Mott MacDonald marks milestone of 10,000th employee

Ronald Athiyo was officially recognised as Mott MacDonald’s 10,000th employee. To mark this prestigious event, the firm recently organised a special day for Ronald which involved him taking a day out from his job based in Leeds and meeting colleagues in London, the Director for his area of the business plus having lunch and being presented with an iPod by Chairman of the Group, Mike Blackburn.

Although he graduated in civil engineering from the Makerere University Kampala in 2002, Ronald has since achieved an MSc in International Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Leeds and his working career has been more on the project management/management consultancy side. His current role at Mott MacDonald has involved project management of projects as part of the firm’s management consultancy business.

Ronald talks to us about his career and experience at Mott MacDonald:

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

“That’s always been a hard question for me. As a young person it was mostly intrigue, wanting to understand the process of putting up infrastructure, particularly monumental bridges and buildings.”

Why the change to management consultancy?

“Things started to change after I completed my first degree in civil engineering. My first job was more management than the technical side of engineering and that opened my eyes to the management side of construction. My MSc in International Construction Management was the final catalyst; being involved in a lot of research on procurement and project management made me more determined to pursue a career in management consultancy.”

Why choose Mott MacDonald?

“Obviously Mott MacDonald sticks out as one of the best consulting firms, but what really caught my eye was the diversity and global presence of the Group. We’re involved in almost everything and spread over the world, which provides opportunities as well as challenges for someone looking to progress their career. I thought that it would be a good environment for me to learn and develop my career. Having a division specifically for management consultancy was also a key factor in my decision to join Mott MacDonald.”

What are your aims for the future?

“I’m looking to get as much experience as possible and establish a solid foundation in management consultancy.”

How do you feel being the 10,000th employee?
“When I heard the news obviously I was surprised but I feel very privileged and welcomed. It has definitely helped me to settle into the company.

“Being the 10,000th person I’ve been able to meet a lot of people right through to the directors at the top and find out what kind of people lead the company.

“I’ve also seen what my colleagues in other offices are involved in, in their day to day work, and had chats with directors across the division that I work for – it’s been an eye opener and good exposure.”