Thuli

Thuli Gqamane has been with Royal HaskoningDHV for 25 years, a time that she says has been incredible. She currently fills the role of Project Administrator, which lets her interact with many people across the business.

“I really enjoy working with different people. I handle all the admin, and I make domestic and international travel bookings. Since I’ve never been to these countries that I’m making the bookings for, I need to check when the person arrives and which train they need to take. You need to be on the ball to do these kinds of things. I must do my magic, and then things work out well,” she says.

Thuli landed up at Royal HaskoningDHV quite by accident.

“The story is actually amazing,” she says. “I was looking for a recruitment agency where I was meant to drop off my CV, but I got lost. Instead of going to the recruitment offices, I went to what was then Stewart Scott, thinking that I was in the right place. So, I said, I'm here to submit my CV, and they took it and asked me to wait. Then, Mr Howard came out and said, ‘Thuli, how did you know we are looking for a receptionist?’ I said I was just there to drop off my CV. They asked, ‘Are you ready for an interview tomorrow?’ I said, yes, I am; I’m even ready now!” she laughs.

They told her to take a 30-minute break and then did the interview. “Then, on my way home, they called me and told me I got the job. I started the next day. I was the receptionist until 2004, and then I applied for a secretarial position, which I got. So yes, I’ve been working through all the different ‘AGs’ of Royal HaskoningDHV! And I love it here; it’s like home to me; they’re my family.”

Thuli has set her sights on working closely with the project managers someday. “I’d like to get involved in the technical project planning side of things. Some time ago, I was exposed to attending site visits. I was working for another AG and went along to the briefings. So, I’d like to do more of those. What’s nice about it is that when they’re talking about this or that project, you at least have the project's background.”

Her favourite work memory is also from that time. “Those were great times because I got to meet all these people. You explore more, and you learn more. I loved interacting with people, understanding how they felt about the projects, and looking at the technical stuff you don’t get to do when you’re in the office. In the office, you don't even know how this thing started. You just see a substation; you don't know what happened or how it was built.”

“We also got to go to the rural areas, and you know, the people there didn’t know about these things; they have different beliefs, and some don’t want electricity to their places. So, you need to convince those people in their language so they can understand, and even though I wasn't technically experienced, I could speak their language.”

Thuli’s long tenure is a testament to her knowing a thing or two about staying. Her advice to the youngsters of today? “I think you need to know who you are; you need to know what exactly you want. You need to have goals and drive. Jumping from job to job doesn’t work. When you’re working with the same company, you grow yourself, you learn more things, and you build a family. You've got a second family because that's where you spend most of your time. So, look after them too.”