Insights Annivas's career halfway around the world

Annivas Vasilopoulos is a Senior Project Manager based in Hong Kong. Annivas shares his career journey with the company and what he’s most proud of. 

I have worked at Faithful+Gould, a member of the AtkinsRéalis Group, for more than 5 years now. I started as an intern in Greece, then progressed to an Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager and most recently Senior Project Manager. My tenure with Faithful+Gould has brought me from Greece to Singapore, Thailand and now Hong Kong. Over these last few years, I have gained invaluable international experiences in project and commercial management on various large-scale and high profile multi-disciplinary projects. 

It is hard to pick the most notable one as I have been fortunate to be involved in a diverse and very interesting portfolio of projects during the last five years – from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Greece, to the F1 Singapore Grand Prix to the new Australian Embassy Complex in Bangkok, just to name a few. Most of the projects that I have been involved in are in the hospitality sector. I enjoy this sector because of the positive and direct impact the works have to the end users. It is extremely fulfilling to see the guests first arrival at the new premises, projecting contagious smiles and enjoying their stay with the overall warm hospitality. 

If I had to choose one that is extra special for me, I would probably pick The Hari Hotel Hong Kong, which is a new high-rise 34 story hotel development in the Central Area of Hong Kong. I relocated from Bangkok to Hong Kong to join the project team back in November 2017. I am the lead Project Manager and have seen the project through from its early demolition phase, to its completion. It has been a unique experience for me to oversee the full life cycle of the project, leading the design, procurement, construction, and now the closeout of the project. This project has also allowed me to learn more about all the intricacies of the hotel development sector, such as the importance of a mock-up room design, corporate standards, as well as the challenging statutory and licensing submissions needed to obtain various licenses. The project is due to open and welcome its first guests at the end of this year. 

The company has offered me a very fulfilling career. I have worked on challenging projects, side by side with fascinating team members that hold diverse cultural backgrounds. I used that as an opportunity to always learn from them while promoting an inclusive working environment. I am grateful to all my colleagues and managers for all the support and advice that they have continuously given me, which in turn enabled me to be a recipient of the President Award.

I am a firm believer of this quote from British mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead “Great dreamers’ dreams are never fulfilled; they are always transcended”. Reflecting this on my career, the company provides us with an abundance of opportunities to excel, but it is up to us to keep dreaming big, pushing our boundaries, challenging ourselves and learning from others to ultimately thrive!