Muruga Muruganandam FIEAust CPEng NER has more than 35 years’ experience practicing as a civil engineer and manager. He began his career in the UK and has worked in design and construction management and the international development industry. His areas of expertise include high-level international stakeholder management, inter-governmental management consulting and advisory, contract management, and project delivery. Muruga was admitted as a Fellow of Engineers Australia earlier this year.
What is your current job title and function?
Project Manager, VicRoads International.
I am responsible for delivering institutional strengthening and capacity development consultancy services to international state road authorities. This includes road network management, road safety management and general functions such as organisational development and training.
My role also involves bidding for business development opportunities, fostering government to government bi-lateral relationships, overseeing international projects for technical and financial performance, and managing complex, hybrid staff across cultures.
What inspired you to become an engineer?
I wanted to become a civil engineer so I could help improve the socio-economic issues in society. My father, who was then working in the Rural Development Department and my uncles who were engineers inspired me to take up engineering as my career path.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
It's the rewarding experience of assisting developing countries in improving their socio-economic conditions. via knowledge transfer that leads to institutional strengthening and capacity development of other road agencies.
What projects are you currently working on?
Currently I am juggling many projects and business development tasks including managing a US$1.2million 12 month Technical Assistance (TA) consultancy services contract with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to deliver an institutional capacity building project in the road sector in Cambodia and also working on a number of proposals that include a TA consultancy service funded by ADB for the Fiji Road Authority for Review of Design and Construction Standards.
What is the most challenging project you have ever worked on and why?
I have worked on many interesting and challenging projects over the years; working on one of the early construction packages of M25 orbital motorway as a Graduate Engineer in England, and in Sri Lanka, my country of birth, I had the privilege of working with the renowned architect late Geoffrey Bawa as the resident engineer on the new parliamentary complex project.
Most recently, in 2014 I was the lead for tendering and negotiations with ADB for a TA package for the delivery of a US$900,000 consultancy service contract - Capacity Development of Northern Road Agencies in Sri Lanka. This was the first ever project in Sri Lanka for VicRoads and it was a very rare opportunity for me to give something back to my people (by managing the delivery of services) in the northern city of Jaffna - my birthplace.
Why are you a Fellow of Engineers Australia?
I have been a member of Engineers Australia and a Chartered Engineer for nearly 30 years and I feel becoming a Fellow is the natural progression and acceptance by my peers. Being a Fellow gives recognition to my qualifications and experience, and is valued by my professional counterparts locally and overseas with whom I regularly interact.
What is your favourite engineering project throughout history?
There are many projects to name but my favourites are bridges, such as Clifton suspension bridge, Royal Albert Bridge that was constructed in the nineteenth century in Britain by Civil Engineer Brunel (Isambard Kingdom Brunel). Another one is Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had the opportunity to visit these sites while I was residing in the UK. My other favourite one is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco - which I had the opportunity to visit as well in 2010).
What book are you reading at the moment?
I am not an avid reader, however, my favourites are Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope and The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra. Whenever I am a little bit down or need some courage and confidence to tackle emerging issues, I read a few chapters out these two books to get an inspirational boost!
What makes you laugh?
Political satire or stand up comedies.
Muruga (on right) exchanging technical documents with Dr Rajeev Ranjan, Additional Chief Secretary, - Highways Department of Government of Tamil Nadu , India. Dr Ranjan was heading a delegation from India in October to Melbourne.