vol. 21 EDITION no. 3 quarterly magazine of SNC‑Lavalin
Our Employees OUR STRENGTH
04 From Dubal to Emal: A Story of Employee Growth Please send all correspondence to:
08 Creating the Right Conditions So People Can Be Their Best
10 Employees: The Pillars of WE CARE
12 Training a Better Workforce
15 Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
16
Spectrum SNC‑Lavalin Inc. 455 René-Lévesque Blvd. West Montréal, Québec, Canada H2Z 1Z3 Tel.: 514 393-1000 Fax: 514 875-4877 E-mail: spectrum@snclavalin.com We invite you to visit our website to learn more about SNC‑Lavalin:
www.snclavalin.com
Spectrum is published for SNC‑Lavalin Group Inc. by Global Corporate Communications. Spectrum est aussi disponible en français. N.B.: All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Editor-in-Chief: Monica Bhattacharya, Director, External Communications Writing and coordination: Noel Rieder, Senior Writer Contributors: Marie-Claude Dubeault Etienne Plante Craig Segal Copyright deposit: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. Articles may be reproduced, with attribution, upon request. Design and production: mosaic design Printing: L’Empreinte
Discussions with Four Master Engineers
18 Diversity Is Our Strength
Paper made from recycled material
C102810
03 Chief Executive Officer’s Message Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Our Employees This edition of Spectrum examines the core of SNC‑Lavalin’s business success: our employees. We look at some exciting HR initiatives that will benefit employees and the company, and the value of diversity in our workplace, particularly with women engineers in what was once considered a traditionally male profession. Also, some of our top engineers from around the world share what they have learned.
W
e often hear it said that a company’s greatest asset is not its finances, buildings, equipment or services, but its employees. This is never more true than when the company is in an industry like ours, which relies on intellectual capital—the vast sum of the knowledge, skills, experience and expertise of its people.
But what distinguishes our employees beyond this? It is the passion and loyalty that our long-time employees share. It is the commitment and motivation that our newcomers bring to work with them every single day. And it is their collective will to do the right thing, follow the rules and live the values of our company. The last several months have been challenging for our company. However, we recognize that change can also be a positive force in the life of an organization. And in our situation, it will revitalize us and make us stronger and more responsive. All of our partners, especially our employees, deserve no less. It takes a great team of leaders and a terrific team of employees to go beyond simply getting the job done. We want to exceed our clients’ expectations and we are very lucky to have a team that can. Through our employees’ dedication and hard work, we continue to experience success on our projects around the world. This year, SNC‑Lavalin was ranked one of the Top 10 Best Employer brands in Canada by Randstad, based on a large cross-country survey of workers. We were also recently presented with the CMA’s Employer of the Year Award for 2012. I think both these honours are a fitting tribute to the talent and determination of our employees. Our employees’ commitment has made SNC‑Lavalin a global leader and innovator in our field. As we move into our second century, our employees should be proud of their many accomplishments, which have helped customers realize their projects and dreams. We should also be excited about the future: many more chapters will be written in the years to come—our best yet.
Ian A. Bourne
Vice-Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer
“The last several months have been challenging for our company. However, we recognize that change can also be a positive force in the life of an organization.”
04 Feature Article
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
From Dubal to Emal: A Story of Employee Growth SNC‑Lavalin prides itself on being able to offer its employees exciting project opportunities, and few are more stimulating than the consecutive aluminum smelter projects the company has carried out in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the last eight years.
05 Feature Article
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
S
NC‑Lavalin won its first contract in the UAE for Dubai Aluminum’s Dubal smelter in 2004. Following a string of successes, the company was awarded Emal I in 2007, the first phase of a project to build one of the world’s largest singlesite aluminum smelters in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, launched by Emirates Aluminum. Yet another excellent performance on Emal I has now won the company Emal II, the second phase of the project. It is a remarkable success story in the engineering and construction world. For SNC‑Lavalin’s project teams, it has been a story of opportunity and advancement. By demonstrating commitment and a willingness to assume additional responsibility, many employees have grown both professionally and personally through their association with the UAE aluminum projects.
A special skill set François Lamarche is one of them. Hired as a young Technology Coordinator on Dubal, he is now the Engineering Manager on Emal II with 175 employees reporting to him. Like others, Lamarche benefited from the fact that large international projects tend to offer younger employees more opportunities to demonstrate and hone their abilities. “Resources are limited on major international projects, so engineers are often assigned jobs that have a larger scope, and that’s a great opportunity to show what you can do,” he said. “I was given considerable responsibility when I joined the team, and I made sure I used that opportunity to the fullest.”
Emal I
750,000 tonne-per-year
capacity smelter Emal II
1.3tonne-per-year million capacity smelter
“I learned that you need to have complete trust in your team. At the same time, you have to support them in the areas where they’re less confident, while letting them forge ahead where they’re stronger and surer of themselves.” Ramaneetharan Ramanathan Project Controls Manager Emal II
In addition to giving junior employees a chance to spread their wings under the guidance of more senior personnel, Dubal and Emal have allowed many to develop a special skill set. Dennis Rueckemesser worked his way up to Project Manager for Emal II from his first position as a Package Engineer for Emal I. He feels his experience on large international mining projects has greatly enhanced his ability to stay focused on key project priorities. “You have to develop the ability to cut out the noise on mega projects because there’s just so much of it,” he said. “After having worked on a few major projects, I’ve developed skills that help me stay focused on where the project needs to go.” For Ramaneetharan Ramanathan, who was hired for Dubal as an Intermediate Planner in 2005 and is now the Project Controls Manager for Emal II, it has been about acquiring management skills. He was shy about speaking in project meetings when he first arrived in Canada 10 years ago, but now enjoys the challenge of maintaining a dynamic and communicative environment within his team. “Having to head up a team of 50 people has made me much more extroverted and has given me good insight into how to manage employees,” he said. “I learned that you need to have complete trust in your team. At the same time, you have to support them in the areas where they’re less confident, while letting them forge ahead where they’re stronger and surer of themselves.”
06 Feature Article
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
A winning track record The secret to SNC-Lavalin’s staying power in the UAE region has been its performance. The team has consistently completed its mandates for these projects ahead of time and under budget.
A client relations ‘university’ One of SNC‑Lavalin’s seven strategic pillars is building and maintaining excellent relationships with clients, and the Dubal and Emal projects are also success stories in that regard. Brian Murphy has played a key role in helping build that relationship. Hired in 2005 as Technology Coordinator for Dubal, he was named Project Manager of Emal I towards the end of the mandate, and is now Project Director for Emal II. He says that his long-term association with Dubai Aluminum and Mubadala Development has allowed him to develop better client relations skills. “We’ve been very successful together,” he said. “It’s been a tremendous relationship—the kind you seldom see between a client and an EPCM service provider. I’ve learned to be more diplomatic and to anticipate the client’s specific needs. The client no longer has to ask us for what he wants; we usually know beforehand and can address the issues prior to the formal request.”
Pierre Ranger, Senior Vice-President, Aluminum, is a veteran of the business, and the primary contact for the client. He has had overall responsibility for the aluminum projects in the UAE from the first contract negotiations for Dubal in 2004. Ranger says the positive and mutually beneficial relationship with Emirates Aluminum is one that any employee would benefit from experiencing. “When employees come here, they have an opportunity to see a really remarkable client relationship in action—what it takes to build it, and how you maintain it over many years,” says Ranger. “That’s something you can’t learn in university and which you can only learn on a project like this.” Emal II is shaping up to be another success story for the team. The project is ahead of schedule, and SNC-Lavalin has already mobilized approximately 400 personnel to the site.
07 Feature Article
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Highlights: ▪▪
Increased Dubal’s production capacity
from 761,000 tonnes per year to more than 1 million tonnes through various expansion projects. The expansions made Dubal the largest single-site smelter in the world. ▪▪
Emal I
a 750,000-tonne-per-year capacity smelter, was completed within budget and ahead of an already ambitious schedule. ▪▪
Emal II
will increase the production capacity by another 520,000 tonnes per year, bringing Emal’s overall production capacity to 1.3 million tonnes, making it the largest single-site aluminum smelter complex in the world.
Staggering in its size and scope: Emal I
François Lamarche
Ramaneetharan Ramanathan
Brian Murphy
Dennis Rueckemesser
08 Human Resources Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Interview with
Darleen Caron
Executive Vice-President, GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCES
Creating the Right Conditions So People Can Be Their Best “Achieving our aspirations will not happen overnight. It is essential to stay connected to all our employees throughout our journey.” Darleen Caron
When Darleen Caron joined SNC‑Lavalin in January 2011 to head up its Corporate Human Resources function, she was both excited by the challenge and surprised. She knew the company was highly successful, had a strong global presence and delivered remarkable projects, but she did not expect to find a genuine transformation opportunity in the field of HR.
T
he way Caron saw it, SNC‑Lavalin was (at the time) an almost 23,000 employee-strong greenfield opportunity in human resources. Its exponential growth over the last decade was forcing the company to move from highly decen tralized initiatives with pockets of excellence, to a longer term, company-wide approach for dealing with its human capital. This was all the more important in SNC‑Lavalin’s case, since it is a “human capital” company that is only as good as its people. It has now been a year and a half since Caron came on board with a mandate to raise the bar in Human Resources at SNC‑Lavalin. Spectrum recently sat down with her to find out what has been accomplished so far, and what yet remains to be done. One thing was clear, Caron is passionate about making SNC‑Lavalin best in class when it comes to everything HR.
Spectrum (S): When you joined in 2011, what was your appraisal of SNC‑Lavalin and its HR practices? Darleen Caron (DC): When I joined in 2011, SNC‑Lavalin was a big and successful company, and it still is. It had experienced tremendous growth, had a strong balance sheet and a lot of very committed employees who’d helped build its global reputation for excellence. The challenge was that the company largely managed its human resources like a series of small and independent units. There were gaps in a number of key areas when compared to the way world-class companies operate. Although I saw a wonderful transformational opportunity, I also didn’t want to make changes that would adversely impact the elements of the company’s culture that worked—like its entrepreneurial mindset, its speed of action, its client-focused approach or its high-quality execution of projects.
S: How did you proceed? DC: During the first few months, I sat down with dozens of key business leaders and several members of the HR function, listened and tried to understand the organization and its needs. The HR leadership team then developed a three-year plan that would target the most impactful initiatives. We agreed that the heart of the plan would be six strategic pillars: Senior Leadership and Talent Pool Development, Enabling Growth, the Employee Value Proposition, Strategic Staffing, Training and Development and general HR functional excellence. We knew that if we could introduce a step change in those areas, we would greatly enhance the company’s competitiveness and, at the same time, build a more committed and happier workforce.
09 Human Resources Spectrum | Edition No. 3
S: You’re now in the second year of your plan. What progress have you made? DC: In a relatively short timeframe, we have introduced several large-scale initiatives across all business units, including Performance Management (already in use by 10,000 employees), a formal Onboarding Program for new employees, as well as the recently launched Internal Job Posting Program that allows employees to find and apply for positions across the company. We’ve also launched our first company-wide leadership training program: the People Leader Development Program (see page 15). It’s designed to address the learning needs of new to mid-level people leaders at SNC‑Lavalin, and is part of the company’s larger leadership development strategy. During this time, we also conducted a Total Rewards study, consisting of 37 focus groups and more than 300 employees, which helped us identify and act on the drivers that lead people to join and stay with SNC‑Lavalin. All these initiatives play a key role in the company’s success, but first and foremost they demonstrate a commitment to our employees. Employees need the proper environment, tools and training to feel engaged and to deliver high quality work. We recognize that their sense of well-being matters; after all, “The employee experience is not what we say it is, it’s what the employee says it is!”1
1 “Employee
Value Proposition”, © 2012 Towers Watson
S: What’s coming up in 2013? DC: We will continue to build on all the initiatives we’ve recently put into place, such as further deploying Performance Management throughout the organization and closing some of the gaps that were revealed in the Total Rewards study. We are also developing career paths for all critical positions within the company, as well as an alumni program for retirees and a company-wide referral program. The SNC‑Lavalin Academy, which addresses company-wide learning needs, is another exciting initiative currently in the works, and will most likely be unveiled before 2013. Achieving our aspirations will not happen overnight. It is essential to stay connected to all our employees throughout our journey. This is why we look forward to conducting our first employee engagement survey this fall. The feedback we receive will be key to creating a high-performance environment where our employees feel passionate about their work and their company.
SNC‑Lavalin Academy will be unveiled by
2013
10 WE CARE
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Employees: The Pillars of WE CARE WE CARE embodies SNC‑Lavalin’s key corporate values and beliefs: health and safety, employees, communities, the environment and quality. To celebrate the many WE CARE initiatives our employees undertake every single day, Spectrum provides a snapshot of projects that reflect each of the company’s WE CARE pillars.
Engineers in the making? Children from the IGNITE initiative
Health & Safety
Community
WE CARE initiative: Doug Jennings was awarded the ExxonMobil Canada President’s Award in January 2012 for demonstrating outstanding safety, health, environment and security performance on the Hibernia offshore platform integrity management project. Prior to commissioning and load testing the U-shaft winch located on Level 2 of the platform’s M40 Utility Module, Jennings performed a Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) test on his own initiative. He found two cracks in the pad eye weld that could have resulted in personal injury and equipment damage.
WE CARE initiative: Over March break, Jana Logananthan, Aboriginal Liaison Coordinator, Karen Wiley, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst, and Christine Grace, Environmental Engineer, held workshops in Ontario’s Niagara region that promoted technology careers for 50 Aboriginal children as part of the IGNITE (Igniting Interest in Technology and Engineering) initiative.
Checking Everything Twice Name: Doug Jennings Title: Integrity Services Technician, Hydrocarbons & Chemicals
Q: What made you want to perform an MPI test? Doug Jennings (DJ): The shaft winch pad looked fine, but due to several contributing factors—including the fact that it was a particularly heavy load—I determined we needed to take additional measures and requested the MPI.
Q: What does WE CARE mean to you? DJ: WE CARE is a great program. It encourages people to improve safety and to take charge to ensure no one gets hurt.
IGNITE-ing Young Aboriginal Minds Name: Jana Logananthan Title: Aboriginal Liaison Coordinator
Q: What made you want to get involved in this project? Jana Logananthan (JL): There is a need to help Aboriginal students gain interest and skills in math and science and to increase high school graduation rates. It is helpful when corporate leaders in the Aboriginal marketplace participate in initiatives to support the education of Aboriginal youth.
Q: How did you feel about the experience? JL: It was inspiring. If we taught even one student that they could achieve any goal they set their mind to, we achieved our goal.
11 WE CARE
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
WE CARE NOUS VEILLONS
Quality
Ensuring the SNC‑Lavalin Standard Name: Vanessa De Bellonia Title: Quality Assurance Coordinator, Infrastructure & Construction
Q: Why is WE CARE important to you? VD: It means we take into consideration the needs and well-being of everyone we work with in order to provide the highest quality possible and to exceed clients’ expectations.
WE CARE initiative: Vanessa De Bellonia, along with several project quality control teams, put together a Quality Control Toolkit to help employees and contract workers meet SNC‑Lavalin quality standards on job sites. It includes inspection guides, videos and posters designed for particular activities—from welding techniques to concreting safety parameters—and has been adopted by some 500 people at 18 project sites in 10 countries.
Q: What is the motivation behind this project? Vanessa De Bellonia (VD): We continuously pursue quality improvement by means of innovative training programs and other quality control tools that are part of our Quality Control Toolkit. Vanessa De Bellonia (seated second from left) and the I&C colleagues who also worked on the Quality Control Toolkit.
Environment
Employees
WE CARE initiative: As part of its environmental and corpo rate social responsibility, the Interfleet Group supports the development of The National Forest in the UK, a new wooded landscape that is being established across 500 square kilometres of Central England.
WE CARE initiative: As SNC‑Lavalin continues to expand around the world, so do career opportunities for its people. To help them find and apply for job openings across the company, the Human Capital team (Corporate Human Resources), led by Michel Roy, created the Internal Job Posting Site.
Q: Why did you get involved with The National Forest?
Q: Why is internal mobility important at SNC‑Lavalin?
David Curtis (DC): Derby is a railway town and close to an area that was deforested over the centuries through agriculture and industrialization. As a corporation we feel we have a responsibility to give back to the community.
Michel Roy (MR): Our employees are the heart of our company, and we believe that offering them the possibility to change positions can only improve the quality of their careers. Internal mobility is central to SNC‑Lavalin’s success: it enhances our employees’ engagement and fulfills their need for personal growth and career development. The introduction of the site is one of the ways SNC‑Lavalin demonstrates its commitment to its employees.
The Man-made Forest Name: David Curtis Title: Resources & Communications Director, Interfleet Technology
Q: Interfleet both supports the project financially and actually plants trees. How do employees like getting their hands dirty? DC: It’s an amazing opportunity to get out of the office and physically help rebuild a forest. The employees thoroughly enjoy it and are keen to do it again.
An Opportunity for Every Employee Name: Michel Roy Title: Senior Vice-President, Human Capital Planning and Development
Q: What message do you believe the Internal Job Posting Site sends? MR: It makes clear to employees how much we value them. At SNC‑Lavalin, we select the best. We want to do everything we can to help employees build their careers within the organization and become successful.
12 Training
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Training a Better Workforce A company is only as strong as the knowledge and skills of its employees. Luckily, the information technology age is making it easier than ever to ensure SNC‑Lavalin’s employees remain ahead of the curve.
S
NC‑Lavalin is currently making extensive use of the technologies at its disposal for training, which include e-learning modules and applications that remotely link students to teachers. In the process, the company is finding that its people are eager to absorb what it has to teach. Training programs allow employees to gain a deeper understanding of their work, while quickly and conveniently acquiring new skills. That translates into better performance and more opportunities for advancement.
90 training initiatives 2,242 registrations
Learning @ Work Each year, computer-assisted learning activities are carried out across the corporation in a variety of settings and circumstances. A successful example is the company’s participation in Learn @ Work Week. Held each fall, the country-wide Canadian initiative has been embraced by SNC‑Lavalin’s Project Management Systems department because it aligns with its own mandate of providing training for its project management tools. The department is using Live Meeting technology to reach the maximum number of employees around the world with increasingly good results. The last edition of Learn @ Work Week in 2011 saw 90 training initiatives in 15 cities worldwide, with 2,242 registrations: nearly a threefold increase over the previous year. In 2011, courses were offered on project, risk and construction management, public-private partnership contract structures and cost control. Some softer subjects, not directly related to project execution, but no less essential, were also included in the curriculum for the first time. Participants were able to sign up for classes on reducing stress, and how to cultivate interpersonal skills that support productive and positive team environments. Krikor Der-Ghazarian, the Vice-President of Project Management Systems, says that the growing popularity of Learn @ Work Week is directly tied to the thirst of employees for high-quality courses. To ensure its training is always as pertinent as possible, the Project Management Systems team taps into a network of subject matter experts across the company. “We find subject matter experts who are highly respected for their knowledge of their fields,” said Der-Ghazarian. “And if we can, we collaborate with experts from different sectors for a single training module to ensure it has applications across the company. So I’d say the success of Learn @ Work Week, and of the year-round courses we offer, is directly linked to the expertise of our own people.”
“As a Junior Engineer, I really appreciate the opportunity to learn from various industry experts within the company and supplement my engineering training,” said Daniel Herscovitch, who participated in last year’s event and works for the Infrastructure & Construction business unit in Toronto. “The courses offered during the week give great insight into many aspects of engineering, construction and project management, and provide an overview of the work we do.”
A hub for on-line learning An increasing number of clients are also becoming interested in SNC‑Lavalin’s internal training capabilities—clients like BHP Billiton, for which SNC‑Lavalin is building a Potash Project Hub EPCM Centre of Excellence. The two companies have been collaborating on an e-learning program for employees from both organizations called Hub University. The modules will help ensure all team members are on the same page, no matter which of the Hub offices they are located at across Canada, or which organization they work for.
13 Training
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
The Project Management Systems team is using Live Meeting technology to reach the maximum number of employees around the world with increasingly good results.
14 Training
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
“We are trying to achieve consistency and alignment of work practices, while cementing relationships across the Hub,” said John Pitkin, who coordinates all training initiatives for the Hub. “We have people working from six locations across Canada, so that’s clearly very important.” Hub University is currently composed of 24 e-learning modules. The program covers building safety, the Hub Knowledge Management Portal, Quality Management, the importance of respect in the workplace and good business writing, as well as providing a primer on the potash industry. Other modules are in the works, including a series on Hub Operating Systems such as Supply, Finance, HSEC, Engineering Processes, and the Transition to Operational Process. Much of the e-learning know-how for Hub University has come from SNC‑Lavalin’s Global Training & Simulation Services department, run by Vice-President Robert Beauchemin. The department has already created many successful e-modules for projects around the world.
“E-learning modules are efficient because people who need training don’t have to wait for a formal class to be organized,” said Beauchemin, who spent the first part of his career in the education field. “Another advantage is that students can come back to their e-learning modules again and again to refresh their knowledge.” Alireza Eskandarzadeh, one of over 500 employees who have already completed six or more courses created for Hub University, particularly likes that aspect of the e-learning process. “E-Learning is a very good tool,” he said. “I like the fact that you can come back anytime and go over the subject again. My favourite module was the explanation of the potash process because it was simple yet packed with information.”
The future of e-training at SNC‑Lavalin SNC‑Lavalin is now looking at taking its training and e-learning activities to the next level. Led by Corporate Human Resources, several programs are currently in the works that will make use of e-training modules. According to Michel Roy, Senior VicePresident, Human Capital Planning and Development, Corporate Human Resources, the move to further expand SNC‑Lavalin’s internal training capabilities signals a fundamental change in the way the company views talent development. “We are moving towards a talent building approach as opposed to a pure talent acquisition approach,” he said. “There will be new training programs with an e-learning component for the company’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, for example.” Also in the works is a Knowledge Management Portal being developed by the company’s Knowledge Management Group. The goal of the Portal is to capture and convey less tangible best practices and lessons learned, or what is often called “tacit learning.”
“E-Learning is a very good tool. I like the fact that you can come back anytime and go over the subject again.” Alireza Eskandarzadeh
“While formal learning programs like what we are doing for BHP Billiton are important, of equal value in a company like ours is the ability to transmit knowledge gained through experience,” said Beauchemin. “Many organizations, SNC‑Lavalin included, are realizing the great importance of that.” As the company steps out ahead of the curve and embraces new training technologies, acquiring skills and enhancing career opportunities is getting easier than ever for employees at SNC‑Lavalin. Indeed, while the company benefits greatly from its ability to transfer top skills to its people, it is obvious that the clear winner is its employees.
15 Leadership
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Today A few years ago, Dale Clarke, at the time a Project Sponsor on a major international job, made one of the most important decisions of his career. Greatly concerned about the project’s health and safety performance, he opted to stop all work at the site until he was sure there were no unsafe conditions.
I
n temporarily shutting down a multi-billion dollar project to protect its workers, Clarke demonstrated traits that SNC‑Lavalin looks for in its leaders—caring for employees, and having the courage to do the right thing no matter how difficult. Earlier this spring, Clarke was asked to sponsor a pilot session for Corporate Human Resources’ People Leader Development Program in Toronto, where he shared this and other pivotal moments in his career.
Having competent and respected leaders allows a company to more effectively attract and retain talented personnel.
“The People Leader Development Program is being developed to meet the needs of individuals who are moving from the role of an individual contributor, to one where they are leading people,” said Darleen Caron, Executive Vice-President, Global Human Resources. “Even the best project director or expert does not automatically become a good people leader. Understanding human behaviour, as well as knowing what drives performance and how to get the best out of people and teams, are skills that require a deliberate effort to acquire.”
Michel Roy, Senior Vice-President, Human Capital Planning and Development, explained that the need for such a program is directly tied to a simple truth: having competent and respected leaders allows a company to more effectively attract and retain talented personnel.
The new program will be available to new and mid-level leaders. The knowledge and experience of executives like Clarke, as well as seasoned external consultants and internal subject matter experts, will be transferred to the new people leaders through either a classroom-led or a webinar-led facilitation method.
“One of the biggest risks any company faces is not being able to attract and retain good people,” he said. “We know, for example, that when employees leave a job it’s not usually because they don’t like the organization they’re working for. It’s most often related to the work climate in the team, opportunities for development and their relationship with their supervisor. On the other hand, leaders who are very well trained can create a positive work environment, and build talented teams that are dedicated and willing to go the extra mile for the company and its clients,” added Roy. “Those are the kind of employees we want at SNC‑Lavalin.”
16 Expertise
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Discussions with Four Master Engineers Engineers tend to be logical and highly curious individuals who enjoy discovering how things work, and then improving upon them. At SNC‑Lavalin, engineers are the brains who drive innovation and support the company’s global reputation for technical excellence.
S
NC‑Lavalin has a large number of engineers on its payroll around the world. Talent and commitment are obvious prerequisites, but SNC‑Lavalin’s engineers are also noted for their thorough knowledge of the discipline. By working on projects of diverse types in different countries around the world, engineers eventually develop industry-leading expertise, and become masters in their fields.
Spectrum recently spoke with four senior SNC‑Lavalin engineers who have earned that distinction. During their 123 years of collective experience, they have accumulated valuable lessons that they are eager to pass on to a new generation. Here are three key pieces of advice from each of our master engineers.
Cameron Harris
Albashir Alawa
Years in the business: 25
Years in the business: 27
Title: Vice-President of Technology
Title: Engineering Manager at SNC‑Lavalin Arabia
Business unit: Global Mining & Metallurgy
Key advice:
1
I think the vast majority of what you do as an engineer centres around communication, so you should listen to everyone with equal respect. Always keep in mind that you can sometimes get truly excellent ideas from unexpected people and places.
2
If you are a process engineer like me, take the opportunity to read well-written reports and learn from them. You may have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t communicate them clearly and concisely, they’re not worth very much.
3
Get international experience as soon as you can. By travelling the world and working on projects in different countries, you will learn that there’s more than one way of solving a problem. That flexibility will be very useful for you in your career.
Business unit: Hydrocarbons & Chemicals
1
Being able to adapt to new environments and project assignments is a challenge, but it’s an essential skill for an engineer. The key is to be receptive, and to never get too locked in to one particular mindset or approach.
2
Health and safety is crucial in the hydrocarbons and chemicals sector because you are dealing with volatile compounds, but there’s no engineering domain where it is not of prime importance. If you have even the slightest question about the safety of your design, step back and consult your peers. Never take chances with health and safety.
3
Focus on an area of engineering that you are passionate about. I started as a mechanical engineer with a specialty in gas turbines. These are monstrous pieces of equipment weighing as much as 100 tonnes, but I thought of them as my children and really enjoyed working with them. I believe that level of fascination and interest, coupled with proper training, has made me a better gas turbine engineer.
Carl Quist is currently working on the Te Mihi geothermal project in New Zealand, among others.
4 Master
=
Engineers
123 years of
collective experience
Carl Quist
Yves Gauthier
Years in the business: 36
Years in the business: 35
Title: Senior Vice-President of Operations for SNC‑Lavalin Thermal
Title: Director of Design for the McGill University Health Centre’s Glen Campus super-hospital
Business unit: Global Power
Business unit: Infrastructure & Construction
1
Engineering is a science-based practice, so we need to stay abreast of the various technical developments in our fields. Being part of technical societies like the American Society of Mechanical Engineers will help you do that. The vendor community is another good source of information for new developments in the industry.
2
When we get our first job after graduating from university, we have a tendency to believe we know everything about our field. The truth is that you’ll learn the most important things about engineering on the job, so stay humble and open to new insights.
3
With a good basis in one engineering discipline, you can branch out into other areas if you have the desire and are willing to put in the extra time. My degree is in Electrical Engineering, for example, but I’ve been able to pick up a working knowledge of process, mechanical and instrumentation engineering through collaborating with other engineers, spending time in the field and asking the right questions. That has benefited me greatly in my career.
1
You must get to the bottom of things when you are doing engineering work. Do not leave anything undefined, and ensure that you have fully understood all aspects of your assignment. There can be no vagueness and nothing can be left to chance.
2
At the same time, you must know when to stop researching a specific problem and make a decision. I’ve known people in my career who kept studying and studying and were not able to offer solutions. If you study a problem eternally, nothing ever gets done.
3
Consult others when necessary and do not keep everything to yourself. If you have a problem, do not be afraid to ask your colleagues for help. There’s no shame in not knowing how to solve a particular design dilemma, as long as you seek assistance and learn how to deal with it the next time it arises.
18 Diversity
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Diversity Is Our Strength The engineering disciplines have historically had more difficulty attracting women than other scientific fields. Over time, the perception of engineering as a career has not changed much. To delve further into this perception and examine the reality of women in engineering at SNC‑Lavalin, Spectrum talked to three of the company’s female engineers.
T
he first woman engineer appointed to a managerial position in the company was Carole Burnham, who was named Director of Environment at SNC in 1973. Today, while women engineers remain a minority, many play important roles and hold high-level positions within the company.
Melody Kratsios Title: Senior Vice-President, Global Security Corporate department: Integrated Management Systems Years in the business: 27
On-the-job reality The focus of all engineering activities remains the jobsite. Karen Sobel began her career with assignments on projects in far-flung places, many of them overseas. Without hesitation, Sobel says that she never felt she was treated differently at project jobsites. As her career progressed and she was assigned to positions that were more management-oriented, she was often the only woman in her peer group. The experience taught her to trust her skills without letting herself be overly influenced by the opinions of others. Indeed, Sobel has always let herself be guided by her ability to make decisions and seize opportunities, which allowed her to demonstrate leadership and helped her climb the corporate ladder.
That feeling is shared by Melody Kratsios, who also has extensive field experience. She says she has always felt she was in the right place, and that SNC‑Lavalin supported her career solely because of her skills. In her work, she has consistently made integrity a priority, focusing on achieving objectives through teamwork—keys to success for men and women alike. Marie-Andrée Morin agrees that there are no major differences between men and women in the profession. “You can’t be afraid of a challenge. You need to have confidence in your abilities and avoid putting up barriers where none exist, whether you are a woman or a man.”
19 Diversity
Spectrum | Edition No. 3
Value added by women The presence of women engineers undeniably contributes to the diversity of work teams. For Sobel, any type of diversity— geographic, cultural or gender-related—is beneficial. “Since every individual has his or her own way of approaching a problem, a highly diverse group is likely to have far more chances of finding the best available solutions,” she said. “This advantage is something that SNC‑Lavalin makes good use of. By supporting its women engineers at key moments in their lives, such as by allowing flexible schedules during certain times, the company is rewarded with long-term loyalty.” Sobel believes that women tend more often to approach situations with the aim of contributing in a way that benefits the whole. It is an attitude that she feels can sometimes make it easier to support certain strategies. As for why women often choose careers in professions such as medicine and law, Kratsios says it’s because they are attracted to fields that improve the lives of others. But she says that can also apply to engineering, which “is not just about building structures; it is about building societies—a concept that women are more inclined to buy into.” Meanwhile, Morin feels that women generally show less interest in the profession because they know very little about it. She believes engineering work is often perceived as purely technical in nature, when in fact it can open doors to a variety of opportunities that could be of interest to young women.
“Any type of diversity— geographic, cultural or gender-related—is beneficial.” Karen Sobel Title: Senior Vice-President, Business Optimization Business unit: Hydrocarbons & Chemicals Years in the business: 25
“Engineering offers numerous prospects for working abroad, experiencing different cultures and developing a wide range of complex projects,” she says. “The work itself requires strong attention to detail, communication skills, creativity, and the ability to adapt to cultural differences and to work as a team.”
Promoting the profession Engineering offers infinite possibilities with many positive social spinoffs, but remains a misunderstood profession among young people, especially women. For this reason, SNC‑Lavalin works hard to promote the profession across all groups to ensure it can hire a diverse range of skilled employees. The company is banking on its ability to offer a multitude of opportunities to its people, regardless of whether they are men or women.
Marie-Andrée Morin Title: Vice-President, Technology and Studies Business unit: Global Mining and Metallurgy, Montreal Years in the business: 21
JIFCO ACID COMPLEX PROJECT
IN JORDAN REACHED
1,000,000 PERSON-HOURS WITHOUT
A LOST TIME INCIDENT
JABAL SAYID COPPER PROJECT
IN SAUDI ARABIA REACHED
4,500,000 PERSON-HOURS WITHOUT
A LOST TIME INCIDENT PORTAGE IV OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT
IN QUEBEC REACHED
5 YEARS WITHOUT A RECORDABLE INCIDENT
AT SNC-LAVALIN, WE CARE ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, OF THOSE WHO WORK UNDER OUR CARE, AND OF THE PEOPLE OUR PROJECTS SERVE.
WE CARE NOUS VEILLONS
Printed in Canada, July 2012
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SNC-LAVALIN TEAMS THAT HAVE RECENTLY ACHIEVED THESE IMPORTANT HEALTH AND SAFETY MILESTONES