Sheilla

Sheilla de Carvalho joined Royal HaskoningDHV in October 2013 and is currently the Leading Market Director: International and Southern Africa. “I look after those portfolios for our business line in Africa and Southern Africa, and I'm also the current Resident Director and Director for Mozambique.”

When asked what these roles entail, Sheilla explains: “It’s about making sure that we understand and implement our strategy – not only theoretically, but practically too. Driving and leading markets are relevant areas of business (now and into the future) where we have or are building the experience, expertise and track record.

In some cases, we are well known for these, stakeholders and clients see us as leaders and seek us out for those services. I work to make sure we adhere to and embrace that. In Mozambique, my role is more focused on managing the daily running of the business – the performance, budget, KPIs, and the goals that we set for ourselves on a day-to-day and annual basis.”

I remark that this sounds like quite a serious thing. “Maybe I'm just making it sound serious,” she laughs. “It is also really fun. I'm passionate about the water sector – my background is in water engineering – and also about the impact it has on people’s lives. That and the company's motto of ‘Enhancing Society Together’ talk to why I'm still here doing what I do. It sounds so cliché, but that’s really how I feel.”

Sheilla’s commitment to and passion for the company and its people are evident throughout our conversation.

“I am all about what we’re doing. I do get quite frustrated at times as the internal and external challenges are significant, some of them of our own making. Still, I'm reminded time and again that, one, I don't like to quit unless quitting is the right option, and two, that I have a responsibility because I can have a real impact on people's lives, my community, colleagues, management, and the broader company. It can be scary, frustrating, and nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, it's a responsibility that I take seriously. I'm very much about the whole ‘we are one’ story. I buy into that fully and want us to work that way and treat each other that way. I feel a strong sense of alignment and dedication to who we are, to our DNA, as entrepreneurs, solutionists, innovators...”

She’s particularly proud of her role in helping transform and integrate the Mozambican office into the broader company.

“It's a passion not only because I'm Mozambican but also because I feel like it's a re-imagining of the business here and there is a lot of potential. The business has gone through many phases, and the business environment is very challenging but it feels like there is an opportunity for a fresh start. It's painful and exciting, and there have been lots of tears of joy, happiness, sadness, frustration, and anxiety – it’s very emotional but very fulfilling too. I like that my colleagues get to experience what happens on projects in other regions. Seeing them learn, grow in capacity, skills, and maturity – really growing into their potential – is exciting for me. It’s the level of investment and inflow of knowledge that was given to me in my career, and I’m so excited to also do that here.”

Having undergone so much change herself, I ask Sheilla what advice she has for others experiencing a lot of change in their careers. "I think that, first and foremost, it’s about accepting that change will happen so don't fear or avoid it. You are more resilient and adaptive than you think. You’ll find the support and the knowledge that you need to take each step through the transition and come through the other side of that change better off.”

When Sheilla’s not hard at work, she can be found moving to the beats on the dancefloor or soaking up the sun on the beach. “I love music and dance, moreso enjoying a good time with friends and family!” she chuckles. “I also absolutely love the beach. I'm a water baby. And being in the water – cold, hot, doesn't matter (preferably nice, warm, and in sunny weather, though) – is my connection with nature and a greater purpose or being or whatever you want to call it – I just feel completely immersed in something beyond me. I don't even have to be in it. Sometimes, just hearing and seeing the waves and having that pure breath of oxygen is just as amazing.”