Today we are talking to Mihhail who has worked at GEO-Instruments UK for several years and has become a crucial member of the team.
Since joining, Mihhail has worked in multiple parts of the business and has spent the last few years working with the GeoSocotec Joint Venture, helping to deliver part of the HS2 project in London.
This has been a long and successful assignment for Mihhail, and now that it's been completed, he has returned to the core business team to lend his valuable experience to on-going and upcoming projects. We caught up with him to talk about his work and this recent change in role.
What is your role at GEO-Instruments?
I am a Project Manager.
How long have you worked at GEO?
I joined GEO-Instruments UK, called Getec at the time, in 2018. Coming close to 7 years now!
Tell us a bit about your time at GEO UK?
When I joined GEO-Instruments, I started as a Monitoring Engineer and worked closely with our team on site and in the office. I knew some of the team before joining which made it easier to fit in, but it was still a big change for me coming from my previous company. The way of working was very different, and it felt more like a team effort.
You recently transferred between teams within GEO UK. Tell us about the change.
After a year of working in the core business, I had the opportunity to work with the GeoSocotec Joint Venture on the HS2 project. I wasn’t sure at first but now I don’t regret taking the chance.
On the JV I learned a lot about how big projects work, their requirements and deliverables. This pushed me towards a progression path from Monitoring Engineer to Senior Monitoring Engineer and eventually a promotion to Project Manager.
During my time on the project, I was responsible for delivering big sections of it, including full site installations and monitoring for the TBM drive before and during construction.
Now, after almost 6 years on the JV, I have moved back to core business to help drive it forward with the expertise I’ve gained. It feels a bit like coming home after a long trip!
Any key differences between the teams?
It’s hard as both teams are amazing in their own way. I think big difference is that on the Joint Venture we are working with our JV partner to successfully deliver such a large, demanding project, and we must direct our approach to suit the requirements of the project, the JV and the client.
On this side, we can fully exercise our own GEO-Instruments style of approach for project management, working flexibly and using our team's shared expertise to efficiently deliver our projects.
How did you get started in the industry?
Originally, I studied Automation Engineering in Finland, but I could not find work there and decided to try my luck in England, as I’d always wanted to come here since I was a kid. That was over 10 years ago.
Eventually I joined an I&M company where I worked my way from Site engineer to Project engineer and learned all the nitty-gritty of monitoring before joining GEO-Instruments.
Tell us about your day-to-day work?
I have to start a day with a coffee, it’s a must! Other than that, my days are rarely the same, they vary a lot between working in the office or in the field and I can be looking at new tenders, planning projects or providing support for our team or clients. Other times, I will be getting my boots dirty on site, which keeps me up to date with instrumentation and methodologies.
What do you like most about the job or company?
I like our approach to delivering work, all our team is involved and happy to help. I also like the atmosphere around the office, it’s relaxed but at the same time the team is ready to step up to the challenge when needed.
What would you change?
Not much to be honest, we are quite a diverse and flexible company and good at looking after each other. When issues arise, we are always trying to resolve them together which is a big reason why I like it here.
How do you like to spend your time when not at work?
I love spending time with my cat Minnie and reading or listening to Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. I sometimes get through multiple a week! I am also really into F1, and always happy to talk about it. I often spend my weekends watching races on TV, but I would like to go to more venues to see it in person. So far, I have only been to the Barcelona circuit. It was amazing, apart from getting pretty badly burned by the Spanish sun!
What are you looking forward to in the future?
For the future, I am looking forward to progressing further in my role. There is always plenty to learn, but it is a long road. Outside of work, I would like to travel more and see the world. Learning about other people and cultures has always interested me.