & Distribution Electrical Networks, specialising in Switchgear, Protection and DC Rail Distribution. Jiabin will also concentrate his efforts on the further development of Lucy Switchgear Secondary Distribution product sales in Australia & New Zealand. Jiabin is committed to delivering quality products, quality service, quality support to all customers, and continuing to grow the ADAPT business throughout Queensland & Northern Territory.

Steve OffordManager Sales and Marketing (Adapt NZ)

Steve Offord has over 40 years experience in the Electrical Power industry with many varied and interesting jobs during that time. The last 14 years have been with Adapt NZ after joining the family in 2006. He currently holds the position of General Manager Sales and Marketing. Steve is committed to delivering quality products, quality service, quality support to all customers, and continuing to grow the Adapt business throughout all parts of New Zealand.

Rohit MathewApplications and Standards Engineer

Rohit is the new addition to the ADAPT Australia team and he handles the positions of Applications and standards Engineer and Manager, QA, OHS, and Environment. Rohit earned his Master’s in Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering and Engineering Management from Deakin University and graduated in 2021. His area of interest is the Transmission and Distribution system, power system analysis, troubleshooting, and system automation. Outside work, he is keen on learning upcoming technologies, smart grid communication, and energy management
Rohit earned his Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Mahatma Gandhi University, India in 2017. He has experience as a quality control engineer and has good knowledge of electrical switchgear. Rohit is committed to responding to technical customer inquiries, design of systems, awareness of competition and market factors, and assisting with the continuous review process of the company. He manages compliance with ISO certifications including internal audits, management review meetings, and engagement of external certification bodies.

Andrew BonadioAssembly / Warehouse Supervisor

I started my career by helping out in the family business of appliance repairs, then moved on to doing computer repairs for 3 years. I then moved on to Electrical technician for 3 years, fixing and repairing all different types of electronics, after which I worked as a Telecommunication technician, which involved installing and wiring satellite reception to homes for 4 years. I have been with Adapt since 2016, currently holding the position of Assembly / Warehouse Co-Ordinator.

Occupational Health & Safety

ADAPT recognises and takes seriously the importance of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for our valued Customers, Staff and Colleagues. Our policy is to actively promote a 200% Safe and healthy working culture where the “Go 2” Goal is to ensure we think twice and act once with all respects of the health and safety of ourselves and our peers. This includes consultation with all employees to continually develop an extensive health and safety culture within our company underpinned by documented policy and procedures.

Health and safety is of utmost importance to us when assessing any projects for client’s needs. We encourage and promote transparent communication with all companies and personnel involved to ensure we explore all aspects of health safety risks. We ensure all our products and services are provided with hazard risk analysis available for continual review, consultation and improvement in conjunction with current industry best practises.

Insurance

ADAPT Australia carries current and up to date insurances in accordance with or exceeding Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Business Market requirements. Our latest Schedule of Insurances is available upon request using the Contact Us Form available.

Quality, OH&S & Environmentally Certified

ADAPT Australia is accredited in best practice certifications for ISO 9000:1 Quality Management System, ISO 14000:1 Environmental System and ISO:45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.

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