Hello Nebojsa. Thank you for taking some time for this interview. You have currently moved to Sri Lanka. What is your responsibility?
Currently, I am the Project Manager of our project in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The aim of the project is to rehabilitate the underground Storm Water Drainage Network. Moreover, I am a Regional Manager and responsible for projects in Sri Lanka and South East Asia.
You are now working at Ludwig Pfeiffer for 8 years? What distinguishes Ludwig Pfeiffer from other employers?
Being part of big successful story. It’s easy to join some big international company and just follow the stream, but to be part of significant growth of the company, that is something special. When I joined Ludwig Pfeiffer Serbia back in 2011, there were only five people. I started because of our first project far away from Europe, in Kabul/ Afghanistan. Now more than 50 people work in our Belgrade office, and we are executing projects all over the world.
Can you please tell us a little bit about your own career?
I graduated from the faculty of civil engineering of the University of Belgrade (department for hydraulics). I worked for that department for three years as a teaching assistant. Another two years I worked as an hydraulic designer for a consulting company. Then in 2011 I wanted to start something more challenging and applied for a job at Ludwig Pfeiffer Serbia. I came for the project in Kabul but only three months later I started working on another project in Yardimli, Azerbaijan. I started as design manager and deputy project manager. I was lucky to have as my mentor an “old school” German engineer from whose experience and knowledge I profited a lot. It was, by all means, a unique and challenging project. When the Project Manager retired at the beginning of 2015, I took over the responsibility as Project Manager (Contractor’s representative). We successfully finished that project last year increasing its original value almost by almost 40%. The same year (2015) I started being involved in tenders in Sri Lanka.
Since in 2017 my full-time involvement in Yardimli was not needed anymore, I had the opportunity to go to the Philippines and to support our branch office there with ongoing projects. In January 2018, I took over the responsibility of Manila office and South East Asia.
In November 2018, our Project Manager in Kandy resigned because of health issues, and we urgently needed replacement. Since I was involved in the project preparation, I took over that position and so it comes that I am now placed in Sri Lanka.
Interesting. Last but not least – what do you like to do when you get home from work?
Usually I like to spend time with my family and colleagues, exploring local cultures, doing some sports activities. In Manila, we were playing basketball and football, going on some excursions together, doing team buildings.
This job can be very demanding but on the other hand, it gives you the opportunity to explore the world. At the same time, it is important to understand and respect local people and culture because you will be part of their community for some time. The world is an amazing place and traveling is the only thing for which you pay and you become richer.
