Waugh Infrastructure Consultant Shares UK and Europe Trip-Work Insights

“While COVID took so much from us, it also opened a wider world of work. Over the last eight months, I have been lucky enough to travel through the UK and Europe while continuing to work with our great clients in NZ.

As a first-generation New Zealander, travelling back to my family and ancestral homelands of Scotland, England, and Ireland has been life-changing. In this opportunity, I found my turangawaewae and loved making connections with my extended family.

I am now embarking on my return journey to NZ and look forward to seeing my colleagues and clients in person, but I wanted to highlight some of the benefits of these opportunities, including:

• Improved work-life balance: Spending time with family and exploring some amazing locations. These are just a few of my ‘offices’ over the last eight months.
  
  
• A night shift for NZ: In the timezone opposite to my colleagues and clients, we have provided a night shift service on key projects and time-sensitive work.
  
  
• Broadened perspectives: you can take the asset manager out of NZ, but it can’t stop me from thinking about asset management.
  
  I’ve had the opportunity to see how systems operate in other parts of the world. In particular, I have benefitted from an international climate change conference in Rome and greater experience with public transport and mode shifts.

I am very grateful to Ross Waugh and Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited for this opportunity.

Your forward-thinking approach to remote working is genuinely inspirational. I also want to thank my colleagues and clients for their support and interest in my travels.

I believe this is a vital part of the future workforce and can benefit our organisations and clients in many ways.

To everyone in New Zealand, see you soon!”