Nihar Gandhi
Indian Execution Centre (IEC) Proposals Coordinator (currently on assignment in Foster Wheeler’s Reading, UK, offices
1. Why did you decide to join Foster Wheeler?
I was working for a family owned and run Indian organisation and I wanted to experience working in a multi-national environment. I was aware of Foster Wheeler since they were the licensors on some of the earlier projects that I had done. Hence I was keen to join to Foster Wheeler.
2. What projects have you been involved in?
I joined Foster Wheeler India as a project engineer. I worked on an EPC project in Saudi Arabia and the FEED/EPC for a world-scale chemicals complex in Singapore.
3. How has your role changed since the time you joined Foster Wheeler?
I joined Foster Wheeler India in 2005 as a Project Engineer. In November 2007 I moved to Reading, UK on assignment, as IEC Proposals Co-ordinator. My role involves working with the Reading-based proposals team, acting as the interface between Reading and IEC, providing the IEC inputs to all proposals where there is an IEC content.
4. What role has Foster Wheeler played in the development of your skills?
This is a company that believes in investing in people. There is a significant emphasis on training, both technical and non-technical.
I was a part of the Leadership Development Program in 2007 in IEC where I was put through a year-long intensive program aimed at developing my leadership skills and preparing me for more challenging roles in the future. It was a very rewarding and fulfilling program and I believe I have benefited significantly from it.
5. What does Foster Wheeler offer you in your career that the earlier organisations you worked with did not?
I think Foster Wheeler provides me an opportunity to work with large multi-national companies and multi-billion dollar projects. This, frankly, is a dream for many project engineers in India. The challenges associated in working with international clients in a professional working environment are rarely found elsewhere. And finally, Foster Wheeler is a company that offers you not just a job in India but a career anywhere in the world, as evidenced by my career path in the company.
