Acres is celebrating ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ค by highlighting the contributions of the wonderful women that make up our team!
Get to know Ann Mary Vithayathil, a Project Manager with Acresโ Civil Department who was intrigued by the opportunities, challenges, and rewards in the construction industry.
๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ.
As a Project Manager with Acres, I work with the project team to help enhance safe work practices, project profitability, meeting schedules, customer satisfaction and productivity. I get to model, encourage, and implement effective decision-making strategies.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง?
I find that one of the primary reasons that people โ mostly women โ shy away from the exciting field of civil engineering was to avoid the intense field work. As a result, it became increasingly uncommon to see women in civil engineering. I took it as an opportunity to set an example and pursue that field and eventually construction. It also fed my auxiliary interest of buildings, architecture, and the meticulous processes of organization, planning and implementation that leads to the construction of structures.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฃ๐จ๐?
Every new job comes with its own set of challenges. Brainstorming ideas and strategizing with my team to effectively reach an optimal solution is what I enjoy the most. These discussions often prove to be paramount learning opportunities to better understand the different perspectives and ways to approach a challenge.
Additionally, getting into the details of the numbers and closely monitoring the job progress alongside my superintendent is another aspect of my job that I enjoy.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ?
The construction industry may seem a bit intimidating at first, but in my experience, it is one of the most professionally engaging avenues one could pursue. I encourage all women wanting to enter the construction industry to be confident and willing to learn. Every project
comes with its own set of challenges and in turn, opportunities to learn, explore and find exciting solutions, all in which are perfect to satiate the curious mind!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ?
I have been very fortunate in this regard since most of my experience working in the construction industry has been great. However, one of the challenges that comes to mind was during my first ever construction project. Prior to moving to Canada, I had received this incredible opportunity to be a part of a Beach Resort Construction in Oman, where I was one among the two females involved in a crew of 500 members. This overwhelming majority of men sometimes made me feel like an outsider. Thankfully, I looked up to the engineer in charge, who was the other female on site. I admired her boldness, courage, and depth of knowledge, which kept me motivated to face challenges.
Overall, it has been a huge learning curve, and I am glad to be a part of a team that encourages and welcomes both men and women equally to the construction sector.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐?
Growing up in Oman and further pursuing education from India, my notions and expectations around student life and dependence were very different to what one would expect in a North American country. Iโm particularly proud of being able to adjust to such a dramatic change with rather seemingly little effort and successfully finishing a graduate degree from UBC. I am also really proud that I landed a job with Acres soon after my degree completion, while rising up the ranks to a project manager and successfully closing out my first project!ย