Interview with Kevin (33), project manager with the RU Luxembourg
Kevin enjoys huge challenges. These include climbing the career ladder quickly and driving fast cars in his free time. He works in the Substations department and likes to see how people and projects develop. On the one hand, he is keen on finalizing projects to fulfill clients’ expectations. On the other hand, he is a good mentor who feels responsible especially for young people making a name for themselves within the company.
When did you start working at EQOS?
I started in 2011 as part of my engineering studies. Before that, I worked at another construction company. At EQOS in Luxembourg, I joined an internship program which I enjoyed very much. I alternated between going to school for one month and working at the company for the next month. This training lasted three years. This is a very useful model to combine both theory and practice. In 2014, I became project manager.
What is your job nowadays?
I have been working as a project manager since 2014. At first, I was a “junior” for one year. I was quickly assigned my own clients and projects. Within the EQOS unit, I am responsible for high-voltage substations. We mainly support customers in the energy sector regarding maintenance and expansion of the distribution network. Our job with high-voltage substations is divided into two principal activities: maintenance and construction. As the power grid is very sensitive, our aim is to provide our customers with all the solutions for replacement as quickly as possible and to keep the overall infrastructure at the high-voltage substations in good condition. With the energy transition and renewable energies, the entire network is changing. We are here to support our customers during this transition. We provide all the required assistance to increase their capacity for power transmission and find the solutions for building the network of tomorrow.
Our customers keep telling us that they enjoy working with us. The reason could be that we are not only a young and responsible team but also that we perform high-quality work. I am in charge of about 40 site workers. We also have five people who are responsible for the different construction sites and report directly to the project management. They manage the work on site and maintain a close relationship between the construction sites and the office.
What is your day-to-day business?
It is mostly a mix of project management and technical work. The key is finding pragmatic solutions for customers. It is very important to build reliable relationships to customers and the first-line contractors. Regular communication is of key significance. My main tasks are project planning, generating quotes, finding new customers and maintaining good relationships between EQOS and our customers.
And talking with people, of course. We cover a large territory between France, Luxembourg, and Belgium. Before COVID, I travelled a lot, primarily by car. Now my job involves fewer travels, because most meetings are held virtually. But it becomes more and more important again to travel and meet customers in person.
“You could say that this is a bit like a big family. We take care of each other.”
What makes EQOS a good employer?
EQOS is a very dependable employer. You can be sure that there are a lot of interesting jobs at all times. The future is secure. Since energy transportation is key for the future, we all benefit from expansion. And despite the fact that EQOS is growing continuously, there is a great team spirit. Again, this is like a big family. We take care of each other.
And we care for our environment. Recently, we built the substation for the biggest battery storage park in Europe. We are working with new customers in order to connect several wind turbine parks in France. These projects are very interesting and we are making an effort to finalize them quickly.
What is important to you when it comes to employees?
For me, it is very important to be a good mentor, especially for younger people and new employees in general. I personally grew and climbed the career ladder within the company. This was only possible because I received continuous support from both the management and my colleagues. Now I am in a position to support young people to grow and continue pursuing their career. And I am proud to be a role model now. That’s my motivation: to support young employees in making a name for themselves. I really enjoy seeing them starting from scratch, training them and watching them grow.
What do you do in your free time?
I am quite athletic. So I like mountain biking and running. I also love watches and muscle cars.