Alfred Holt, 1877
“Anything that can go wrong at sea, generally does go wrong sooner or later.”
Edward Murphy, 1948
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Holt / Murphy Advisors, 1992
“Whatever can go wrong, can be avoided.”
“Whatever can go wrong, can be avoided.”
Our Inspiration
Alfred Holt
(1829 - 1911)
A British engineer, ship owner and merchant who earned professional recognition as a result of his work on the compound engine. He is credited with establishing the long distance steamship and was among the first to combine the screw propeller, with a compound engine powering an iron ship. These innovations replaced sailing clippers on the route from Britain to China.
At the 1877 meeting of an engineering society, Alfred Holt summarized his experience as an owner and engineer:
"It is found that anything that can go wrong at sea generally does go wrong sooner or later, so it is not to be wondered that owners prefer the safe to the scientific. Sufficient stress can hardly be laid on the advantages of simplicity. The human factor cannot be safely neglected..."
Edward Murphy (1918-1990)
An American aerospace engineer who worked on safety-critical systems developing innovative sensors. After a distinguished military career, Major Murphy became the R&D Officer at Air Development of Wright-Patterson AFB. In 1949, he joined in the MX981 rocket sled experiments at Edwards AFB, designed to test the human tolerance for g-forces during rapid deceleration.
During testing,the sensors read zero, and it was determined they were wired backwards. Murphy stated:
"If there's more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then he will do it that way."
It is remembered today as
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
Whatever can go wrong, can be avoided.
Defensive Engineering - Worst Case Scenarios - Delphi Techniques
Holt / Murphy knows from experience that failure is a logical & necessary component of success. Knowledge gleaned from mistakes deepens our understanding & informs our tactics; we help our clients develop systems and processes that use failure analysis as a pathway to successful outcomes.
Disciple-in-Chief
Lorry Yale Wagner
A leadership professional who has a wide range of experience in Offshore Wind Development, First of A Kind Solutions, Coaching for Performance, Environmental & Regulatory Engagement, and Defensive Design. He received his Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Engineering, Masters in Nuclear Engineering, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he developed several new heat transfer models for Fusion Reactors. Over the course of his business career he has led numerous companies, including start-ups as well as established businesses, that created solutions for tough challenges. In 1999, he was recognized as a Distinguished Engineering Alumni by the faculty of Purdue University as a Catalyst of Change.
As Disciple-in-Chief for Holt Murphy Advisors, Ltd, Lorry leads the development of systems and processes that use failure as a pathway to successful outcomes. Off the clock, he was Team Engineer for KR Powerboat Racing, winner of the 1992 Offshore Professional Tour, as well as Head Coach for two Division I University swimming teams, where he was twice named NCAA Women's Coach of the Year. He is a lifelong boater & member of Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE), a semi-professional team that has discovered more than 30 previously unknown shipwrecks in Lake Erie.