“Passion fuels success” By Gloria Zhang

15 Março 2017

Hi, I’m Gloria, an Arcadian and Global Shaper (2014) in Asia, working as Quantity Surveyor for the building business line. Recently I got my way to the final of RICS Awards, Hong Kong 2017, and I’m very excited about it.

I’ve been with Arcadis for 5 years after graduating from law school and completing my Master’s Degree in Construction Project Management. It is such a great place that inspires the people working with it, including me, to reach their greatest potential.

Out of the enthusiasm to the building and construction industry, I pursued my study majoring in construction law and dispute resolution after graduating from law school. At the very beginning of my career, I was less confident because I had not received a “formal” surveying training before. However, joining Arcadis gives me great opportunity of getting involved in several large-scale composite development projects in both Hong Kong and China. Through these live projects and a series of internal training course, I built up a solid professional knowledge base of being a surveyor.

In the second year of my career, I got the chance to work in the research team engaged by the Development Bureau of Hong Kong Government to carry out study on construction costs trend, analyzing the underlying reasons for rapid escalation of construction costs in the 2010’s in Hong Kong. The study requires engagement with over 80 industry stakeholders, including contractors, consultancies, developers, the Works Department, and several influential associations in Hong Kong. Through this study, we helped Hong Kong government to explore the direction to stabilize construction costs and establish long-term sustainable development of the industry. In this exercise, I got deeper understanding to the industry that I work for and my horizon is greatly expanded.Gloria in Global Shaper

In 2014, I am proudly part of the Global Shaper Family. That was a life-changing event for me. Global Shapers gathers 100 inspiring young professionals globally every year, creates international connections, shares knowledge and most importantly, let us be part of something BIG! The ripple effects it brings physically and emotionally engages me and many young professionals around me. Joining GS family also provide me with the chance to be identified as GS ambassador to attend the Arcadis Global leadership forum 2016 in Berlin, where the world’s top 150 leaders assemble to collaborate on key strategic initiatives. I met a lot of amazing leaders from Arcadis globally and through these initiatives, I reciprocate to the local communities, such as visiting and supporting the works at homeless and refugee centers.

Passion fuels success. Working with Arcadis means I am part of the built environment. It’s not only about those buildings, roads, bridges, etc., it’s the quality of everyone’s life. This commitment motivates me to continuously learn more and think ahead.

Besides, I would also suggest Global Shapers to encourage more talents around us with different backgrounds to take part in the profession of natural and built asset. Taking myself as an example, I have been benefiting a lot from my legal background in the day-to-day work. The challenges we face in the built environment are more complex than before and it needs us to possess comprehensive and multidisciplinary capability to deliver suitable and sustainable solutions. I see the trend of clients sourcing one-stop consultancies services and integrated solutions, under which people who can think and act ‘crossing the boundary’ would be advantageous.

– Gloria Zhang

Global Shaper: Generation 2014

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