CESA Aon 2019

MENTOR OF THE YEAR

WINNER

the aim of training its staff in a more structured manner. The programme is geared at assisting young engineers with their short-term goals of gaining the required knowledge and experience to register as Engineering Professionals with ECSA. The mentorship programme is also aimed at the continued professional development of all staff. Regular presentations and discussions on relevant topics are key to this professional development process. Since its inception, three individuals have successfully registered, and the others have a promising path to the registration process. Rajan is one of the key players in the mentorship programme as he is ultimately responsible for the professional development of the teams he leads. Feedback received from staff confirms that the guidance and leadership Rajan provides daily is of much value to his team, and much appreciated. z knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst the various team members, where team members share their knowledge on specific software, design procedures and concepts with anyone who has an interest in learning. She frankly discusses mistakes she has made in the past so her mentees can learn from them. One of the lessons she has learnt and emphasises to her mentees is the necessity for a formal technical review process, which has resulted in her becoming one of the champions of the company’s technical review procedures and initiatives. Kim assists her mentees to further develop their technical abilities by encouraging and supporting them to expand their knowledge in further tertiary studies, in choosing appropriate courses to attend and, where possible, providing them with the opportunities to gain the necessary experience for them to reach the relevant ECSA outcome levels. z

National Diploma in Civil Engineering from Natal Technikon in 1994. He qualified in 2000 with a BTech from Pretoria Technikon and further graduated with a BSc Honours in Transportation Planning in 2004. In 2010, he completed the Construction Engineering Management programme at the University of Stellenbosch. Rajan is one of few engineers who has an all-round experience in civil engineering. He worked in a lab with materials, has been employed by National and Provincial government, by Parastatals and by Consulting engineers. Well-known and highly respected, he has a wide network of colleagues within the industry, including the construction, consulting and public sectors. Rajan is exceptional when it comes to interpersonal relationships. He has mastered the skill of listening with attention, and also provides guidance, and explores new perspectives. In July 2012, Nyeleti established a formal mentorship programme with primary role within the company as a Technical Lead. Her mentees experience this passion in their day to day activities primarily by taking advantage of her open-door policy to assist with technical queries and by attending her regular design sessions where technical matters are discussed. Kim has a vast pool of technical knowledge and experience in Structural Engineering, but she also has a great skill in explaining often complex and involved concepts in a manner even her most junior mentees can understand and relate to. She has great patience and is able to guide and assist her mentees in a manner appropriate to their specific level of knowledge and experience. Kim takes pains to ensure that guidance is given in practical ways, through drawings and sketches, simulations with physical objects and examples of previous instances, to name a few. She fosters an environment of capacity building in her department by facilitating

KIM TIMM MENTOR OF THE YEAR

KIM TIMM currently mentors four Structural Engineering candidates and has mentored several professional Engineers and Technologists during her 16-year career. She embodies the values of the ECSA code of conduct and is passionate about instilling these values in her mentees. Kim’s greatest contribution as a mentor is in helping her mentees to develop their technical competence. She has a passion for sharing and transferring knowledge to her mentees and colleagues, which is line with her

FINALIST

RAJAN PADAVATTAN MENTOR OF THE YEAR

RAJAN PADAVATTAN is a professional technologist who has 30 years of experience in the industry. He is a well-rounded professional with material expertise, a good client background, and extensive experience in the consulting field and in National and Provincial Government. These make Rajan a phenomenal mentor. Rajan acquired his National Diploma in Civil Engineering from ML Sultan Technikon in 1993 and then a Higher

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CESA AON ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019