8 Engineering. As a company, we are involved with Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, which is creating new technology for transportation, such as robots that monitor bridge decks for weak spots. At Columbia University, we are involved in the Industry Board of Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. This has been an important forum for discussing cybersecurity and other challenges and threats. Our relationship with Columbia University has gone international with Mott MacDonald’s operations in the U.K. TZL: Mott MacDonald’s business in North America is thriving in the transport, water, oil, and gas sectors, plus projects in education, power, buildings, and infrastructure finance. Tell us about one of the most provocative projects on deck now. ND: I’d have to say that the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is one of the most remarkable projects we’re involved with. Together with HDR, we formed a design joint venture as part of a major design-build program. It draws on our skills in tunneling, fire and life safety, highways, bridges, and coastal infrastructure. Hampton Roads creates a new crossing for Chesapeake Bay while coping with the challenges associated with working in proximity of naval bases, ship traffic, and sensitive environments. TZL: Research shows that PMs are overworked, understaffed, and that many firms do not have formal training programs for PMs. What is your firm doing to support its PMs? ND: Our Learning and Development staff offer in-depth PERSONAL CONNECTIONS, from page 7
Programs like our Graduates Weekend and Early Career Professionals help build networks for those starting off at Mott MacDonald. A day doesn’t go by when we can’t learn something from each other. At Mott MacDonald, learning and development is part of the culture. TZL: Being such a large firm, how do you ensure staff feels connected? What are some of the top communication tools used and how do you ensure company culture remains the same throughout? ND: Communication is more important than ever. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 95 percent of our staff work remotely from home or on a project site. Our IT systems and technology capabilities (that include remote working) enable us to continue to communicate with clients, and efficiently manage and support project needs. The effort of our talented staff rolling out systems like Skype, Teams, SharePoint, Azure, GoToWebinar/Webex, and ProjectWise has made it possible for us to work together seamlessly even under adverse conditions. Compass, our company intranet, is one of our key tools for staying connected. News items go up on a daily basis, letting people know about promotions, hires, reorganizations, publications, internal awards, project wins, awards for our people, and projects and more. Connections, an internal newsletter for staff in North America, covers community service projects, charitable events, and social activities. We have a very active enterprise social networking service through Yammer. There’s no substitute for a personal message. It’s important for staff to hear frequently from our leadership. As president and CEO for Mott MacDonald in North America, I enjoy conducting town hall webinars with all our staff in attendance. That’s even more important during these unprecedented times. Despite all our technology and ability to communicate digitally, there is no substitute for connecting with each other on a personal basis, even if it’s across remote working platforms. TZL: Diversity and inclusion are lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? ND: Mott MacDonald has a global policy on equality, diversity, and inclusion that guides our offices around the world. We embed EDI into the business, with a focus on recruitment, corporate social responsibility, procurement and supplier diversity, and our work with clients. More than 700 staff, including all senior staff and board members, have been trained to address unconscious bias. In North America, our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion committee has active groups in the areas of Advancing Disability, Advancing Gender, Advancing Race and Culture, Advancing Veterans, Advancing LGBT, and Advancing Parents and Caregivers. We work in partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers and Women’s Transportation Seminar, and we participate in the US government’s Hiring Our Heroes program, which allows veterans to take part in 12- week fellowships with Mott MacDonald that can lead to a rewarding career.
training for project managers and other staff. Our Horizons program was developed for young
professional staff. It is a career development program that helps participants to identify their own development needs and provide them with the tools to manage their career in a more meaningful way. The program lasts about 18 months and starts with a three-day launch event. Subsequent phases consist of activities that result from the learning at the launch event and are self-directed by the participants. Our Elements program consists of modules on team engagement, client relationships, and commercial awareness. Each module lasts approximately four to six weeks. Participants receive online training through webinars, reading, and online classes, plus a day-long, in- person session. We also have exceptional leadership training programs including Emerging Leaders. Emerging Leaders is a program designed to develop our next generation of leaders, the stewards of the future who will drive our growth, live our brand and culture, and ensure the best outcomes for our people, our clients, and our communities. Connected Leaders is our executive training program that integrates staff from throughout the world. This program is part networking and part team building and has helped us bring global resources to projects all around the world. We have formal mentor programs open to all levels of staff and strong on-the-job training through our practices.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 1, 2020, ISSUE 1347
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