expresso 14 - en

expresso 14 | winter 2018

Rebecca joined EXP in 2016 and has made a significant impact. In a brief time, building on her international engineering and project management experience, she has demonstrated her readiness to take on bigger projects and influence the direction of the company. As a professional engineer with a degree in electrical engineering, she has a diverse portfolio with many projects in the infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality, commercial, industrial and educational sectors. Since obtaining her LEED® accreditation in 2006, Rebecca has been actively involved in adopting sustainability as a standard practice for our design teams. Rebecca’s leadership ability is obvious to anyone who works with her, and as a result, Rebecca has been recently named Vice President, Buildings in central Canada. She has the distinction of being EXP’s first female sector leader, but Rebecca shrugs it off as an outdated consideration. “Being the first to do something is meaningful, but EXP’s success is not about me, or any one individual,” Rebecca declares. “It’s about taking advantage of the diverse sets of skills everyone brings to the table to solve problems and find new ways of doing things. Frankly, it’s about time!” Partnering for success For Rebecca, finding the right mix of internal and external partners is essential to effectively deliver multi-faceted, multidisciplinary proposals that grow the business and develop top talent at the same time. “In addition to our engineers, we have an amazing shared services team, where HR, Marketing, Legal, IT and Finance complete the picture. Win or lose, we are together.” diversity is the key Rebecca Huang, P.Eng., LEED AP Vice President & Sector Leader, Buildings | Markham, Ontario

Some people fear change, others embrace it. A 28-year EXP veteran, Viviane Donay, our Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology manager, has learned to adjust, enjoy the challenges and take changes in stride. “Honestly, it can be quite simple,” says Viviane. “Change has allowed me to advance my career and tackle new challenges. However, I must admit that uncertainty can make people uneasy.” Opportunity is where you find it Before joining EXP, Viviane’s educational background was in architecture. But once she graduated, there were no jobs available in that field. “There were no full-time jobs for me in architecture in Montreal at that time,” explains Viviane. “Architecture was a saturated market, so I had to start looking at jobs outside that world, as well as at furthering my education.” deal ing with change Viviane Donay BIM and CAD Technology Manager | Brampton, Ontario

She found an opportunity at Tredec (now EXP) in structural engineering, and later in information technology. Her responsibilities were to focus on testing and selecting new software, implementing CAD and Revit standards, and managing engineering software licensing. “With technological advancements, there are always new developments, new technologies to explore and software to consider. You need to be on your toes to make sure we have the most current software for the company to allow for productive project teams.” The quest for work/life balance What brings Viviane the most satisfaction is being able to leverage technology to help geographically-dispersed teams collaborate and achieve balance in their lives. The implementation of Citrix, a virtualization technology that enables employees to access their project data and information from anywhere, allows staff to telecommute without missing a beat. Viviane is a strong advocate of telecommuting, as it allows her to remain close with her family and children. “Cloud computing and virtualization technologies provide a continuous workflow, allowing mobile access to our project data from anywhere, at any time”, says Viviane. “It provides flexibility, permitting employees to work remotely, respect tight deadlines, travel, and focus on specific projects. It’s also what allowed me to relocate to Toronto a few years ago with no impact to my work, and what has let me be the parent I want to be while holding on to my career.” Looking back on her 28 years at EXP, Viviane is thankful to have been surrounded by supportive people that have helped her develop both personally and professionally. “As a woman in the architecture, engineering and construction world, my experience with EXP has shown me that it’s possible to have everything you need in life to be happy – to find balance in a challenging, evolving work environment, all while raising my children and cherishing precious time and travels with family.”

Leading the next generation Looking to the future, Rebecca recognizes the value of mentorship, accepting the responsibility of being a role model, and helping others find their optimal career path. Leaders need to get involved to help develop the next generation of engineers. “The firms that will have the most success are the firms who embrace diversity at every level,” Rebecca explains. “Everything from how we promote ourselves to our hiring practices need to be reviewed and updated to ensure that we are a firm that all people can identify with and relate to.”

The firms that will have the most success are the firms who embrace diversity at every level .”

Women at EXP | page 31 women at EXP |