ALUMNI STORIES
Steve Potter, Class of 1968
20 | FOREVER Keele
ALUMNI STORIES
From Yorkshire to the Gobi: A Keele graduate’ s global journey
Steve Potter, Class of 1968
When I graduated from Keele in 1968 with a degree in History and Geography and a teaching certificate in Geography and Sports, I had no idea my career would take me from the classrooms of South Yorkshire to the copper mines of Indonesia – and eventually to the steppes of Mongolia.
My mother had hoped I’ d become a lawyer, but in the 1960s, Latin was a barrier I couldn’ t overcome. Teaching became the next best path, and Keele stood out as the only university offering a degree and teaching certificate simultaneously. It was a practical choice that would shape the rest of my life.
After university, I returned to Yorkshire to teach geography and coach rugby and tennis at Dinnington High School. But after three years, I realised teaching wasn’ t for me. I pivoted to sales, joining Caterpillar Inc. at their Midlands dealership. Marketing soon caught my interest, and I moved to Scotland to become their first Marketing Manager. There, I juggled work, family life, and an MBA in Industrial Marketing at Edinburgh University – a tough but rewarding chapter.
In 1976, Caterpillar offered me a role overseas. After some soul-searching, I accepted, beginning a decades-long international career. My first post was in Kuwait, followed by stints in Oman, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. In 1991, I moved to Indonesia and began focusing on the mining industry. Later, I helped establish Caterpillar’ s presence in Vietnam after the US trade embargo was lifted.
By 2003, I was managing operations at the Grasberg copper mine in Papua, Indonesia – one of the world’ s largest. Leading a multinational workforce of 800 people at 3,000 metres above sea level was both challenging and deeply fulfilling.
After retiring in 2010, I joined my children in Florida. But retirement didn’ t last long. Caterpillar soon called again – this time with an opportunity in Mongolia. What was meant to be a five-year assignment turned into something much more permanent after I met and married a Mongolian woman. Mongolia became home.
As CEO of the Caterpillar dealership in Mongolia, I also oversaw the company’ s automotive division, importing Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover – and later, Porsche. Driving whatever was on the lot made the job even more enjoyable. I retired again in 2017 but was soon invited to lead the new Jaguar Land Rover and Porsche business. I finally stepped back in 2021 after completing a new showroom.