BLOG – From Lima to Santiago: a journey that shaped Lizardo’s renewed appreciation for teamwork
Quest is an international transfer program connecting Arcadians from all over the world. The 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 Lizardo Sotelo who traveled from Lima, Peru to Santiago, Chile.
How it all began
The journey began on the first day this year. Enthusiastic about meeting my co-workers with whom I had been communicating by phone and email, I arrived early in the morning on the second of January. I was also very eager getting to know Santiago, the capital of Chile. After I rested, I got on my way to the Santiago office, located at the Commune of Providencia and got my first impression of the Arcadis building at the intersection of two avenues. The Lima office where I came from was quite small compared to Santiago’s, so it was great to be able to see this impressive office.
Fabian, a geotechnical civil engineer, with whom I worked in a project that is being carried out in Peru welcomed me. He accompanied me to meet Fernando, head of the geotechnical department at Arcadis, Chile. Fernando introduced me to the team I’d be working with on the 6th floor throughout the rest of the week.
An enriching experience
By being part of the research group and by sharing and comparing our working methods, tools and criteria, I noticed how the developments of the geotechnical projects in Santiago benefited from, what I call, ‘direct treatment’. Doubts I had concerning the criteria of certain points of work were almost immediately solved by the availability of field experts within the team.
“The Quest experience made me realize the value of team work!”
In addition to learning other ways of carrying out projects, I visited the site of a very important construction project in Santiago. The project entailed the construction of an important air terminal in which Arcadis carried out the technical tasks. During the visit, I participated in soil-improvement, through a mixture of soil-cement, and worked together with the local Arcadians who are responsible for soil improvement as well as the construction of the venue.
Looking back
All in all, I feel I have learned a lot by getting to know people working at other offices of Arcadis and by sharing our knowledge through our collaborations on shared projects. Because of this experience, my working relationships are strengthened and enriched. I was intrigued by Santiago, a fairly modern city with good public transportation and a higher cost of living than in Peru.
I would like to thank the Lovinklaan Foundation for this opportunity and supporting this exchange. I encourage everyone to have the same experience!
The international transfer program Quest, which connects Arcadians from all over the world, is sponsored by the Lovinklaan Foundation.