This edition's Member Spotlight Q&A features Frank Lehmann, Lead Engineer at SNC Lavalin and one of our newest committee members in the United Arab Emirates Chapter.
When did you first know you wanted to be an engineer?
I thought about it when I was quite young, probably primary school however by the time I finished high school I was not in a position to consider tertiary education so I took on a trade.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
Be an advocate of and practice lifelong learning.
What are your top two career highlights?
I once won a corporate environmental award when I was working on Barrow Island in Western Australia which is an “A” class reserve. I designed a piece of equipment to stop the ingress of protected species to trenches and live equipment. That gave me a sense of personal satisfaction. I think that opportunity to work inthe multiculturalenvironment of the Middle East with its myriad challenges and satisfactions ranks very highly too.
How does being Chartered assist in your career?
A senior engineer I worked with when I had just graduated told me many times to aim for my Chartered status. He loaned me books and took a real interest in my career. He said it would open many doors for me and aid in career progression which has certainly been the case. Many jobs, particularly in the Middle East, specify Chartered status as a pre requisite.
What advice do you have for graduate engineers?
Aim for Chartered status – work at it from the beginning of your career. It will prove invaluable in the future. Don’t give up when it looks impossible. It takes quite a bit of patience.
How has the profession changed over your career?
The advances in digital technology are remarkable. Many things we do are more accurate now and far less time consuming particulary within the electrical, controls and insturmentation disciplines of engineering.
Who (living or dead) would you like to sit next to on a plane and why?
I would like to sit next to someone who didn’t want to talk all the time unless it was Bono! I admire him professionally and he is great humanitarian. I’d like to ask him about his music and his humanitarian work. I think he is a fascinating person.
What was the most recent thing you have done to promote the profession of engineering?
I have joined the EA committee in the Middle East and plan to do for younger engineers what was done for me.
What would you like to ask the next person who will be featured on Q&A?
Did answering these questions provoke some self analysis and serious reflection on what you could come up with that might be meaningful to someone else?