Welcoming E2ManageTech to Arcadis!
Lilya Ouksel, February 1, 2018
Last July, our 65-person, environmental software consulting firm, E2ManageTech, was officially acquired by Arcadis. Now, we are part of the small IDP (Information Driven Performance) division of the Environmental Business Line at a seemingly enormous, global business. The transition has been a whirlwind!
E2 is the first company I have worked for after finishing graduate school in environmental engineering. As it turns out, EMIS (Environmental Management Information Systems) is the perfect fit for me – a blend of environmental science, data analytics, and consulting. We help companies integrate their data management tools, streamline their business processes, and choose EHS software that works for them, which we then customize to their needs. Currently, I’m designing and configuring Boeing’s Greenhouse Gas and Air Emissions Reporting within Enablon, an EMIS vendor with offices in the Sears (now Willis) Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
Speaking of which, now that we’ve moved into the Arcadis Chicago office, we have a stellar view. Right across from the Art Institute of Chicago, on the 20th floor, I look out onto frozen Lake Michigan, and watch the sun rise over the Adler Planetarium. This was, to say the least, an upgrade –the view is always breathtaking.
In some ways, the move has taken some adjustment – which is to be expected when you blend two corporate cultures. While my old desk was littered with post-its, bags of trail mix, and old photos, the new one is cleaned off at the end of each day. Although they did let me keep Engineering Barbie, now I eat my snacks at one of the common tables, overlooking Millennium Park, while catching up on emails – which has been a great way to meet new people, and a refreshing break from my desk.
Everyone in the Chicago office has been so welcoming, and it’s interesting to learn about everything that goes on at Arcadis. Since we moved in December, I’ve spoken to geologists who spend all day in the field, logging soil borings; environmental engineers who pump molasses into superfund sites as in-situ, biological groundwater treatment; managers of industrial water programs; and more. As a wastewater engineer, I’m like a kid in a candy store. (Yes, I realize how nerdy that makes me sound.)
Not to be overwhelmed by the transition, our little family is bringing our “work-hard, play-hard” culture into Arcadis’s IDP team. We brought our Ping Pong table (Tournaments on Thursdays), and have already hosted a few happy hours to get to know our new colleagues. Across the US, we’re visiting Arcadis offices, and introducing curious folks to our IDP practice. By reaching out across business lines, we are learning how to work together for our common clients, and provide them with the best possible services. E2’s motto was “Collaborate. Innovate. Deliver.” I look forward to bringing that sentiment into Arcadis and Global Shapers!