Vidar

Anyone who thinks that finance is a dull career should speak to Vidar Johannessen.

As Business Line Controller for Southern Africa, Vidar says his days are never the same, and that’s what excites him about his job.

“Because we are also part of the developmental stages of South Africa, and we work closely with various levels of government, we get to follow the dynamic of how the country changes. Of course, you have routines, but there are always new angles, new issues, and new dynamics to deal with.”

Vidar considers himself to be ‘quite pre-historic, having joined Royal HaskoningDHV (then SSI) in October 2003 as the Chief Financial Officer.

He also loves that, even in an organisation full of brilliant professionals who have no qualms about voicing their opinions, there remains an informal culture at RHDHV – one that strives to influence the greater good. “I used to work for a couple of listed businesses abroad, and they were definitely more stuck-up suit-and-tie-type businesses. You don’t find that here!”

He fondly recalls a time shortly after joining RHDHV when there was accelerated growth in the company after an extended industry slump. “We were coming out of a pretty rough period, and many of the engineers were saying that they were so excited to have come out of what they call the ‘30-year depressed period’.”

Vidar says they all just dusted themselves off, set their sights on what needed to be done, and grew the business from approximately 300 to more than 1,200 people over about seven years. “It was really, really exciting. Long hours, which wasn't always good for the work-life balance,” he laughs. “But you know, you had a sense of achievement, and the sense of joy, and the sense of camaraderie. That camaraderie still hasn’t stopped.”

He doesn’t make much of his personal achievements within the business, giving kudos, instead, to the team effort that underpins the business. “People do get their place in the sun when they achieve what they’ve set out to achieve, but the teamwork is something that stands out.”

He says that, through teamwork, the business built its brand to the point that the competition, clients – well, everybody – took notice. “They saw us as a force to be reckoned with. We dusted off our old image of a stereotypical engineering firm and put our stamp on the times.”

The pride he feels working at RHDHV is evident. But would he recommend it to others? “Of course, I would! And the reason, as I mentioned earlier, is that no day is the same – the diversity is great. It’s a place where you always have the sense of being involved – you get asked to give your opinion, to be engaged. If you give it your best, you get a lot of operational freedom in return and that freedom makes RHDHV a great place to work.”