MENTOR OF THE YEAR Pierre Cronje | Naidu Consulting

WINNER RECOGNITION

Pierre Cronje is a resident engineer for Naidu Consulting with a track record spanning more than 54 years. His skills and experience cover diverse areas within the civil and structural engineering fields, including more than 15 years as a project leader for the National Roads Agency.

While many engineers are reluctant to invest time in sharing their knowledge, Pierre has, on the contrary, looked to share his valuable experience with as many people as possible. He has capacitated himself through training courses and registering as a mentor to be able guide the future leaders of our country. Pierre has also written papers on capacitating people through the numerous projects he’s undertaken.

Pierre Cronje

Naidu Consulting

Pierre has provided mentorship to young engineers, emerging contractors and participants working on construction projects, and recently co-developed Naidu Consulting’s Academy of Excellence Programme – the pre-preparation programme for undergraduate technicians before they enter the mainstream industry.

Engineering mentorship has traditionally spoken to the structured training of graduates. However, the steering of future engineers – even before they graduate – through practical structured learning programmes better equips them to understand the profession and make informed decisions regarding their future careers. Universities have long recognised the value of this component and mandate a period of practical work where undergraduates work in industry. Unfortunately, such undergraduates are often exposed to a fragment of engineering work, creating an impact, albeit to a limited extent.

The Academy of Excellence Programme was established to address this

challenge through an intake of four to six undergraduates on an annual basis. Undergraduates rotate between all divisions within the organisation, with Pierre leading their practical training and experience.

While Naidu Consulting continues to mentor a large contingent of postgraduate engineers, Pierre has taken mentorship to another level by inspiring undergraduates to succeed and excel in their future.