Samir Patel

When did you join Atkins?

I joined Atkins in 1998.

Why did you join Atkins?

I joined Atkins as it was a well known and respected brand in civil engineering, working in one of the biggest engineering consultancies involves working on renowned and large projects and I wanted to be a part of that.

Describe your role in a sentence

To grow the Rail Solutions business in Bangalore and deliver our projects more cost effectively.

Do you have any professional accreditations?

I have a BEng (Hons) degree in civil engineering. I am a chartered civil engineer and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

What did you do before you joined Atkins?

I worked for a smaller consultancy in the UK for three years before joining Atkins.

How do you describe what you do to friends and family?

Up until recently I’d take people out and show them the projects I’d worked on, such as some of the rail infrastructure that’s been built in East London for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

What are you currently working on?

Now that I have a more managerial role, I’m not working on specific projects but working to build the business here in Bangalore.

What achievement are you most proud?

One of the most satisfying (and massive) projects I worked on was the Docklands Light Railway Stratford International extension.

What’s the most technically challenging project you’ve worked on?

Probably the same project, it was technically and commercially challenging as we had to work with so many different stakeholders and truly multidisciplinary. These sorts of projects can seem very frustrating and stressful at the time but are ultimately very rewarding.

How has your career developed at Atkins?

I’ve definitely been in the right place at the right time. Atkins has given me huge opportunities and been very supportive; my levels of responsibility have grown exponentially since I first arrived at the company.

How do you and Atkins make a difference?

As it’s such a large company we can make a substantial impact on the built environment and play a significant role in bringing projects alive.

How would you describe the culture at Atkins?

It’s very supportive and down to earth.

How would you describe the personality of Atkins?

There’s no one personality of the company… it’s a bit multifaceted as it’s grown so large partly organically and partly by acquisition.