BLOG – Attending knowledge sharing lunch sessions in the UK
Quest is an international transfer program which connects Arcadians from all over the world. The Quest program is sponsored by the Lovinklaan Foundation. Every week we are highlighting one of the stories of our employees who went on an exchange. In this blogpost we cover the Quest story of Belisa Sawade who traveled from São Paulo Brazil to Croydon in the UK.
Why did I apply for a Quest
In 2016, I met Peres Alfaras, a Bridge Engineer from the Croydon office, England, when he came to Brazil as part of the Quest program. He assisted us in implementing the Midas Software on the Belo Horizonte Metro railway project. This inspired me to apply for the Quest program, I applied in order to broaden my knowledge of bridge structures and to strengthen the connection and collaboration between the offices from Croydon and São Paulo.
“The Quest exchange is one of the best ways to exchange knowledge and expertise internally.“
Highlight of my Quest experience
The highlight of my Quest experience was, undoubtedly, the opportunity to visit the Rochester Bridge with Jim Booth and attend meetings with UK clients. During these meetings, the service bridge costs and a mock demolition of the Old Bridge were discussed. I also collaborated in the initial phase of the England Motorways project identifying the different design elements to elaborate the options appraisal criteria and matrix.
My Quest in one word
“Unique”
Learnings and experiences
As part of the Quest program, I had the opportunity to deepen my technical knowledge and expand my network. I was impressed with how the UK Croydon team works on high-profile projects. It was great to see the Arcadis Croydon team share knowledge and learn from each other during lunch time. I will definitely try to implement a similar collaborative working culture environment here in Brazil.
The Quest program is a unique experience! I would recommend anyone going on a Quest to develop a list of goals and plan ahead with your host how your journey will be.
The international transfer program Quest, which connects Arcadians from all over the world, is sponsored by the Lovinklaan Foundation.