Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering (BEng Chemical Engineering) - University of Pretoria
I am a very driven individual, with a pertual life goal of continuous growth and improvement, that I work to apply in all areas of my life.
I am inspired by forward-thinking, positive mindsets, 'can-do' attitudes, excellence, brilliant leadership, and effective teamwork. I greatly look up to engineers who have applied their specialist skill to develop excellent solutions to engineering problems, built and maintained highly-profitable processes, and excelled in all technical areas, while simultaneously having developed themselves into strong and effective leaders. My ultimate career goal is to achieve both technical and leadership excellence: to build high-functioning teams, and develop those in my team to do the same.
I enjoy being challenged, solving problems, and I especially enjoy using engineering principles to address problems in design and operational applications. I enjoy working in environments that reward initiative, hard work, dedication, tenacity, skill, teamwork, and leadership.
I am looking to find an organisation that embraces advancement and change, welcomes initiative, and has a focus on excellent process engineering, safety, and environmental protection practices. I'd like to belong to an organisation in which I can grow to my full technical and leadership potential in a longterm capacity, and where my career development goals can be met.
I am Portuguese (EU Citizen), but South African born-and-raised (first generation). While my primary address in currently in South Africa, I have an address in Portugal that I frequent annually. As such, I'd like to relocate back to the EU to be nearer to my extended family, and reintegrate into european society and culture.
Outside of work, I spend most of my time doing pilates, playing tennis, studying (part-time Masters Degree in Engineering), practicing my Portuguese, and hiking. I especially enjoy travelling to new destinations I've yet to see, if not home to Portugal to see my family and friends.
I received extensive psychometric testing and various teamwork simulations prior to receiving the offer to join my current employers prestigious Graduate Accelerated Programme, customised to develop the next generation of senior management personnel, from various disciplines. I believe I was selected because they saw not only my technical prowess, but my existing leadership capacity, and potential to develop it further.
I have since received extensive personalised leadership training, mentorship by senior management, and various opportunities to develop my leadership cababilities through work, including my supervisory role of various refinery operator teams, as a process engineer at two malaysian oil refineries.
My most extensive practise of leadership and management of high-performing teams, however, has been in my role as project lead over various advanced process engineering projects. Not only have I therein been required to deliver complex, time-sensitive projects via a team of stakeholders, but had to manage team dynamics, conflict resolution, and performance.
I would describe my personal leadership style as participative and delivery-oriented; focussed on effective communication for efficient delivery. I hope not only to become an excellent Process Engineer, but brilliant leader of operational teams.
One of my career highlights is being given the opportunity to work in Malaysia for a year, where my company is headquatered. There I worked at some of our biggest and highest-performing oil refineries, before returning to South Africa, where I imparted some of the knowledge I gained there.
As part of the graduate management programme I recently graduated from, I enjoy mentorship relationships with managers at various levels, including that of the head of EMEA operations for our company, a seasoned process engineer and leader of our business. This access has granted me unprecedented growth, and access to further excellent development and training opportunities.
